Many Leelanau County residents like to take to the waters on the biggest holiday of the summer. Glen Arbor residents take this a step further with their Fourth of July boat parade, which is held on Glen Lake every year.
The parade line will form in front of Glen Lake Yacht Club at 3 p.m. Yacht club member Michele Aucello describes the club as the parade’s unofficial sponsor. Unlike many Fourth of July parades, boaters don’t need to register or RSVP a spot; people can just show up in the water on the day of the parade to join in.
The yacht club is located on the northwest side of “big” Glen Lake. From there, the parade will go towards the narrows and into “little” Glen Lake. At that point, Aucello says that some people start breaking off from the group as they turn starboard towards the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Boat Ramp and then loop back under the bridge, but some boaters stay west of the narrows and circle the lake.
