EVENTS
The task of creating a FREE family friendly schedule of events is one we take great pride in. We focus on providing 'something for everybody' to enjoy. We hope you will take a look at the 2026 Schedule of Events and see just that.
This year you will notice the schedule has a combination of new and traditional activities. We invite you to get out and get involved. Try something new. Grab a friend and enjoy one of our traditional events. There is plenty to do. Most importantly, enjoy the weekend with us!
We welcome you to Carson City Frontier Days 2026!
To download a copy of our official festival booklet, click the link below.
To view the schedule:
Schedule
Community Picnic
Friday Night Kick-Off
The Community Picnic is our 'traditional' kick off of the Frontier Days festival. Friends, neighbors, and visitors from surrounding communities all come together at Haradine Park for good food and good fun. The 2026 Community Picnic will be exactly that.
We would like to thank The Muffin Top Bakery & Deli for sponsoring, cooking, and serving for the Community Picnic again this year! Please make sure you thank them for their efforts for helping to keep the tradition of the Community Picnic going!!
The Community Picnic will be held Friday, June 5th at 5:00 p.m. at Haradine Park. Gather your family, lawn chairs or a blanket and head to the park for a great evening of fun. Food will be served from 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
While at the picnic you will be able to enjoy the beautiful walking trails or find a cozy spot on the banks of Fish Creek to catch up with family, friends, and neighbors. We will have our favorite D.J., Dave Klienhardt with us to play great music throughout the night.
Our annual Duck Race will take place at 6:00 p.m. down Fish Creek. Make sure you purchase a ticket or two from the Frontier Days staff for only $5. The ducks will begin their swim near the north bridge and the first three ducks that reach the covered bridge will be declared the winners and will receive a cash prize. There are a limited number of tickets, so make sure you get yours and join in the fun.
After dinner, we have great entertainment planned for you. Sit and listen to some great music, watch our first official mass hot air balloon launch of the 2026 Frontier Days Festival, and stay for the AMAZING hot air balloon glow. You won't want to miss this year's glow. We have created a new spin on our glow that we are sure you are going to LOVE!
The Community Picnic is always a great night for our community. It is a great way to bring the residents of Carson City together to celebrate. Haradine Park is the place to be on June 5th. There will be plenty of food and fun for everyone. We hope to see you there.
Everyone LOVES a parade!
Back by popular demand this year is the Buckaroo Parade. At 1:15 p.m. just prior to the Grand Parade on Saturday, June 6th the Buckaroo Parade will make it's way down Main Street. Line up will be in the Post Office Parking Lot and the parade will head east down Main Street to finish at Michigan One Community Credit Union. We invite all kids (Buckaroos) in our community to join us. Decorate your bike or wagon...dress up in a costume... be creative. We need your participation to continue the tradition of this event!
Following the Buckaroo Parade is the Grand Parade. This is one of the highlights of the festival each year. We are looking to make the 2026 Grand Parade one for the books. We invite the entire community to join us on Main Street for the parade. Grab your favorite spot along Main Street with your family and friends. It will be great fun for all in attendance.
The Grand Parade will begin at 1:30 p.m. This year the parade route will be from the corner of Linden and Willams Streets to Main Street. It will continue to travel down Main Street to the east and turn north at Michigan One Community Credit Union. The parade will end at Carson City-Crystal High School.
Parade line-up begins at 12:30 p.m. on Garfield Street. Please enter Garfield Street from Division Street. One of our amazing volunteers will be there to greet you, give you a registration form, and show you to your spot. No need to pre-register and there is no fee to join in the fun!
We encourage participants to get creative with their entry. Let's make this year's parade one for the books!
Just prior to the Grand Parade, we will have a special treat. Christine Martin will be joining us. Christine is a Michigan-based singer-songwriter emerging with a polished, contemporary sound rooted in authenticity and emotional depth. Raised in Carson City and a 2007 graduate of Carson City-Crystal High School, she is steadily building her voice through original music. Blending modern influences with introspective, relatable lyrics, Christine creates songs that feel both current and enduring. Her presence carries a quiet confidence—drawing listeners in through sincerity rather than spectacle—and offering performances that feel intimate, grounded, and genuine. With a growing catalog of original work, she continues to establish herself as an artist to watch.
Christine will be singing her song "Carson City" as well as The National Anthem. Please give a warm "Welcome Home" to Christine!
Listen to Christine's song "Carson City" here
EVERYBODY LOVES A PARADE!
2026 Grand Marshal
A familiar smile will lead this year's Frontier Days Grand Parade, as Carson City resident Bonnie Schafer has been named Grand Marshal.
For those who know Bonnie, the recognition comes as no surprise. A devoted member of the Carson City community, she has spent years quietly and consistently lifting others up - making a lasting impact through her kindness, dedication, and unwavering support of local organizations.
Bonnie raised her three children - Alyssa, Jordan, and Mariya - in Carson City, instilling in them the same strong sense of community that she lives out each day. Professionally, she serves at UMH-Sparrow Carson, where she is often the first friendly face visitors encounter. Known for her warm and welcoming demeanor, Bonnie greets each person with positivity and ensures they feel valued from the moment they walk through the door. As they leave, she tanks them for choosing the community hospital and encourages them to return - making her an ambassador for local healthcare.
Her commitment to Carson City extends well beyond her workplace. Bonnie is an avid supporter of the local library, regularly attending programs and events, and remains active at St. Mary Catholic Church, where she lends her time and talents to various efforts. Her beautiful singing voice is a cherished part of the church choir, adding another layer to her contributions.
When it comes to community involvement, Bonnie is known for one consistent response: “Yes—and how can I help?” Whether it’s a fundraiser, event, or local cause, she is always ready to step in, support, and uplift those around her.
Friends and neighbors describe her as a loyal, gracious, and hardworking individual who gives back not for recognition, but simply because she cares. Often, her acts of kindness happen quietly - through thoughtful gestures, words of encouragement, and genuine expressions of gratitude toward others who serve the community.
"Bonnie is the kind of person who makes everyone feel seen and appreciated," one community member shared. "She represents the very best of Carson City."
As Grand Marshal, Bonnie will lead the Frontier Days Grand Parade, waving to a community she has supported so faithfully. She embodies the spirit of this year's celebration. "She has helped lift community spirits through her involvement, generosity, and willingness to always step in where help is needed."
Events/Entertainment
Weekend Drop In Activities
Throughout the weekend you are invited to stop by our 'Drop In' Activities. These are short and sweet little activities for you and your family to do.
#WhatLiftsYou Banner
Our these for this year's festival is Lifting Community Spirits - What Lifts You? We have a banner next to the Information Tent (corner of Division and Sherman Streets) that we invite you to sign and add to. We ask your to answer the question of "What LiftsYou?" Put your thoughts on the banner and we will display it in the downtown area after the festival. Please be respectful and be positive!
Rock Snake
Also next to the Information Tent, is an area for you to add to our Rock Snake. We are hoping to create "Monty The Rock Snake. We will have paints, markers, brushes, and some rocks for you to design and paint. You can also bring your own rock if you have that special shape you are looking for. Be creative and put your artistic skills to work. All painted rocks will be sprayed and then placed in the park. We hope to get Monty in the park shortly after the festival.
Community Mural
On Saturday, June 6th from 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., please stop by the west side of Barnes Hardware to grab a brush and join in the fun of creating our Lifting Community Spirits mural. With the help of Tracie Davis from Tracie Davis Art & Murals of St. Johns, we will be painting the mural as a community. Come check it out and be part of making Carson City a little more beautiful!
Quilt Trail
The Seven Sisters Quilt Shop has organized a fantastic Quilt Trail for Friday, June 5th. Beautiful quilts will be on display in downtown business. Stop by downtown businesses and pick up a punch card. When you visit the locations to view the quilts your card will be punched at each stop. Once you have the punch card filled, take it to the Seven Sisters Quilt Shop and you will be entered into a drawing for one of their beautiful quilts. The quilts will be on display throughout the entire weekend, but the punch card will only be available on Friday.
Friday Frontier Days Fun
Food Trucks Return!
Food Trucks will be back for the 2026 festival. Food Trucks will be ready to fill your stomachs Friday, June 5, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 6, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Food Trucks will be located near the corner of Sherman Street and Division Streets. We invite the entire community to head downtown to enjoy the food from our visiting trucks. Grab a bite. There is something for everyone.
There will be a tent with plenty of seating for you to sit and enjoy the fabulous food from our visiting food trucks.
There are lots of great options for you.
The food trucks scheduled to come are:
Bennett's Concessions
Hall's Concessions/London Broil
Fire Sliderz
The Spud Hut
Good Times Griddle
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
Superior Kettle Corn
"LIFT UP" Your Creative Spirit Event
This year we have a new event to offer our community on Friday, June 5, 2026. We will be offering two sessions throughout the day to choose from. These sessions offer a variety of creative activities you can be a part of.
Session One goes from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. You can choose from Crushed Glass Suncatcher by The Crafty Michigander or a Garden Herb Bowl by Harvey's.
There will be a lunch break from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. where you can enjoy a great lunch from one of our food trucks.
Session Two goes from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. You can choose from Sign Making by Bethany Kooyers or 12 oz Soy Candles by Peace of Art Studio.
We will also have drop in activities you can enjoy.
We have goody bags and door prizes for participants throughout the day as well.
To sign up for a session:
The Crafty Michigander ($55) Crushed Glass Sun Catcher
Harvey's ($20) Herb Garden Bowl
Bethany Kooyers ($20-$30) Sign Making
Peace of Art Studio ($20) Soy Candles
S'more Fun
On Friday night near the launch field we will be hosting "S'more Fun"! We will have a FREE S'More Bar from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. We will have everything you need to make a favorite snack over a little 'fire'. Please be respectful and take turns at the fire.
Enjoy!!
Food in The Park
Both Friday and Saturday, during the evening activities in the park, we will have a couple options for you for snacks and food.
First Mrs. C's Grilled Cheese will be on hand to fill your stomachs with some amazing food. Mrs. C's has been to Carson City a number of times at Harvey's and they come highly recommended from the community. Make sure you stop by and get some dinner from them.
Also at the park, the Carson City Sports Boosters will be on hand with snacks, popcorn, pop, candy, and more. Stop by and see them and grab a snack. Support a good cause - the Carson City-Crystal Eagle Athletes!
Music by The Muddy River Band
The 2026 Frontier Days festival welcomes The Muddy River Band on Friday, June 5th. The band, made up of Brad Kilcherman (member of the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame, Shane Shattuck, Bruce Silvernail, and Gene Odonell, will sure to put on a FANTASTIC show! The band will be entertain you in West Park near the Launch Field from 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Bring your lawn chair and/or blanket and get comfortable to enjoy the show.
The Muddy River Band will sure to entertain you. Your feet will be tapping and you will be singing along to these country favorites!
5K Glow Run/Walk
Carson City Frontier Days and The Carson City Community Corporation are working together again to bring the 5K Glow Run/Walk to Frontier Days on Friday, June 5th. To get registered, please click here Race Sign Up Participants are encouraged to pre-register prior to May 1st for $25. Packet pick up will be available on race day at Haradine Park beginning at 6:30 p.m. Race day registration will be available at West Park for $30/individual or $50/family. Race day registration will begin at 6:30 p.m.
The race begins at 8:00 p.m. from Haradine Park in downtown Carson City and travels through town before returning to the park. A FREE (no registration required) short kid’s Fun Run starts at 7:30 p.m. Live results for the race will be posted online after the race. Post race refreshments and commemorative gift will be awarded to the top three finishers in each division.
We would like to thank University of Michigan Health - Sparrow for sponsoring the event this year. We also want to thank Hull Dairy Farm of Palo for the after race refreshments.
Saturday Fun
Frontier Marketplace Craft Show
The 2026 Marketplace Craft Show is packed with treasures. We have over 100 crafters/vendors signed up to come to our event. The
event will take place Saturday, June 6th from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The Marketplace will be along Sherman Street behind our downtown businesses. You will see many handmade crafts (woodworking, soaps, candles, glassware, wind chimes, pebble art, spices, candy, crocheted items and more), plants, books, and toys. You will see vendors from Origami Owl, Scentsy, Color Street, Paparazzi and more. There is such a terrific variety. Make sure you make your way to our visiting crafters to see what they have. We are sure you will find a treasure or two to take home.
Fun Zone
Saturday, June 6th will be packed with activities for kids of all ages. We have appropriately titled this area FUN ZONE. Activities will be open from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. (unless otherwise stated) FUN ZONE is located on the corner of Sherman and Division Streets. We will close the Fun Zone from 1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (after the parade). We ask that you respect the area during the closure. This gives time for our volunteers to grab lunch and take a well deserved break.
We are happy to have the Farm Animals On The Go with us this year. This petting farm is out of Rockford and is excited to join us again this year for the Frontier Days festival. They will be here from with a variety of cute animals just waiting to meet you. Stop by and introduce yourselves and make a few furry friends. There will be feed for purchase for $1 at the petting farm for those of you who would like to offer your new furry friends a snack while you visit.
We will have some fun inflatables set up around the FUN ZONE. The first inflatable we have is a combination bounce house and slide. The Ferris Wheel will create hours of fun for all.
You will also find an obstacle course to challenge you. Do you have what it takes to get through the obstacle course? Challenge a friend to see who can get through the course first!
We can’t wait to see all the friendly competition happening at these interactive inflatables.
The Sparkling Grotto will also be in the FUN ZONE for the day. Ariel will be with us to offer face painting, festival glitter, and glitter tattoos. These are available for anyone 3 yrs and older. Let Ariel add a little ‘sparkle’ to your life!
We want to thank all of our terrific volunteers that helped to make FUN ZONE happen. We couldn’t do it without you!
Antique Tractor Show & Kid Pedal Pull
We are excited to off the Antique Tractor Show again for 2026. This event has been a very popular event last few years and we are hoping for a bigger and better event this year.
It will take place on Saturday, June 6th from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Main Street. All are invited to participate. Registration will take place the day of the event. There will be door prizes for the event as well as awards. There is no entry fee - all are welcome. During the show, there will also be a Kid Pedal Pull event. There will be three age groups for the kids. Prizes will be awarded to the top three in each age group based on the pull. Again there is no fee for the pedal pull.
The community is invited to participate as well as take a stroll in the park to look at the tractors. I'm sure there are a few stories to tell as you walk through the tractors in attendance.
At the completion of the tractor show, all tractors and their owners are invited to participate in the Grand Parade at 1:30 p.m.
Please help us welcome our visitors to Carson City!
Car Show
We are proud to have the Frontier Days Car Show as part of our schedule again this year. The Car Show will be held in Main Street on June 6th from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Cars will line up along Main Street west of the blinking light. You will get to see an up close view of some amazing classic cars and trucks. Everyone will enjoy walking through the park admiring car after car. There will certainly be stories to tell.
If you have a vehicle that you want to enter to show off, registration begins at 8:00 a.m. in front of the Carson City Public Library. To participate in the Frontier Days Car Show, there is a $10 entry fee. Dash plaques and goody bags will be provided for the first 50 cars registered. Door prizes and show honors will be handed out during the show.
There will be food trucks nearby to grab a bite to eat starting at 11:00 a.m.
All cars are invited to participate in the Grand Parade that begins at 1:30 p.m. Get your cars shined up and entered in the show!
Food Truck Fun
Food Trucks will be back on Saturday, June 6th to offer some great good for everyone to enjoy. The trucks will be here from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Food Trucks will be located in the parking lot directly behind the Shell Station at the corner of Division and Main Street We invite the entire community to head downtown to enjoy the food from our visiting trucks. Grab a bite. There is something for everyone.
There will be a tent with plenty of seating for you to sit and enjoy the fabulous food from our visiting food trucks.
There are lots of great options for you.
The food trucks scheduled to come are:
- BENNETT'S CONCESSIONS
- HALL'S CONCESSIONS/LONDON BROIL
- FIRE SLIDERZ
- THE SPUD HUT
- GOOD TIMES GRIDDLE
- FRESH SQUEEZED LEMONADE
- SUPERIOR KETTLE CORN
Entertainment by Kevin Schaffer
We are excited to have Kevin Schaffer back with us on Saturday, June 6th from 6p.m. - 9p.m.
Kevin will entertain us throughout the evening with the beautiful backdrop of the hot air balloons. If you attended one of his shows in the past, you know he puts on a great show.
Since 2015, Kevin, a West Michigan Native, has developed a mainstay in dozens of venues across greater Grand Rapids and along the shores of Lake Michigan. His musical influences range from artists like Johnny Cash and George Strait, to Jon Bon Jovi and Bob Segar, to bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Matchbox 20. While Kevin’s repertoire of covers and originals is bodaciously diverse, his sound can be summed up as the honest voice of the cowboy spirit at its core, with a touch of road worn gravel around the edges. Kevin will perform throughout the evening prior to the balloon flight and between the flight and glow. He will keep you entertained the whole evening.
Saturday’s entertainment is sure to put a smile on your face and a pep in your step. We can’t wait to see you all!
Frontier Days Photo Booth
On Friday and Saturday evenings from 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. next to the launch field we will be staging a photo booth. Bring your phone and your best smiles! We have a beautiful hot air balloon background with a balloon basket you can get pose in to get your picture taken. Please share your pictures to our Facebook page!
Frontier Fireworks
We are excited to be able to offer Fireworks again to our community. Saturday, June 6th, following the Hot Air Balloon Glow in West Park, the community will be able to enjoy the firework show put on by Small Town Saturday Night Fireworks. Make sure you bring your lawn chair or blanket down to the park to get a perfect view of the fireworks. The best place to view the fireworks is at West Park or Haradine Park.
What a 'Grand Finale' to our weekend festival!
Fireworks will go off rain or shine!
So Much To Do
Watch Balloon Race
Enjoy Family Friendly Entertaiment
Watch a parade
Craft Show