The annual celebration of northern Michigan's signature fruit takes center stage this weekend in Traverse City.
Hundreds of thousands attend the eight-day National Cherry Festival, which offers a multitude of activities for all ages. They range from cherry pit spitting contests to foot races, parades, fireworks and beach volleyball tournaments.
Air shows over Grand Traverse Bay will be held Saturday and Sunday. Evening music concerts will include performances by Kansas, .38 Special, a Beatles tribute band and country star Josh Gracin.
And, of course, there's an amusement midway and food court with a wide variety of cherry products. Michigan's northwestern Lower Peninsula is the nation's top producer of tart cherries, which are used in everything from pies to salsas and wines.