Things to Do in Traverse City This Fall: 2026 Guide

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Fall in Traverse City runs from early color in late September to the holiday light parade the weekend before Thanksgiving. The middle of that stretch, from mid-October into the first week of November, is the busiest: two wine peninsulas, orchards still selling apples and cider, and a run of Halloween events downtown and in the Leelanau villages.

This guide covers the 2026 season. Dates and hours below were checked against organizers’ own pages on Oct. 13, 2026. Weather moves things in the fall, so check each listing again before you drive.

Fall color tours: Old Mission, M-22 and Sleeping Bear

When to go. An MLive weather report on Oct. 2 pointed to about Oct. 13 for Traverse City’s color, and the Alexandra Inn puts the area’s 2026 peak between Oct. 8 and 18. Traverse City Tourism notes that air off Lake Michigan often keeps color on the peninsulas going until the end of October, so the shoreline drives can stay good after inland trees drop.

Old Mission Peninsula (M-37). The shortest drive starts in town. M-37 heads north up the narrow peninsula that splits Grand Traverse Bay into its east and west arms, with water on both sides, vineyards and orchards. Plan about two hours with stops, and more if you add tasting rooms. The road ends near Mission Point at the peninsula’s tip.

M-22 around the Leelanau Peninsula. M-22 loops the Leelanau Peninsula through Suttons Bay, Northport, Leland, Glen Arbor and Empire. Traverse City Tourism lists it among the area’s fall color routes, along with drives through Benzie County, Interlochen and the Boardman Valley. A full loop is a day trip, not an afternoon.

Sleeping Bear Dunes. The National Park Service says cars are generally allowed on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive from late May to late October; after the gates close, the road stays open to walkers. On its current conditions page, the park suggests the North Bar Lake Overlook (stop 11 on the drive), the Meadow Loop on the Pyramid Point Trail and the Burfiend farm at Port Oneida for fall views. An entrance pass is required; a seven-day private vehicle pass is $25 and an annual park pass is $45, according to the park’s fee page. Oct. 27 and Nov. 11 are fee-free days at national parks this year.

Wineries and cider

Old Mission Peninsula. Ten wineries belong to the Old Mission Peninsula Wine Trail, which says they sit no more than roughly five miles apart. That makes the peninsula the easier choice for a low-driving day. Many tasting rooms change hours on Nov. 1, so check before a November trip. Posted hours on Oct. 13:

Chateau Grand Traverse, 12239 Center Road: 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Friday–Saturday in September and October; 11–5 and 11–6 from November.
Brys Estate, 3309 Blue Water Road: 11–6 Sunday–Thursday and 11–7 Friday–Saturday through Oct. 31; from Nov. 1, noon–5 Sunday–Thursday and 11–6 Friday–Saturday. Brys warns that rideshare pickups on the peninsula are unreliable for the trip back to town.
Chateau Chantal, 15900 Rue de Vin: 11–5 Sunday–Thursday and 11–7 Friday–Saturday through Nov. 7, then 11–5 daily.
Black Star Farms Old Mission, 360 McKinley Road E.: 11–6 Sunday–Thursday and 11–7 Friday–Saturday, with wine, cider and brandies.

Leelanau Peninsula. The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail counts more than 20 wineries. Its Hunt for the Reds of October runs all month, Oct. 1–31, noon to 5 p.m. MLive reported that a $35 ticket gets a sample pour of each participating winery’s chosen red. The trail’s Toast the Season weekends follow on Nov. 6–8 and Nov. 13–15, noon to 5 p.m.

Tips. Weekdays are calmer. Several wineries recommend reservations Friday through Sunday in the fall, and harvest can limit private tours. If you plan to taste at more than one stop, book a wine-touring company or a designated driver.

Orchards, cider mills and corn mazes

Gallagher’s Farm Market, 7237 E. Traverse Hwy. (M-72), west of town: pumpkins, apples, hot cider and pumpkin doughnuts. Open 8 a.m.–6 p.m., closed Tuesdays, through October, according to the market.
Jacob’s Farm, 7100 E. Traverse Hwy. (M-72): a corn maze the farm has run since 2008, u-pick apples, pumpkins, a playground and a restaurant and bar. Fall hours are 4–8 p.m. Wednesday–Friday and 11 a.m.–8 p.m. weekends; closed Monday and Tuesday. The farm plans to close for the year once Halloween passes.
Farm Club Apple Days, Saturday, Oct. 17, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., 10051 Lake Leelanau Drive: apple pressing and more than 20 varieties to taste and buy. Free, rain or shine.
King Orchards, 4620 N. M-88, Central Lake, about an hour northeast: Apple Days ended Oct. 11, but the farm says its u-pick stays open daily while the season lasts.

Fall events with dates (2026)

Fri., Oct. 16, 5–8 p.m. Fall Artisan & Wine Walk, downtown Suttons Bay.
Sat., Oct. 17. Grand Traverse Ski Club Ski Swap, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., TC West Middle School gym (free admission); $1 kids’ matinee of “Casper” at the State Theatre, 10 a.m.; Witches Night Out downtown, 5–9 p.m. Our weekend story has the details.
Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Halloween for All, a free sensory-friendly event at the Dennos Museum Center.
Fri., Oct. 30, 7–9 p.m. Thriller Night haunted corn maze at Jacob’s Farm, $15 per person; the farm says to buy tickets ahead and to use judgment with young children.
Sat., Oct. 31, 10–11:30 a.m. Downtown Halloween Walk, free trick-or-treating at shops across downtown, including along Front and State streets, in Old Town and on West Front. There is no single starting point. The Zombie Run is on nearby that morning, so the Downtown Traverse City Association suggests driving in by Eighth Street. Suttons Bay’s Village Trick or Treat follows at 4:30 p.m.
Nov. 6–14. Traverse City Beer Week, with a different beer style each day at participating breweries.
Sat., Nov. 7. Shop Your Community Day downtown.
Fri., Nov. 20, 4–6:30 p.m. Light Up Downtown tree lighting, with Santa lighting the tree at 6:30 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 21, 6 p.m. Traverse City Light Parade down Front Street. Front Street closes from Park to Union streets from 3 to 8 p.m.

Where to eat

Fall food here is mostly about the farms and tasting rooms. Several wineries serve more than wine: Brys takes table reservations for a seated tasting with boards and sandwiches, and Chateau Grand Traverse pairs flights with charcuterie and flatbreads. Jacob’s Farm has a full restaurant and bar next to its corn maze, and Gallagher’s pumpkin doughnuts are a stop on the way out M-72.

Downtown, Front Street and the side streets around it hold most of the restaurants, coffee shops and brewpubs, within walking distance of the bay. The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, in the restored buildings of the former state hospital on the west side, has its own cluster of restaurants, a bakery and shops. On Halloween weekend and the parade weekend, book dinner ahead.

Where to stay

Downtown hotels and inns put you within walking distance of Front Street events and the bayfront TART Trail.
Bayfront resorts and motels line U.S. 31 along East Grand Traverse Bay, convenient for both peninsulas.
Winery stays: Chateau Chantal on Old Mission runs an inn, and Brys Estate offers a seasonal guesthouse.
Village lodging in Suttons Bay, Leland, Glen Arbor and Empire puts you closer to M-22 and Sleeping Bear.
Vacation rentals work well for groups doing several wine or color days.

Color weekends in mid-October fill early. Midweek nights and the first half of November are usually easier to book and cheaper.

Tips

Recheck hours on Nov. 1. Many wineries, farms and attractions switch to shorter late-fall hours, and corn mazes close after Halloween.
Your Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover Sleeping Bear Dunes, a national park. Buy the park pass online or at the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive kiosk (cards only).
Wet leaves make steep roads slippery. The park service warns of this on the Pierce Stocking drive.
Start tasting days around 11 a.m. and finish before dark. Peninsula roads are narrow and unlit in places.
Pack layers. A sunny afternoon on the bay can turn cold and windy by evening.

Official sites and maps

Traverse City Tourism: events, color reports and lodging.
Downtown Traverse City events calendar.
Sleeping Bear Dunes current conditions and fees and passes.
Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail events.
Map: M-37 up Old Mission Peninsula and M-22 around Leelanau.

More from Up North

This is an evergreen guide. We update it each season; last updated Oct. 13, 2026.

Sources:
MLive, “Fall color exploding across Michigan’s U.P., starting to change in northern Lower Michigan,” Oct. 2, 2026, mlive.com
Alexandra Inn, “Your Guide to Fall Color in Traverse City,” thealexandrainn.com
Traverse City Tourism, “Take A Traverse City Color Tour,” traversecity.com; Traverse City Beer Week theme days, traversecity.com/tcbw
National Park Service, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, nps.gov; Sleeping Bear Dunes current conditions and fees pages, nps.gov/slbe
ExploreTraverse, “Old Mission or Leelanau? How to Plan a Traverse City Wine Day,” Oct. 8, 2026, and “Traverse City Fall Events and Halloween Guide: October 2026,” Oct. 12, 2026, exploretraverse.com
Chateau Grand Traverse, cgtwines.com; Brys Estate, brysestate.com; Chateau Chantal, chateauchantal.com; Black Star Farms, blackstarfarms.com
Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail, lpwines.com; MLive, “Hunt for the Reds: Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail event is pouring all through October,” Oct. 8, 2026, mlive.com
Gallagher’s Farm Market, gallaghersfarmmarkettc.com; Jacob’s Farm, jacobsfarmtc.com; King Orchards, kingorchards.com
Downtown Traverse City Association: Downtown Halloween Walk, downtowntc.com; Light Up Downtown, downtowntc.com
Photo: stanthejeep, “Old Mission Peninsula,” 2005, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/), cropped and color-corrected; derivative under the same ShareAlike license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Mission_Peninsula.jpg

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Things to Do in Traverse City This Fall (2026 Guide)