The unofficial kickoff to summer begins Saturday when the Leland Wine & Food Festival returns to Leland Harbor, from noon to 6 p.m.
Local artist Rick Koehler designed this year’s vineyardthemed poster that is sure to catch eyes at the festival.
“It was an honor to be asked to make the poster this year,” Koehler said. “I usually work from reference photos, and I found something that inspired me from a compositional standpoint.”
The poster features a plot of land from French Valley Vineyards. Koehler spends the majority of his year in Leelanau, while spending the other five months in his hometown of Cincinnati.
“What I enjoy most about the Leland Wine and Food Festival is the socialization aspect. Friends meeting up and getting something to drink and getting some food on a nice day,” Koehler said. “You sit on the hillside down there by the Leland Harbor and enjoy a bite in each other’s company, and it’s a really cool thing that a small village like this can still have a festival,” Koehler said.
Drawing roughly 1,500 attendees each year, the Leland Wine and Food Festival, on the shores of the Manitou Passage, is a true northern Michigan tradition that brings together community, craft, and breathtaking lakeside scenery for one unforgettable afternoon.
Hopes are high for warm weather and a bluebird sky, with weather as of press time slated for a chance of rain Saturday.
Get Koehler’s art at rickkoehler. com; he is also represented at Riverside and Edgewater in Leland, along with the Synchronicity Gallery. The Old Art Building in Leland is hosting an Art On The Vineyard show, in parallel with the wine and food festival, which is taking shape from Friday, Jun 12 through June 20.
Twelve of Leelanau Peninsula’s premier wineries will be pouring alongside craft beer from Farm Club at the wine festival. Participating wineries include: Amoritas, Aurora Cellars, Baia, Bel Lago Winery, BigLittle Winery, Blustone Vineyards, Boathouse Vineyards, Dune Bird, Good Harbor Vineyards, French Valley Vineyards, Laurentide Winery and Verterra Winery.
Culinary offerings will be available for purchase from Locals Lake Leelanau, Pleva’s Meats, Village Cheese Shanty, Peninsula Provisions, The Cove and Idyll Farms.
Musical entertainment includes DJ Ras Marco, from noon to 3 p.m. and Yankee Station, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Founded in 1886 by Cris and Kathy Telgard of the Bluebird Restaurant, Bruce Simpson of Good Harbor Vineyards and Larry Mawby of MAWBY Vineyards, the festival was established to spotlight the Leelanau Peninsula’s emerging wine industry.
Hosted in Leland’s iconic Historic Fishtown, it has grown into an indispensable summer staple. Come-and-go wristbands let guests explore nearby shops, beaches, and galleries before returning for more. Advance tickets are $35—$45 at the gate. Non-alcoholic admission is $12 for those under 21.
The festival was canceled in 2024 after the Leland Chamber of Commerce announced it could not find a solid location. In 2022 and 2023, the event moved to the Leland Lodge while the Leland Harbor had construction upgrades.
This will be the second year back at the Leland Harbor.
The Leland Wine and Food Festival is partnering with the M22 Challenge to offer a discount to participants competing in the challenge, which is hosted in the Glen Arbor area. For the first time this year, the festival will feature wine-carnival games and a silent auction.
Organized entirely by a volunteer board, the Leland Wine & Food Festival is the primary fundraiser for the Leland Chamber of Commerce, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the community by funding Leland’s fireworks, beautification, holiday lighting, clean-up initiatives, and local business marketing support.
Generous support from 2026 sponsors — including The Leland Lodge, Spence Brothers Construction, The Homestead, Cherry Republic, American Spoon, and others — makes this event possible. For a full sponsor list, visit lelandmi.org.
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