Nightlife on Mackinac
Mackinac Island boasts some of the best entertainment
in the North Country. Accomplished musicians performing
styles from classical, big band, folk, rock, country,
and blues, to club DJ’s and karaoke abound.
Grand Hotel offers nightly entertainment for their guests
and non-guests alike. All guests, however, must be dressed
properly after 6 pm, meaning that men must wear proper
jackets and ties and women must wear their finest couture.
The Terrace Room is home to Alex Graham and the Grand Hotel Orchestra where ballroom dancing is the rage, while the
Cupola Bar features solo guitarists and pianists nightly
as guests enjoy a drink overlooking the Mackinac Bridge,
the Straits of Mackinac’s twentieth century engineering
wonder. Grand Hotel’s other restaurants, the Jockey Club
and Woods feature some of the best jazz piano players
around.
The Hotel Iroquois' piano bar in their Carriage House
Dining Room is a popular spot to listen music, watch the
sunset and view the boats entering the harbor. Each evening
Hotel Iroquois hosts contemporary instrumental works on
their grand piano throughout the season
Downtown Club Scene
Tuesday night is wine and jazz night with the Alex Graham Quartet at the foothills of Grand Hotel in the new Grand Gate House, formerly the French Outpost. The room is excellent for live jazz. The interior was renovated by legendary interior designer Carleton Varney of Dorothy Draper Company, America's oldest established interior design firm. Not only is the music fantastic, the food great, the design elements tip their hat to Dorothy's whimsical side.
In the center of Mackinac downtown nightlife, Patrick
Sinclair’s Irish Pub offers opportunities to drink the
night away with traditional Irish sing-a-longs on weekends.
Contemporary acoustic musicians may be heard singing
Great Lakes ballads on weeknights. On Sunday nights,
the tables are pushed away and the dance floor gets
sizzling when the Island’s international workforce shakes
in true Jamaican fashion.
Just next door, Horn’s Gaslight Bar (recipient of the
Best Venue to See a Live Band award from a Detroit news
readers poll) presents seasoned rock, blues, and reggae
bands every weekend during the peak season. On Wednesdays,
DJs bring music and light shows for those who are ready
to dance the night away. College bands also grace the
stage and bring fresh excitement to the Island with
their infectious grooves. Dancing is encouraged and
the well-staffed bar will make sure your whistle stays
wet.
Across the street past the Arnold Line, the famous Pink
Pony Bar & Grill offers a “Chicago-style” stage
for entertainers, tucked safely up high behind the bartenders.
Known simply as the “Pony” to locals, the stage placement
means that musicians and customers can’t help but intermingle.
Well-known Michigan acoustic artists perform here nightly
and involve the crowd with requests as much as possible.
The Pony even boasts a live CD featuring veteran Pony
musicians.
Mission Point Resort offers acoustic music in the Round
Island Bar and Grill, one of its many restaurants. Weather
permitting, acoustic musicians perform on the deck of
Mission Point’s Bistro on the Green outside overlooking
the Greens of Mackinac, the Resort’s 18-hole executive
putting course.
Up to date information on who’s playing where can be
obtained from front desk personnel, websites of the
Island watering holes and in the entertainment section
of the Town
Crier.
Comedy
Its a hard line of work and its rare when comedian comes
along that really hits home--and lucky for us, Stu Stuart
is right at home on Mackinac Island. Stu's shows have
become an Island tradition illustrating Mackinac's funny
side and Stu's experiences from his days as a dockporter,
interactions with tourists and horses to his travels
on and off this rock. For a good laugh and a schedule
of performances, check out Stu's
website .
