Six things to love about Howell, Michigan

Cassandra Lybrink, Livingston Daily
Updated ·2 min read

HOWELL — For visitors and residents alike, there's plenty to love in Howell, Michigan, with festivals, parades and parks to enjoy year-round.

Here's our top six:

Pilot Bill Sherner flies God's Promise in the foreground with one of two Re/Max balloons in the background in a Michigan Challenge Balloonfest evening launch Friday, June 24, 2022.
Pilot Bill Sherner flies God's Promise in the foreground with one of two Re/Max balloons in the background in a Michigan Challenge Balloonfest evening launch Friday, June 24, 2022.

Michigan Challenge Balloonfest

The Michigan Challenge Balloonfest at Howell High School, organized by the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce each June, is over three decades old. The festival is, at its core, a celebration of hot air balloons — but it also features fireworks, family activities and a full-scale carnival. Enjoy the nightly balloon launch, weather permitting, and the hugely popular balloon glow, where over a dozen balloons of various patterns light up against the night sky.

Melon Fest

Michigan is big into celebrating local produce, and that's just what Melon Fest does. The downtown event is organized by Howell Recreation and the Howell Melon Festival Committee each August. Popular activities include the Melon Ball and the Howell Melon Run. Visitors can enjoy food, arts, crafts and other products from local vendors —in particular, of course, melons (we recommend the melon ice cream).

Santa's float parades down Grand River during Howell's Fantasy of Lights Parade in 2022.
Santa's float parades down Grand River during Howell's Fantasy of Lights Parade in 2022.

Fantasy of Lights

Thanksgiving isn't complete without the Fantasy of Lights in Howell. The event, organized by the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce, takes place annually the Friday after Thanksgiving, kicking off the holiday season. Pre-parade activities include Santa and his reindeer, hot cocoa, live entertainment and a 5K. Dozens of floats, local marching bands, and cars — all strung in twinkle lights — make their way down Grand River during the main event.

Downtown Howell's historical Livingston County Courthouse.
Downtown Howell's historical Livingston County Courthouse.

Historic Downtown

Plenty of main streets in Michigan are historic, but not many of them are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Howell Downtown Historic District is a mostly commercial district spanning five blocks of Grand River in the center of town. In addition to good eats at Uptown Coffee, Gus's Carryout and M Street Baking Company, you'll find unique boutiques and retailers for an afternoon of shopping.

Waldenwoods

Most locals know Waldenwoods as a Hartland destination, but to visitors, Waldenwoods has a Howell address. The expansive campground and event center is popular for weddings, getaways, golfing and fun on Lake Walden. Amenities include a convenience store, playground, walking trails and family activities.

Gus's is known for many things — homemade ranch, pizza, cheese dip, lasagna — but the business is best known for its breadsticks.
Gus's is known for many things — homemade ranch, pizza, cheese dip, lasagna — but the business is best known for its breadsticks.

Gus's Breadsticks

While admittedly Gus's Carryout has locations throughout Livingston County, one of the family's first full-service restaurants, Tomato Brothers, is located at 3030 W. Grand River Ave. in Howell. Gus's is known for many things — homemade ranch, pizza, cheese dip, lasagna — but the business is best known for its breadsticks (a bag of which this reporter is sure to grab whenever she passes through her hometown).

— Contact editor Cassandra Lybrink at clybrink@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @CassLybrink.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Six things to love about Howell, Michigan