Gaylord KOA Holiday Events

To our friends north of the border, we welcome you to spend Victoria Day Weekend with us!

Come and enjoy your Memorial Day weekend in Northern Michigan! 
The Gaylord KOA will have three days of fun activities for you and your kids to enjoy.  Daniel and Victoria, our Activity Coordinators, have planned food, crafts, games, wagon rides and more for you this weekend!

Ahoy matey!  Batten down the hatches at home and steer your ship toward the Gaylord KOA for this Yo-ho-ho Happy weekend! Shiver me TIMBERS, we have a busy weekend planned for you.  Bring a few doubleloons to tie-dye a t-shirt, mine for gold, or buy some grog at the Kampstore, but other than that the swimming pool, jumping pillow, mini-golf, playgrounds, banana bikes, cornhole, gaga pit, continental breakfast and Pirate Activities are FREE!

Stomp, chomp, and roar your way through a dino-mite weekend at the Gaylord KOA!  Join the prehistoric party with a Dino-Dance-Bubble bash, fossil-digging adventures, and tie-dye t-shirt crafting fit for the fiercest raptors.  It's a Jurassic-sized celebration full of rawr-some fun!

Hey Sunshine!  Point your magic bus to the Gaylord KOA and spread only good vibes during our Groovy 70's themed weekend!  Create a tie-dye t-shirt to match those wide bell-bottom jeans, make a fab craft, boogie down during our bubble party, roast a marshmallow, make a s'more and settle in for a far out outdoor movie.  It's going to be an 'outta sight' weekend. We may have gone too far with the Groovy language, so we'll end with...peace, love and granola.

Get ready to power up for a sci-fi weekend at the Gaylord KOA, where robots rule and circuits sizzle!  Join the droid brigade for a bubble-blasting party, cosmic crafts, and a warp speed wagon ride through the galazy (well, the campground).  Where you're a tiny bot or a full-grown mech, there's fully charged, fun programming for all ages.

With July 4th being on a Thursday, that gives us a few extra days of FUN activities to do with you!  We start the long weekend with a marshmallow roast, then go full steam in with a foam party, wagon rides, a pool party, tie-dye t-shirts, a bubble party, rock painting, games and more,   We will also celebrate with food through the weekend, including a free continental breakfast, a weenie roast, an ice cream social, and s'mores!

Lasso up those kids and join the wagon train headed toward the Gaylord KOA! We are planning a rootin' tootin' good time for y'all. We will be cooking over a campfire, going on a wagon trail ride of our own, and watching an outdoor movie under the stars. There will also be lasso ropin', tin-can shootin' (with water, of course), and pool noodle horse makin'. Spend a fun-filled weekend with us as we bring a Western vibe to Northern Michigan!

It's Christmas at the Gaylord KOA!  Cookies and milk, roasting chestnuts....no, actually marshmallows over the fire, pine cone Christmas trees, a "snow" foam party, a sleigh-themed wagon ride and Christmas movie trivia are just a few of the activities Daniel & Victoria have dreamed up for you this July.  Come ho-ho-ho your way through a fun weekend in the woods of Northern Michigan!

Ever see a Bigfoot?  Have a good time looking for one at our Bigfoot Weekend!  More details to come in 2025!

Smell the popcorn? Can't stop thinking about cotton candy? Ready to play some carnival games?  Come to Carnival Weekend!  More details to come in 2025!

We start the weekend at the Ye Olde Fire Pit, slow roasting a juicy...marshmallow...over a nice hot fire.  Join us for an action packed weekend of jousting and juggling, knights and jesters and a starlit showing of a favorite movie!

This weekend is all about catering to your DOGS. We are still building out our activities for the weekend, but we will definitely be having our 2nd Annual Dog Swim!  Your pup will not want to miss it. More details to come in 2025!

Come enjoy all the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of FALL at the Gaylord KOA.  Decorate your campsite, go trick or treating, walk a spooky or not-so-spooky trail and enjoy a weekend's worth of themed activities!

Come enjoy all the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of FALL at the Gaylord KOA.  Decorate your campsite, go trick or treating, walk a spooky or not-so-spooky trail and enjoy a weekend's worth of themed activities!

Gaylord's outdoor summer music series will happen every Friday night (minus Alpenfest weekend) right downtown. These family-friendly events start at 7:00 pm in Claude Shannon Park.
If you think you'll need a break from dancing, don't forget to BYOC (bring your own chair). Drinks and food are available just steps away at Gaylord's downtown locations.

• May 16th – The Big Greasy Funk Band
  
• May 23rd – Shawn Riley Band
  
• May 30th – Mezmos
  
• June 6th – The Ride
  
• June 13th – The Insiders
  
• June 20th – Dig A Pony
  
• June 27th – The Remedee
  
• July 4th – Silent Disco and Guys Like Us
  
• July 18th – Motorcity Memories
  
• July 25th – The Lonely Pines
  
• Aug. 1st – Lioness
  
• Aug. 8th – Oh Brother Big Sister
  
• Aug 15th – Dueling Pianos
  

Everyone loves a parade!  And when the parade honors our military, it makes the experience a little richer.  The parade begins and marches East down Main Street to the Memorial. VFW Post 1518 will lead the Parade, community members will carry the 20'x30' American Flag. At the Memorial, the VFW will ceremoniously fold the flag, place it on display and proceed with the ceremony. Come and be a part of this special day.

There is so much to do in Northern Michigan and this great event happens right next door to the Gaylord KOA!  Come see some great classic cars...and motorcycles too!

The “Three Free” weekend is the second weekend in June and allows residents and nonresidents to 1.) grab a fishing rod, 2.) ride the off-road trails, and 3.) visit state parks and boating access sites – all free of charge!  This is an amazing opportunity to get out and enjoy Northern Michigan and all its lakes and trails. During Free ORV Weekend, Michigan residents and visitors legally can ride without buying an ORV license or trail permit. All other ORV rules and laws still apply. For more information about Free ORV Weekends, visit Michigan.gov/ORVInfo.You can enjoy the outdoors and fish with your family, friends or make it a solo trip!

Grab your fishing poles and tackle boxes and head to UpNorth Michigan!  Two days twice a year, families and friends can enjoy one of Michigan's premier outdoor activities, Michigan Fishing...or FREE!  All fishing license fees will be waived for two days. Residents and out-of-state visitors may enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes' waters for all species of fish. All fishing regulations still apply; however, a Recreation Passport will NOT be required for entry into state parks and boating access sites during Free Fishing Weekends.

We are excited that the Gus Macker Tournament is returning to Gaylord for the 4th year in a row! Gus Macker tournaments are designed for basketball players who love the fun of the driveway game – male or female, from age 7 to 70-plus, short and tall, the most experienced or those with little or no  experience who just want to play.  Teams receive at least three scheduled games each tournament. Gus Macker is a double-elimination tournament, but with a consolation bracket historically called “The Toilet Bowl” for teams that lose the first two games.  Family fun, in a festival atmosphere, is always the goal of a Gus Macker Tournament!

The National Cherry Festival offers over 130 events throughout the eight-day celebration, including all time favorites like air shows, Bay Side Entertainment, parades, daily kids events, the Festival of Races and, of course, Cherry Pie Eating and Pit Spitting competitions for every age.

Come to Gaylord for one of their biggest weekends of the year!  Ever heard of "The Burning of the Boog?" There will be traditions, music, and food you have never heard of before as downtown Gaylord puts on an Alpine-inspired celebration that honors the city's heritage and partnership with sister city, Pontresina, Switzerland.  The entertainment is top-notch and includes Rolling Stones and Katy Perry tribute bands, 80's rock, classic rock, country, polka and German music, and to further honor the theme, a 14-piece Bavarian style band.  There will also be two parades (a walking parade and a grand parade), carnival rides, Queen and Princess pageants, a car show, a craft show, food vendors...do I need to say more?  Oh, there is more!  If you like to run or walk, sign up for the half marathon, 10k, 5.9k or 1-mile fun run.  Grab your lederhosen (yes, you'll see those there too) and join in the fun!

Head to downtown Grayling the last full week of July as they celebrate the AuSable River Canoe Marathon and Festival!  We have events for everyone - Street Eats, Crafts Show, Car Show, Kids Day, Main Stage and even our own HUP Race. The festival ends with the AuSable River Canoe Marathon, a grueling, non-stop 120 mile canoe race starting in Grayling and ending in Oscoda. This is an event you don't want to miss!

Otsego County Fair for 2025 will be Aug. 17th – Aug. 23rd.  A full list of events will be coming on their website, but book your site and check back closer to the event for more details!