Starting in 2025, Mackinac Island is adding a little something extra to sweeten the fall season. The Fall Fudge Festival!
The 3-day celebration of Mackinac Island’s world-famous treat is another great reason to visit the USA’s No. 1 Best Place To Visit For Fall. Here’s a quick rundown of five things to know about the new Mackinac Island Fall Fudge Festival:
- The Mackinac Island Fall Fudge Festival takes place on the first weekend in October. Fudge shops conduct fudge making demonstrations and hold special in-store events from Thursday through Saturday. See this year’s dates.
- You, too, can try your hand at making world-famous Mackinac Island fudge. Sign up at the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau information booth on Main Street for a chance to be an honorary fudge maker! You also can sign up to fire the cannon at Fort Mackinac!
- Festivities running through the weekend include a Fudge Quest scavenger hunt, a huge community mural at Windermere Point and daily treks around Mackinac Island with Chad’s Wonderful Walking Tours and CAP Excursions bicycle tours.
- Other special activities include photo ops with the Michigan Sugar Queen & Court, a Sweet Mystery Challenge at Murray Hotel and Fudge Tales with a third-generation fudge maker at Ryba’s Fudge Shops.
- Evening entertainment includes line dancing in the street with the West Michigan Bootscooters, live music at Mary’s Bistro, Fudge-Tastic Trivia, campfire s’mores at Island House Hotel, a speed puzzle contest, ceremonial tapping of the keg to kickoff Macktoberfest, and after-dark walking tours with Nocturnal Excursions
See the full event schedule for this year’s Mackinac Island Fall Fudge Festival
Mackinac Island Fall Fudge Festival Specials
The fudge shops of Mackinac Island will offer special deals throughout the festival such as a free slice of fudge when you buy a certain amount. There will be games such as fudge bingo at Ryba’s Fudge Shops and the chance to enter a raffle for a free night’s stay at Murray Hotel.
Fudge shops aren’t the only Mackinac Island attractions that get in on the fun of the Fall Fudge Festival. Many bars and restaurants serve up fudge-inspired food and drink specials. That way, you can enjoy the sweet taste of fudge with every meal!
Examples on the menu for this year’s festival include a hot fudge sundae at the 1852 Grill Room, a Mocha Latte with Murdick’s Fudge at Good Day Café, Fudge Poppies at Watercolor Café, Salted Caramel Double Dark Chocolate Espresso Hot Cocoa at the Pink Pony, Frozen Apple Cider at Mission Point Resort, The Graham Slam cocktail at Mary’s Bistro Draught House, the Fudge Martini at Seabiscuit Café, the Fudge Festival Milkshake at Bistro on the Greens, and many others.
Check out all the Fall Fudge Festival specials here.
Limited Edition Mackinac Island Fudge Flavor
Continuing a tradition from when the Fudge Festival was held during the summer, the Fall Fudge Festival will feature limited-edition flavors inspired by the winning name in an annual Fudge Naming Contest. Out of more than 1,000 clever entries, Mackinac Magic was voted the favorite for 2025.
Now, Mackinac Island fudge shops will each create their own unique limited-edition flavor by that name. And they’ll only be available during the Fall Fudge Festival. Come see what they come up with and sample each one!
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