Canal Colors Fest

Canal Colors Fest Marks the Keweenaw’s Next Big Seasonal Event

Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula will debut a brand-new fall celebration this October with the launch of the Canal Colors Festival, set for Friday, Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in downtown Houghton.

Parked along the Portage Canal beneath the iconic lift bridge, the Canal Colors Festival celebrates the exact spot where Upper Peninsula fall colors first turn. With steep hills rising on both sides of the canal, the season shows off twice — once in the trees, and again in their reflections across the water.

The two-day event combines some of the Keweenaw’s favorite fall traditions — Brew Street, Plaidurday, the Keweenaw Color Run, and Houghton’s Fall Fest — into one waterfront weekend.