Summer is Festival Season in Flint & Genesee

As the birthplace of General Motors, Flint & Genesee knows cars. So, it is no surprise that one of our largest annual events is an epic week-long classic car show called Back to the Bricks (Aug. 14-19). But Flint & Genesee isn’t just a one-horse (power) show – residents and visitors can choose year-round from many annual festivals and events of all sizes and interests.

Music festivals like Alley Fest (July 8), the Flint Jazz Festival (July 27-30), Flint Drop Fest (Aug. 12), and Local Fest (July 1) offer great live entertainment and highlight local and national talent.

For basketball fans, the Gus Macker Tournament (July 29-30) is returning to downtown Flint for two days of three-on-three games, featuring players of all experience levels. And the HAP Crim Festival of Races (Aug. 25 & 26) provides runners a unique opportunity to tour historic Flint neighborhoods and race down the bricks of Saginaw Street. Finally, the Ally Challenge presented by McLaren (Aug. 24-27) brings a PGA Champions tournament to Grand Blanc and a community concert on Saturday night featuring country superstar Miranda Lambert. 

Several art festivals, fairs, and shows give makers (and shoppers) plenty of opportunities to revel in unique handcrafted items. That includes the Flushing Art in the Park (June 3), Flint Art Fair (June 10-11), Grand Blanc Art Fair (Aug. 5-6), and Swartz Creek Art in the Park (Aug. 18-19), to name a few. 

Other popular events celebrate annual holidays, such as Fenton’s Freedom Festival (July 4) and Flint’s Juneteenth Celebration (June 9-20). And in celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, Fenton Pride Night (June 15) and Flint Pride (June 24) are on the books again this summer.  

Additionally, the Genesee County Fair (Aug. 21-27) has been a family tradition since 1850, and several annual community events offer a fun way to showcase some of our towns and cities. These include:

• Swartz Creek’s Hometown Days (June 1-4)
• Davison’s Festival of Flags (June 7-10)
• Flushing’s SummerFest (June 6-11)
• Grand Blanc's Family Fun Fest (June 15-18)
• Montrose’s Blueberry Festival (Aug. 13-20)

This post just scratches the surface of the many events scheduled to take place in Flint & Genesee this summer. For more information, or to add your own event listing, visit Explore Flint & Genesee.