The brand-new Canal Colors Festival will take place in downtown Houghton in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula Friday, October 3 and Saturday, October 4, 2025. The fall celebration combines favorite fall traditions — Brew Street, Plaidurday, the Keweenaw Color Run and Houghton’s Fall Fest — into a weekend along the Portage Canal, at the spot where the Upper Peninsula fall colors first turn.
“The Keweenaw is one of the sunniest destinations east of the Mississippi in summer, which makes our fall colors especially vibrant,” says Brad Barnett, Visit Keweenaw executive director. “By early October, downtown Houghton is the perfect place to celebrate that color — and now we have a signature festival to match.”
Friday will include the Brew Street kick off at 6pm, with food trucks and live music, and the official Plaidurday group photo at 7pm. Social district cups will be available, with $1 from each sale donated to the Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw to preserve local history. On Saturday, head out for the Keweenaw Color Run through downtown Houghton, then enjoy the City of Houghton’s Fall Fest at the waterfront pier with a host of seasonal activities for all ages.
Visit canalcolorsfestival.com for more information.
