Thursday, May 17th

3 pm – Schmidt Amusements Carnival in Veterans Park

5 to 9 pm – Craft Beer Block Party in downtown Boyne City.  Last year’s party featured 22 craft beer brewers, two wineries, 3 local restaurants,  2 local food trucks and live music.  Admission is $18, which includes a souvenir beer glass and 5 tasting tickets. For details, visit www.morelblockparty.com or call the Boyne Area Chamber at 231-582-6222.

Friday, May 18th

1-6 pm  – Craft Show – Veterans Park .  Showcasing crafters with unique, hand-made items. Application and rules.

1-6 pm  – M.O.R.E.L. Show  – Sunset Park.  “Michigan Outdoor Recreational Experiences & Living Show” in Sunset Park, corner of Water and Lake Streets, adjacent to the Chamber office. Vendor application and rules.

3 pm – Schmidt Amusements Carnival in Veterans Park

3:30 pm – Morel Seminar – A free one-hour seminar in the festival tent with great tips on finding morels in the woods, featuring local morel hunting expert Anthony Williams.  Tony is a multiple winner of the National Mushroom Hunt. New this year, Tony will be joined by Rose Newton, a certified morel and wild mushroom identification expert. She will be sharing tips and information on uses of mushrooms from cooking to medicine, traditions and explaining how fungus is a critical component of bioremediation for our environment.

 5 pm Friday Evening Guided Morel Hunt.  $15.00 per person. The Guided Hunt is designed as an educational morel hunt with guides that will help you identify morel hunting areas as well as other edibles in the woods.  There is no guarantee that you will find morels, but you will gain “a bag full of knowledge” about morels and other edibles in the northern Michigan forest.  You may bring a sack, walking shoes, water and a cell phone.  Buses depart from Veterans Park following the Morel Seminar at 5 p.m.   Plan on returning to Veterans Park by 7:00 p.m.  Advance registration available through Paypal.  This event is limited to the first 200 applicants. Advance registration is now closed. A limited number of new registrations will be taken between 2:30 and 4 p.m. Friday, May 18 at the Festival Tent. Cash or check only, no credit cards.

5 to 10 pm – Open Mic Competition in the Festival Tent with more than $1,000 in prizes. Vocal Solo and Vocal Duet Competitions. Continues on Saturday night. Details and registration form.

5:30 and 8:00 pm  – Morel Fest Wine & Dine gourmet event with live entertainment.   Offered by the Boyne Area Chamber with two seatings at 5:30 and 8 p.m. at the Beach House restaurant on Deer Lake (439 E. Deer Lake Road). This event always sells out, so don’t wait to make your reservations. Tickets are $55 per person, which includes five morel-infused hors d’oeuvres prepared by the Beach House, five wine tastings, tax and gratuity. Reserve your seat online, or call the Chamber at 231-582-6222.
> First seating 5:30 p.m.  – click here for reservations & menu.
> Second seating 8 p.m.  – click here for reservations & menu.

7 p.m. to 12 Midnight – Bars and restaurants in Boyne City and Boyne Falls feature live music:
> BC LANES & THE VENUE SPORTS BAR, 1199 S. M-75, Boyne City. Scarkazm, 9 p.m.-12 midnight.
> CAFE SANTE, 1 Water St, Boyne City. Pete Kehoe, 8-11 p.m.
> FORTY ACRES TAVERN, Boyne Mountain Resort, 1 Mountain Drive, Boyne Falls. Jeff Bihlman, 7-10 p.m.
> STIGGS BREWERY & KITCHEN, 112 S. Park St., Boyne City. Something Great, 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 19th

7-10 am  – Morel Breakfast at the VFW Post 3675 @ 1108 Boyne Avenue.

8 am  – “Run for Their Lives” Humane Society 5K run.
**Register in Sunset Park behind the Boyne Area Chamber office beginning at 6:30 am.  Click here for the   2018 run for their lives Registration Form and more information.

8:00 am The Saturday Competitive Hunt.  $20.00 per person. This is a competitive, 90-minute morel hunting experience.  You will be bused to a secret location to collect the most morels.  Prizes are awarded.  The buses will leave from the registration area at the former Carter’s Store at 1315 Boyne Avenue (M-75) at 9:00 a.m. sharp!   Plan on returning to the same location approximately three hours later. (Parking is available).  Winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded at the tent in Veterans Park at 3:30 p.m.  Advance registration is now closed. Late registrations will be taken between 7:30 and 8:45 a.m. Saturday, May 19 at  the former Carter’s Store, 1315 Boyne Avenue (M-75). $25 Cash or check only, no credit cards.

10 -6 pm  – Craft Show – Veterans Park.  Showchasing crafters with unique, hand-made items.

10 – 6 pm  – M.O.R.E.L. Outdoor Show, Sunset Park, corner of Water and Lake Streets adjacent to the Chamber office.

11 am – Schmidt Amusements Carnival in Veterans Park

12 – 3 pm – Taste of Morels,  Our Premiere Event!  13  area restaurants & chefs provide morel-infused delicacies!  Admission is $5, then you choose and purchase the tastes you want.   Soft drinks are also available; no beer or wine this year. Here are the choices offered by each restaurant. This year’s participants:

• Barrel Back
• BC Pizza
•  Bella Vita
• Boyne City Taproom
• Cafe Sante
• Everett’s
•  Forty Acres Tavern
• Lake Street Pub
• Pigs Eatin’ Ribs
• Red Mesa Grill
• Stiggs Brewery & Kitchen
• The Beach House
• The Venue/BC Lanes

4 p.m. – The Great Morel Giveaway. Enter to WIN a pound of Morel mushrooms at 25 stores in downtown Boyne City. Look for the Great Morel Giveaway poster in the store windows of participating merchants. Shop downtown in participating stores ahead of time and enter individually in each participating store. Enter in as many stores as you want! Stores will have either a pound of morels or a gift certificate to their store. Drawings will begin at Freshwater Gallery at 4 p.m. Walk through downtown with Tony Williams, event organizer, leading the “Morel Mob” to watch the drawings at each store. You must be present to win! List of participating stores.

5 to 10 pm – Open Mic Competition in the Festival Tent with more than $1,000 in prizes. Vocal Solo and Vocal Duet Competitions. Continuation from Friday night. Details and registration form.

7 p.m. to 12 Midnight – Bars and restaurants in Boyne City and Boyne Falls feature live music:
> BC LANES & THE VENUE SPORTS BAR, 1199 S. M-75, Boyne City. Scarkazm, 9 p.m.-12 midnight.
> CAFE SANTE, 1 Water St, Boyne City. 1000 Watt Prophets Duo, 8-11 p.m.
> FORTY ACRES TAVERN, Boyne Mountain Resort, 1 Mountain Drive, Boyne Falls. The Shifties, 7-10 p.m.
> WHI-SKI INN, 2670 US 131 South, Boyne Falls, (231) 549-3346. Joe Wright, 7-10 p.m.

Sunday, May 20th

11 am – Fitness for Life Event:  Fitness/Nutrition/Health Exhibition under the tent in Veterans Park.  Fit For Life

11 – 4 pm – Craft Show in Veterans Park.  Showcasing crafters with unique, hand-made items.

11 – 6 pm  – M.O.R.E.L. Outdoor Show in Sunset Park, corner of Lake and Water Streets adjacent to Chamber office.

12 noon – Schmidt Amusements Carnival in Veterans Park.

Shop the “Morel Festival Store” open from in the tent for all your morel gear (T-shirts, hats, etc.).  All proceeds benefit the Morel Festival and scholarships.