Community
Petoskey
About Petoskey
Petoskey climbs a bluff above Little Traverse Bay, a resort town of Victorian storefronts in its Gaslight District and summer cottages in neighboring Bay View. It is the place to hunt for Petoskey stones, the fossil coral that is Michigan’s state stone. Ernest Hemingway spent boyhood summers on nearby Walloon Lake, and ski hills near Harbor Springs are a short drive away in winter. Petoskey is the Emmet County seat and part of what we call The Straits region. Our Petoskey coverage follows city and county news, Petoskey Northmen sports in the Big North Conference, and things to do around Little Traverse Bay.
Top things to do in Petoskey
- Hunt for Petoskey stones at Petoskey State Park or along the bayfront.
- Stroll and shop the Gaslight District downtown.
- Walk or bike the Little Traverse Wheelway along the bay.
- Visit Bay View, the Victorian summer association just northeast of town.
- Ski Nub’s Nob or The Highlands near Harbor Springs in winter.
- Watch the sunset over Little Traverse Bay from Sunset Park.
Guides
- Things to Do in the Straits of Mackinac This Fall (2026 Guide)
- Things to Do Up North This Fall (2026 Guide): Traverse City, Leelanau, Charlevoix and Boyne
- Michigan Halloween Guide 2026: Haunted Houses, Corn Mazes and Trick-or-Treat Events by Region
- All Mitten Daily guides
Nearby on The Mitten Daily
Latest from Petoskey
News · October 20, 2026
Petoskey plans a full rebuild of Bay, Rose, Williams and Clinton streets in 2027, with new sidewalks and sewer mains
The $1.65 million street project comes with a $430,000 sidewalk job. The city says the pavement rates 1 to 3 on a 10-point scale and the pipes underneath are old and undersized.
News · October 20, 2026
Petoskey will dredge its municipal marina for the first time since 2013, removing about 2,800 cubic yards of Bear River sediment
The city wants slips back to 8.5 to 9 feet deep. Reports put the cost between $273,000 and just under $300,000, split between a DNR grant and the marina’s reserve fund.
News · October 20, 2026
Petoskey voting guide for Nov. 3: early voting starts Oct. 24, and North Central Michigan College asks to renew and restore its millage
The college’s request restores 0.0805 mill lost to Headlee rollbacks, at most $8.05 a year more per $100,000 of taxable value. Early voting runs daily at the VFW in Harbor Springs.
Sports · October 20, 2026
Petoskey football hosts Clare Oct. 23 after a 19-10 loss gave Marquette the outright Big North title
The Northmen are 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big North, third behind Marquette and Cadillac, heading into the regular-season finale.
Michigan Travel · October 20, 2026
Petoskey’s namesake: the story behind Chief Ignatius Petoskey and his bronze statue overlooking Little Traverse Bay in Quarry Park
Born in 1787, the Odawa leader and merchant gave the city its name in 1873. A statue by Pietro Vinotti, a gift from a former resident, has stood near the Perry Hotel since 2005.
Michigan Travel · October 20, 2026
Petoskey Downtown Trick or Treat is Saturday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Gaslight District
Kids in costume can collect candy from participating downtown shops on Halloween morning. Here is what to know before you go.
Michigan Travel · October 20, 2026
Hemingway’s Petoskey: the Walloon Lake cottage, the 1919 rooming house winter and where to trace his northern Michigan years
Ernest Hemingway spent part of every year near Petoskey from 1899 to 1921. After World War I, he wintered in a downtown rooming house and gave a talk at the library that changed his career.
Michigan Travel · October 20, 2026
Petoskey Holiday Open House is Dec. 4 with steel drums and live music, followed by Holiday Date Night Dec. 11 and Home for the Holidays Dec. 18
Downtown streets close from 6 to 9 p.m. for the open house, with the Petoskey High School Steel Drum Band, Laura Crowe and the Social District.
Michigan Travel · October 20, 2026
Petoskey holiday season opens with Ladies Opening Night Nov. 20 and the Downtown Petoskey Holiday Parade Nov. 28
Downtown shops stay open late from 4 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 20. The parade runs 10 to 11 a.m. the Saturday after Thanksgiving, by Pennsylvania Park.
Michigan Travel · October 20, 2026
Petoskey stones guide: what Michigan’s state stone is, how to spot one, and the 25-pound yearly limit on state land
The stones are 350-million-year-old fossil coral. A state rule caps collecting on state land at 25 pounds per person per year, and late fall’s storms turn up fresh ones.