Alison Niemi of Munising feeds a camel during a previous Pictured Rocks Days held at Munising’s Bayshore Park. The annual Pictured Rocks Days has been postponed until summer 2022, according to the Alger County Chamber of Commerce. The popular summer event, originally scheduled for June 12-13, is now slated to take place June 11-12, 2022, in Bayshore Park, as an event of this size “draws thousands of people” and “takes months of planning,” officials with the Alger County Chamber of Commerce wrote in a statement on its Facebook page. (Journal file photo)

MUNISING — As spring approaches, Upper Peninsula residents have started planning for warmer weekends. While Munising and greater Alger County are popular summer destinations for U.P. residents and visitors alike, evolving COVID-19 regulations have led to some uncertainty surrounding the area’s annual events.

The annual Pictured Rocks Days event has been postponed until summer 2022, according to the Alger County Chamber of Commerce. The popular summer event, originally scheduled for June 12-13, is now slated to take place June 11-12, 2022, in Munising’s Bayshore Park, as an event of this size “draws thousands of people” and “takes months of planning,” officials with the Alger County Chamber of Commerce wrote in a statement on its Facebook page.

Because of uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, chamber officials decided it was best to postpone for another year to ensure that Pictured Rocks Days remains a “safe and successful event,” they said.

In conjunction with Pictured Rocks Days, the annual Yoopers Ride Free event, hosted by Pictured Rocks Cruises, has also postponed its annual weekend of free ferry cruises for U.P. residents until 2022. A statement from Pictured Rocks Cruises echoed concerns about COVID-related uncertainties, saying: “We look forward to partnering with the chamber’s festival again to bring our community and visitors another fantastic event in the future.”

For now, the following events are still scheduled for this summer but are subject to change:

≤ Grand Marais Seaplane Splash-In, June 18-20

≤ The Pictured Rocks Road Race, June 27

≤ Fireworks on the Bay, July 4

≤ Grand Island Marathon, July 24

≤ Alger County Fair, Aug. 6-8

≤ The Grand Marais Music and Arts festival, Aug. 13-15

The biennial Culpepper and Meriweather Circus is scheduled to return in the summer of 2022, while Beer on the Bay and other annual events have yet to be scheduled.

For updates, visit the Alger County Chamber of Commerce Events page.

Shannon Konoske can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206. Her email address is skonoske@miningjournal.net.