Things to Do on Michigan’s Thumb Coast This Fall: 2026 Guide

PORT AUSTIN, Mich. — Fall on the Thumb Coast is about the drive and the small towns along it. M-25 follows the Lake Huron shore from Lexington and Port Sanilac up to the tip of the Thumb at Port Austin, then west to Caseville on Saginaw Bay. Harvest fields run right up to the water, the summer crowds are gone, and each harbor town throws its own Halloween party.

This guide covers Huron and Sanilac counties’ lakeshore for mid-October through November 2026. Dates and hours were checked against organizers’ own pages on Oct. 13, 2026. Check again before you drive.

Fall drives and lakeshore stops

M-25, the Thumb’s shoreline road. From Lexington north through Port Sanilac, Harbor Beach and Port Hope to Port Austin, the road stays close to Lake Huron, with lighthouses, small harbors and farm fields along the way. The Thumb is flatter than northern Michigan, so color comes in hedgerows, woodlots and the state parks rather than hillsides.

Port Crescent State Park, west of Port Austin: dunes, a boardwalk along the Pinnebog River and Saginaw Bay views.
Pointe aux Barques and Turnip Rock. Turnip Rock sits offshore and can only be reached by water. Paddling there in late fall is for experienced kayakers only, because Lake Huron is cold and wind changes quickly.
Lighthouses. Pointe aux Barques, Port Sanilac and Harbor Beach lights are landmarks along the drive.
Dark skies. Port Crescent State Park is a designated dark sky preserve, according to the Michigan DNR, and fall’s early sunsets give you more stargazing time.

Markets, harvest and local food

Port Austin Farmers Market. Saturdays 9 a.m.–1 p.m. through Oct. 24, rain or shine. The final market on Oct. 24 doubles as a Christmas Market, listed 8 a.m.–1 p.m., according to the Greater Port Austin Area Chamber of Commerce.
Port Sanilac farmers market. Fridays 1–5 p.m. on the museum grounds through Oct. 30, according to the village’s event schedule.
Farm stands. The Thumb is one of Michigan’s biggest farm regions. Look for roadside stands with pumpkins, squash and late apples along M-25 and M-53.
Lake perch and whitefish show up on menus in Caseville, Port Austin and Lexington.

Halloween and fall events with dates (2026)

Sat., Oct. 17, 1–4 p.m. Fairy Tale Trail at the Port Austin History Center, 1424 Pointe aux Barques Road, according to the Port Austin chamber.
Sat., Oct. 17, from 3 p.m. Zombie Crawl at Lake Street Local in Port Austin, per the chamber’s events list.
Through Oct. 17, 7–9 p.m. Haunted Village at the Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum in Port Sanilac. The village’s schedule lists it for Oct. 10–17; check with the museum for which nights it runs.
Sat., Oct. 24. Caseville’s Witch Walk: merchant specials during the day, a walk through town at dusk, then music, glow parties and a Witch’s Ball, according to the Caseville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Sat., Oct. 31, 5 p.m. Port Austin’s children’s costume parade, with village police in the lead, starts at the Village Green and heads up Lake Street. Trick-or-treating at businesses and homes follows from 5:30 to 7 p.m., the chamber says.
Sat., Oct. 31, 5 p.m. Halloween Trunk or Treat and golf-cart parade behind the Village Office in Port Sanilac, plus village trick-or-treat.
Sat., Nov. 28. Festival of Lights and village tree lighting in Port Sanilac.

Our Oct. 12 story has more on the Fairy Tale Trail and the Witch Walk.

A Thumb Coast loop

Start in Lexington for breakfast, then drive north on M-25 with stops in Port Sanilac and Harbor Beach for the harbors and lighthouses. Lunch in Port Austin, walk the breakwall, then spend the afternoon at Port Crescent State Park. Finish in Caseville for a sunset over Saginaw Bay, where the sun sets over the water.

Family picks

The Fairy Tale Trail in Port Austin on Oct. 17.
Port Austin’s Halloween costume parade and trick-or-treat.
The boardwalk and dunes at Port Crescent State Park.
A lighthouse stop on M-25 and a beach walk for Lake Huron stones.

Where to stay

Port Austin and Caseville have the most motels, cottages and rentals, though some close after October.
Lexington and Port Sanilac have inns and bed-and-breakfasts closer to Port Huron.
Port Crescent State Park has a campground; check the DNR reservation site for late-season availability.

Tips

Distances are longer than they look. Lexington to Caseville by the shore road is a long half day with stops.
Many seasonal shops and restaurants cut hours after October. Call ahead, especially on weekdays.
Watch for slow farm equipment on two-lane roads during harvest.
A Michigan Recreation Passport covers vehicle entry to Port Crescent and the other state parks.

Official sites and maps

More from the Thumb Coast

This is a seasonal guide. We publish a new one for each area every season (winter, spring, summer and fall); last updated Oct. 13, 2026.

Sources:
Greater Port Austin Area Chamber of Commerce, events list, Fairy Tale Trail and Halloween in Port Austin, portaustinarea.com
Caseville Area Chamber of Commerce, Witch Walk, casevillechamber.com
Village of Port Sanilac, 2026 event schedule, portsanilac.net
Michigan DNR, Port Crescent State Park, michigan.gov
Photo: thumbwind, “Turnip Rock - Pointe Aux Barques, Michigan (29111454132).jpg”, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), cropped and color-corrected, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turnip_Rock_-_Pointe_Aux_Barques,_Michigan_(29111454132).jpg

All Mitten Daily guides

Things to Do on the Thumb Coast This Fall (2026 Guide): Port Austin, Caseville, Port Sanilac and Lexington