š± How long will Sheplerās ferry delay disrupt trips to the Island?
Mackinac Island, Michigan Patch AM: a 4 min readGreetings Mackinac Island! Weāre your go-to source for whatās happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! āļøļø
In today's newsletter:
- How long will Sheplerās ferry delay disrupt trips to the Island?
- How 600 working horses keep Mackinac Islandās car-free life moving
- Will Mackinac Island find enough workers to handle summer crowds?
Also on today's calendar: Once Upon an Island: An Evening of Cocktails & Dinner at 1852 Grill Room for Mackinac Love Stories and 5 more events.
Today's riddle: How do you measure a fish? š¤ (Answer below!)
- Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high of 51 and low of 38 degrees.
- Thursday: Windy with periods of sun, temps: high: 48, low: 38.
- Friday: Windy; a shower and t-storm, with a high of 44 and low of 37 degrees.
š° News we're reading
ā¢ Icy Conditions Delay Shepler's Ferry to Mackinac Island (michigannewssource.com) ā Access to Mackinac Island is being squeezed as Sheplerās Mackinac Island Ferry has delayed the start of its regular season because of unsafe ice conditions, with no new opening date yet. Service from both Mackinaw City and St. Ignace is affected, though Arnold Transit ferries from St. Ignace are still running, giving island workers and early-season visitors one remaining option. 
Ā Ā Ā 
ā¢ Mackinac Island horses head back as 2026 tourist season nears (freep.com subscription) ā Horses are returning to Mackinac Island as the 2026 tourist season approaches, with ferries ramping up service and Opening Day set for May 1. The piece explains how hundreds of draft horses power freight, taxis, and carriage tours, where they spend winters, and even how manure is composted by the city. Ā Ā Ā
ā¢ Hospitality and tourism industry scrambling to find seasonal summer help (gandernewsroom.com) ā Mackinac Island businesses are bracing for another busy summer while scrambling to hire roughly 5,000 seasonal workers who keep hotels, restaurants, and attractions running. Local tourism leaders say housing shortages and competition from other resorts make staffing tough, so employers increasingly rely on international J-1 workers, higher wages, and operational changes to ensure the island can serve more than a million annual visitors. Ā Ā Ā
šø Around Mackinac Island
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
š
Upcoming Events in
Mackinac Island
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
ā Featured events ā
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Fort Mackinac Opening Day
Fort Mackinac, 7127 Huron Rd, Mackinac Island
9:00 am
Friday May 1
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
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Once Upon an Island: An Evening of Cocktails & Dinner at 1852 Grill Room for Mackinac Love Stories
1852 Grill Room , Inside Island House Hotel , 6966 Main St , Mackinac Island
5:30 pm -
Hope Darst: Win Some Women Spring Retreat
Grand Hotel , 286 Grand Ave , Mackinac Island
12:30 pm -
Mackinac Island State Park Visitor's Center Opening Day
Mackinac Island State Park , 7029 Huron Rd , Mackinac Island
9:00 am -
Fort2Fort Five Mile Challenge
Fort Mackinac , 7127 Huron Rd , Mackinac Island
9:00 am -
Milliken Nature Center Opening Day
Milliken Nature Center
9:00 am -
Fort2Fort 5-Mile Challenge
Mackinac Island State Park , 7029 Huron Rd , Mackinac Island
9:00 am -
Mackinac Birds & Blossoms
Mackinac Island State Park , 7029 Huron Rd , Mackinac Island
1:00 pm
Friday May 1
Tuesday May 5
Friday May 8
Saturday May 9
Saturday May 16
š£ Mackinac Island Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
š Events Nearby
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All Too Clear: The Last Whitefish
St Ignace Public Library , 110 W Spruce St , Saint Ignace
6:00 pm -
FOTL Used Book Sale
St Ignace Public Library , 110 W Spruce St , Saint Ignace
10:00 am -
Keith Scott Blues
Salty Mac Brewing Company , 180 N State St , St Ignace
5:00 pm -
Rudyard at St. Ignace
443 Portage St , St Ignace
8:30 pm
Thursday April 23
Friday May 1
Saturday May 2
Monday May 4
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
š¬ Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Wolverine World Wide, Inc. posted a job opening for Part Time Store Associate - Merrell in Mackinaw City. Apply here.
- Mondelez International posted a job opening for R-159291 Part-time Nabisco Merchandiser/Order Writer in Carp Lake. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Mackinac Island here.
š Nearby News
St. Ignace
- Icy conditions in Straits of Mackinac delay seasonal ferry trips to Mackinac Island (cbsnews.com)
- Kratom-hooked Michigan mom describes traumatic road to kick addiction (detroitnews.com)
- You Won't Believe These 10 Gorgeous Lighthouses Are Actually Hiding In Plain Sight In Michigan (familydestinationsguide.com)
Cheboygan
- Flood relief sites in Indian River offer free food, supplies and pumps as water rises (upnorthlive.com)
- Crews rake Cheboygan dam gates as machinery and boats clear debris (upnorthlive.com)
- Cheboygan ferry season could get late start as Coast Guard, DNR close river access (mlive.com)
Ok Mackinac Island! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: By inches because they have no feet. (Thank you Gypsy S. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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