Charlevoix’s Apple Fest filled East Park, with SkitoberDays up the road at Boyne

CHARLEVOIX, Mich. — Apple Fest always lands on the second full weekend of October in Charlevoix, and this year that was Friday through Sunday, Oct. 9 to 11. The 47th edition set up in downtown’s East Park and along Mason Street, according to the festival page of the Charlevoix Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber listed hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. An art and craft show and a farmers market ran all three days, and Northern Express’s events calendar added orchards and food booths to the lineup.

Friday was the easy day to browse, with the Fog Horn Jazz Band scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday was built for families. The chamber’s schedule had a petting zoo, Twister Joe making balloon figures, face painting from noon to 4 p.m., the Kiwanis Kidz Karnival from 10 a.m. to noon, a kids’ craft from noon to 2 p.m. while supplies last, and an “A is for Apple” story time at 1 p.m. Andy Kline was slated from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by the Northern Gentlemen Blues Duo from 3 to 5 p.m.

Sunday brought back the petting zoo and the balloon artist, with the Northern Symphonic Winds scheduled at noon. The chamber noted that a city ordinance barred pets from the event area.

For a second stop, Boyne Mountain, southeast of Charlevoix in Boyne Falls, started its SkitoberDays on Oct. 10 and 11, with a second round still ahead Oct. 17 and 18. The resort’s schedule put live music at SkyBridge Michigan, with Chris Michels from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sydni K from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and Robert Yates from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Kids got a free wristband with a youth SkyBridge ticket, Boyne Mountain said. It covered inflatables from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a bubble station, caricatures from 1 to 4 p.m. and, on Saturday, face painting and balloon twisting. The resort pitches the bridge itself as the best seat for the season, a high look across northern Michigan’s fall color.

Updated Oct. 12, 2026: Apple Fest and the first SkitoberDays weekend took place Oct. 9-11. This guide was published before them, and its schedule language has been changed to the past tense. Boyne Mountain lists a second SkitoberDays weekend Oct. 17-18.

Updated Oct. 13, 2026: The headline and summary were changed to the past tense for events that have already taken place.

Sources:
Charlevoix Area Chamber of Commerce, “47th Annual Apple Fest,” event page and schedule, https://business.charlevoix.org/events/details/47th-annual-apple-fest-14845
Northern Express, calendar listing, “47th Annual Charlevoix Apple Fest,” Oct. 9, 2026, https://www.northernexpress.com/calendar/2026/10/09/47th-annual-charlevoix-apple-fest/
Boyne Mountain, “SkitoberDays”, https://www.boynemountain.com/upcoming-events/skitoberdays
Photo: Royalbroil, “Charlevoix Michigan Harbor Charlevoix Lake,” 2011, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), cropped and color-corrected; derivative under the same ShareAlike license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlevoix_Michigan_Harbor_Charlevoix_Lake.jpg

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Tags: Up North · Michigan Travel · Festivals · Roads and Transportation · Live Music · Parks and Recreation