Things to Do in Port Huron and the Blue Water Area This Fall: 2026 Guide

PORT HURON, Mich. — Port Huron is the heart of the Blue Water Area. It’s the area’s biggest city and the St. Clair County seat, where Lake Huron narrows into the St. Clair River under the twin spans of the Blue Water Bridge to Canada. Freighters pass close to the downtown river walk, the Black River cuts through the middle of town, and October fills the calendar with trolley tours, a downtown Trucks & Treats and a Halloween stroll in the woods.

From Port Huron, the rest of the Blue Water Area follows the river. Marysville sits just south, and St. Clair, Marine City and Algonac line M-29 down to the St. Clair Flats. This guide covers the whole area for mid-October through November 2026. Dates and hours were checked against organizers’ own pages on Oct. 13, 2026. Check each listing again before you go.

Start in Port Huron

The Blue Water Bridge. The twin spans to Sarnia, Ontario, are the area’s landmark. The best free views are from the riverfront parks and walkways below, where freighters pass under the bridge on their way between Lake Huron and the St. Clair River.
Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, 2802 Omar St., at the north end of town, is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Michigan. It is run by the Port Huron Museums, which also host fall events at the light station (see the dates below).
Downtown and the Black River. Downtown Port Huron sits where the Black River meets the St. Clair. Walk McMorran Boulevard and the downtown blocks, then follow the riverfront paths toward the bridge.
Huron Lightship Museum. The retired lightship sits on the St. Clair River waterfront and is part of the Port Huron Museums.
Thomas Edison Depot Museum, 510 Thomas Edison Pkwy., sits right under the Blue Water Bridge in the depot where a young Thomas Edison worked. Edison grew up in Port Huron.
Lakeside Park beach on Lake Huron is the city’s big beach. In fall it’s a quiet place for a walk on the sand and a look at the open lake.

Hours at the museum sites change by season. Check phmuseum.org before you go. For more on the city, see our Port Huron news and things to do page.

Fall color and river drives

M-29 along the river. South of Port Huron, the River Road connects St. Clair, Marine City and Algonac, with the river on one side and old homes and parks on the other. It’s the area’s easiest fall drive, and you can pull off at the riverfront parks in each town to watch ships pass.

St. Clair’s riverfront has a long boardwalk downtown, a good place to watch ships pass.
Algonac State Park, between Marine City and Algonac, has riverfront views and inland trails through prairie and oak savanna.
Harsens Island is a short car ferry ride from Algonac, with quiet roads and marsh views at the St. Clair Flats.

Freighter tip: ship-tracking websites and apps show which vessels are approaching, so you can time a stop under the Blue Water Bridge or at a riverfront park downriver.

Pumpkins, corn mazes and farm days

Fall Pumpkin Fest, Goodells County Park. At the St. Clair County Farm Museum, 8310 County Park Drive, the last weekend is Sat.–Sun., Oct. 17–18, noon–5 p.m., with wagon rides to the pumpkin patch, demonstrations and kids’ activities, according to the event’s Michigan.org and BlueWaterParent listings. The nighttime corn maze has been canceled this year.
Corn Fun Family Farm, 9391 Lindsey Lane, Casco: two corn mazes with more than 4 miles of trails, three pick-your-own pumpkin patches and hayrides, open through Nov. 1. Hours are Fridays 3–8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m.–8 p.m., with last tickets at 7 p.m., according to the farm. It bills itself as “spook free.”

Port Huron and Marysville events this month (October 2026)

Fri., Oct. 16, 6–10 p.m. HOPStoberfest beer-tasting fundraiser at the Port Huron Museums’ Carnegie Museum, 1115 Sixth St. Tickets $20–$30.
Oct. 16–29, various times. Murder & Mayhem and More Murder, More Mayhem historic trolley tours leave from the Carnegie Museum. Tickets $20–$30.
Sat., Oct. 17, 12:30–4 p.m. Trucks & Treats on McMorran Boulevard downtown: police cars, fire engines and construction equipment, with candy from drivers and downtown businesses for kids in costume. Free. 3–4 p.m. is quiet hours.
Sat., Oct. 17, 7 p.m. Paranormal investigation at Fort Gratiot Light Station with Detroit Rock City Paranormal. Tickets $20–$25.
Sun., Oct. 18, 3–5 p.m., and Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m.–noon. Thomas Edison Heritage Trolley Tour from the Thomas Edison Depot Museum. Tickets $20–$30.
Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Halloween Stroll in the Sanborn Park woods, 1919 Sanborn St., Port Huron: candy from nearly 30 local businesses and groups. Groups enter every 30 minutes; children collecting candy need tickets. Rain or shine.
Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Dinosaur bone-cleaning demonstrations with PaleoJoe at the Carnegie Museum. Donation.
Sat., Oct. 24, 6:30–10:30 p.m. Scaryville’s Haunted Walk & Live Music at Marysville Park, 801 Huron Blvd., Marysville.
Mon., Oct. 26, 5:30 p.m. Thomas Edison Depot Classics film night: “Bride of the Monster” (1955). Tickets $5–$7.
Tue., Oct. 27, 5:30–7 p.m. Lakeside Cemetery walking tour, 3663 10th Ave., Port Huron. Tickets $10–$15.
Thu., Oct. 29, 6–7 p.m. Halloween Bash for kids at the Marysville library branch: crafts, games, treats and a costume contest.

Down the river: St. Clair, Marine City and Algonac

Sat., Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. Harvest at Heritage Square Vendor Show at Old City Hall, 300 Broadway, Marine City. The organizer’s flyer lists both 5 p.m. and 3 p.m. closing times, so go early.
Sat., Oct. 17, 3:30–6 p.m. Cargill’s Trunk or Treat, 916 S. Riverside, St. Clair. Free; come in costume, according to the St. Clair Chamber of Commerce.
Sat., Oct. 17, 11 a.m.–noon. Halloween craft for kids at the Algonac-Clay library branch (registration listed).
Wed., Oct. 21. Halloween for Tots: trick-or-treating for little ones in the Plaza downtown St. Clair, hosted by the St. Clair Recreation Department.
Thu., Oct. 22, 5–7 p.m. LaFontaine’s Trunk or Treat at the St. Clair dealership. Free.
Sat., Oct. 24. Adult Halloween costume party at War Water Brewery in St. Clair, per the chamber.
Wed., Oct. 28, 6–7 p.m. Fall-themed bingo for teens, with candy prizes, at the Algonac-Clay library.
Halloween night. Marine City had not announced its 2026 trick-or-treat hours as of Oct. 13. Last year the city held it on Nov. 1 instead of Halloween night. Check the city’s website and police department page.

Food and drink

Downtown Port Huron has the area’s biggest choice of restaurants, coffee shops and bars, many a short walk from the Black River and the river walk. Down the river, Marine City’s Water Street and St. Clair’s riverfront are the easiest places to pair dinner with a sunset ship-watch.

A fall day in the Blue Water Area, start to finish

Morning. Start in Port Huron at Fort Gratiot Lighthouse and Lakeside Park beach on the open lake, then drive south to the Blue Water Bridge. Watch a freighter pass under the spans and stop at the Thomas Edison Depot Museum below the bridge.

Midday. Have lunch downtown near the Black River. On Oct. 17, Trucks & Treats fills McMorran Boulevard from 12:30 p.m., and on Oct. 24 the Halloween Stroll runs at Sanborn Park in the morning.

Afternoon. Head south on M-29 through Marysville to St. Clair’s riverfront boardwalk and on to Marine City’s Water Street shops. Families can swap in pumpkins at Goodells (Oct. 17–18) or a corn maze in Casco.

Evening. Come back to Port Huron for a museum event or trolley tour, or finish in Algonac on the boardwalk at sunset. Bring a jacket: the river breeze makes evenings feel colder than the forecast.

Family picks

Trucks & Treats in downtown Port Huron on Oct. 17.
The Halloween Stroll at Sanborn Park on Oct. 24.
The kids’ Halloween Bash at the Marysville library on Oct. 29.
Watching freighters pass under the Blue Water Bridge.
Corn Fun Family Farm’s mazes and pumpkin patches, or wagon rides at Goodells on Oct. 17 or 18.

Where to stay

Port Huron has the most hotels in St. Clair County, the widest choice in the area.
St. Clair has a riverfront inn and hotels within walking distance of the boardwalk.
Marine City and Algonac have bed-and-breakfasts and short-term rentals.

Tips

Trolley tours and museum events sell tickets ahead of time. Buy early for October weekends.
Halloween Stroll tickets are cheaper with early registration, which closes the Friday before.
The river current is fast and cold. Keep kids back from the edge at riverfront parks.
Check the Harsens Island ferry schedule and fare before you go; it runs on its own fall schedule.
Bring a light for evening walks; fall sunsets come before 6:30 p.m. by late October.

Official sites and maps

Port Huron Museums (Carnegie Museum, Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, Huron Lightship, Thomas Edison Depot).
Downtown Port Huron.
Port Huron Parks & Recreation.
Blue Water Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
St. Clair Chamber of Commerce public events.
St. Clair County Library System events.
Map: Port Huron to Algonac along the river.

More from the Blue Water Area

This is a seasonal guide. Its events update on the 1st of each month, and we publish a new guide for each area every season; last updated Oct. 13, 2026.

Sources:
Port Huron Museums, upcoming events (HOPStoberfest, trolley tours, Fort Gratiot paranormal investigation, Edison Depot film night, Lakeside Cemetery tour, PaleoJoe), phmuseum.org
Downtown Port Huron, “Trucks & Treats,” Oct. 17, 2026, downtownph.com
Port Huron Parks & Recreation, “Halloween Stroll,” Oct. 24, 2026, porthuronrec.com
Blue Water Area CVB, “Scaryville’s Haunted Walk & Live Music,” Oct. 24, 2026, thumbcoast.org
St. Clair County Library System, “Halloween Bash,” Marysville branch, Oct. 29, 2026, stclaircountylibrary.org
St. Clair Chamber of Commerce, public events, stclairchambermi.com
Ouellette Events, Harvest at Heritage Square Vendor Show flyer, via thumbcoast.org
St. Clair County Library System, Algonac-Clay events, stclaircountylibrary.org
Michigan.org, Fall Pumpkin Fest 2026, michigan.org; BlueWaterParent, bluewaterparent.com
Corn Fun Family Farm, 2026 hours, cornfun.com
FrightMaps, Marine City trick-or-treat times (citing WXYZ, Oct. 30, 2025), frightmaps.com
Photo: Peter K., “Ship below Blue Water Bridge - panoramio.jpg”, May 15, 2014, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), cropped; derivative under the same ShareAlike license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ship_below_Blue_Water_Bridge_-_panoramio.jpg

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Things to Do in Port Huron and the Blue Water Area This Fall (2026 Guide)