News photo by Steve Schulwitz Bo Grix prepares to putt a golf ball into the hole on one of the large flower displays in Alpena during the final day of the Alpena Flower Festival on Sunday.

ALPENA — To say the 2026 Alpena Flower Festival was a success might be an understatement, as many people made their way into downtown Alpena for the popular event that draws people from around the state.

The annual event, which began on Thursday with the Petal Pub Crawl and wrapped up on Sunday afternoon, has become a mainstay on the event calendar in Northeast Michigan and a must must-do for many.

Dozens of flower displays were set up outside local businesses and at Culligan Plaza and many people strolled around the downtown area to admire them, take a selfie, or even make their own bouquet of flowers.

In total, there were 34 displays, each of which added a pop of color to the downtown area, which was already showcasing many flowers that were planted in the spring.

There was live entertainment, on 2nd Avenue in the heart of downtown, and some businesses offered their own indoor musicians to entertain the customers who visited.

Many of the local restaurants and taverns offered specialized cocktails and discounts to celebrate the Flower Festival.

Many people ordered drinks to go and utilized the local Social District so they could enjoy an alcoholic beverage while strolling from flower display to flower display.

The local food trucks were very busy, as people stood in line to sample some of the food offered. The event also provided people a chance to visit the Water Street Commons on the shore of the Thunder Bay River.

Most businesses were busy and even outdoor seating was limited.

Jane Andrews was visiting Alpena from the Gaylord area. She said she was having fun walking around downtown and admiring the flowers. She added she had hoped to attend the event on Saturday, but her plans fell through and settled for Sunday.

She said it has been years since she has been to Alpena, but she adored the downtown and the small businesses in it.

“It is just gorgeous,” she said. “I wish I could have made a day of it on Saturday when more of the businesses were open, but it is really nice here. I will have to come back.

Andrews said her favorite flower display was the one that had a golf theme.

“My husband and I like to golf, so I think that one was really cool.”

The festival was also one of the first opportunities for people to get a close-up look at the recently renovated Culligan Plaza. The plaza offered ample seating and even a couple large hammocks for people who wanted to get off of their feet for a spell. The City of Alpena also had the new water feature running so people could enjoy the flowing water in the makeshift creek and waterfall.

The alleyway near the Center Building was packed with people enjoying the musicians from the Thunder Bay Folk Society who showed off their musical chops as some children danced in front of the flower-covered stage.