The 24th annual Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Festival is set for Aug. 3-4 at Bay City State Park’s Saginaw Bay Visitor Center. Festival activities run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. 

The weekend’s festivities include:

• State duck and goose calling championships.
• Michigan waterfowl stamp competition.
• Hunting and outdoor recreation expo.
• Adult and youth waterfowl calling clinic.
• Decoy carving, wildlife photography and future duck stamp artist contests, Quack-athalon and parent-youth canoe race.
• Retrieving dog fun trial.
• Outdoor safety presentations.
• Wildlife photography programs.
• Many other free family activities.

For more information about the 2019 Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Festival, visit the Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Festival Facebook page or call the Saginaw Bay Visitor Center at 989-667-0717.

Enjoy magnificent views of the Perseid meteor shower during "Meteors and S'mores" in participating parks Aug. 3-14. The Perseid meteor shower is one of the best opportunities to see shooting stars with the naked eye. Bring blankets, seating, bug spray and snacks and enjoy a night of stargazing – campers and visitors are all welcome. Complimentary s’mores and campfires are part of the celebration. Designated viewing areas and viewing times will be specified at each park.

For a list of Meteors and S’mores locations and other dark sky events, visit Michigan.gov/DarkSky.

We’ll be promoting awareness and offering learning opportunities focused on how to identify, manage and understand the impact of invasive species with a week of programming in many of Michigan’s state parks. STOP the Invasives Week, Aug. 5-11, will feature informational hikes, aquatic or terrestrial invasive species programs, games and many other fun, educational, family-friendly programs.

STOP the Invasives programs will be offered at many state parks across Michigan. Come learn about the invasive species in your area and what you can do to help prevent their spread.

You can find current information about all state park nature programs throughout the summer at Michigan.gov/NaturePrograms. From Memorial Day through the end of August, explorer guides host a variety of programs featuring each location’s rich and varied natural resources.

Fayette Historic State Park in Delta County comes to life during Fayette Heritage Day, Saturday, Aug. 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. At this free annual event, you'll hear authentic 19th-century music and see a blacksmith operating a real forge.

Kids can discover the joy of old-fashioned outdoor fun as they take part in three-legged races, sack races and lawn croquet. They can even play with reproduction 19th-century toys.

You also can watch or participate in a game of old-time baseball. Anyone 13 years old or older can be on the park visitor team, which takes on the Fayette home team. It's 1860s-style baseball, so that means no gloves, no swearing and a bell rings for every run.

Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 24 and 25, Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling will host the annual Black Iron Days Festival at the Logging Museum in the park.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, blacksmiths will pound and shape metal into a range of practical and decorative items. Watch glowing iron bend like clay and hear the ring of hammer meeting steel. The sights, sounds and scents of a 1912 steam-powered sawmill cutting pine logs into boards will add to the activity at the site. Other craft demonstrations will include period music, woodworking, weaving and wool spinning. 

The event is free and fun for the whole family.

August is a great time to celebrate 100 years of Michigan state parks, with centennial events across the state throughout the month.

The fun includes an art fair; campfire storytelling; a special two-day centennial celebration at Rockport Recreation Area; trail runs, triathlons and other races at several state parks; and much more.

Find a full list of centennial events, along with other ways to celebrate 100 years of state parks, at Michigan.gov/StateParks100.

Enjoy the wonders of Michigan’s woods and waters with Epic Races’ Heart MI virtual races. Registration is now open for two virtual races, Heart MI Lake and Heart MI Run. Swimmers can participate in Heart MI Lake, a virtual swim, now until Aug. 12. Not a swimmer? Heart MI Run, a virtual running race, kicks off Aug. 15 and goes through Oct. 15.

A virtual race can be done at any time and any location. You can run/swim at your own pace with your favorite friend, whenever and wherever you like. Just choose your date, time, place and go! A portion of these races’ proceeds benefit the DNR, in celebration of 100 years of Michigan state parks this year.