Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum
228 S. Ridge St.
Port Sanilac, MI 48469
Friday, September 19 – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday, September 20 – 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Hosted at:
Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum
228 S Ridge St, Port Sanilac, MI
Step into the rugged days of Michigan’s earliest pioneers!
Flannel Festival 2025 is a FREE, family-friendly weekend celebrating the pioneer heritage of the Thumb region — from 18th-century fur traders to the hardworking lumberjacks who shaped Sanilac County in the 1850s.

Free Admission:
Daytime programs are free for all
Saturday evening pavilion program is free with flannel / $5 without

Living History All Weekend:
1750s Fur Trade Encampment – The Ste. Claire Habitants et Voyageurs de Detroit bring the world of early French traders to life with period clothing, encampments, and flintlock musket demonstrations.
Lumberjack & Logging Camp – Grand Rapids Public Museum team recreates the logging culture of the mid-1800s with historic tools, camp kitchen, and traditional crafts.
Chainsaw milling & blacksmithing demonstrations (TBA)

Friday, Sept 19:
Living history encampments (10 AM–5 PM)
2 PM Mini Concert Pine Grove Collective, in front of the General Store
Port Sanilac Farmers Market (1 PM–5 PM)
5 PM History Lecture: Great Lakes Shipping Adventures with Roger Hewlett

Saturday, Sept 20:
Living history encampments (10 AM–4 PM)
2 PM History Lecture: Lumber Barons & the Shanties That Worked for Them with Derek J. Blount

Saturday Evening Program (4 PM–8 PM) – Under the Pavilion on the Carriage Barn Stage
Open Mic (4–6 PM) – share your music, stories, or poetry
Main Concert 6pm by Ourselves
Pioneer-era games & lumberjack contests: log drag, hammer-the-nail-in-the-log, yard games
Raffle prizes
Cash bar featuring Flannel Mouth Hard Cider by Blake’s Hard Cider Co.

Support Local History:
Your donations help the Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum preserve and share the rich pioneer history of our community.

RSVP now and bring your friends for a weekend of history, music, and hands-on fun