Elkton Autumn Fest Brings ’80s Rock, Fireworks and Tractor Pull to Labor Day Weekend
The Huron County community will mix glam-metal nostalgia with a longtime Thumb tradition as Elkton Autumn Fest returns Sept. 4-6.
ELKTON, Mich. — Elkton will close out summer with a Labor Day weekend combination that could only make sense in Michigan’s Thumb: Ratt and Bon Jovi tribute bands on Saturday night, followed by roaring tractors and pickup trucks on Sunday.
The 2026 Elkton Autumn Fest runs Friday through Sunday, Sept. 4-6, with community activities spread through the village. This year’s headline event is an adults-only ’80s rock festival Saturday evening at Ackerman Park, followed Sunday by the Thumb Tractor Pulling Association’s truck and tractor pull.
The Elkton Community Club organizes the festival, which has become a Labor Day weekend tradition in the Huron County village.
Four Tribute Bands Take Over Ackerman Park
Saturday’s music program runs from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Ackerman Park and features four tribute bands devoted to some of the biggest names in 1980s rock.
Rattrap, a tribute to Ratt, opens from 6 to 6:45 p.m. JOVI, performing the music of Bon Jovi, follows from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. Rock of Love, a Poison tribute, takes the stage from 8:45 to 10:15 p.m. Armageddon, a Def Leppard tribute act, closes the night beginning at 10:45 p.m.
Food trucks will be on site, and fireworks are also planned.
Admission is $10, and the Saturday evening concert is limited to people 21 and older with valid identification.
The current Huron County events calendar also lists a parade, beer tent, and tractor show among Autumn Fest activities planned during the weekend.
Dog Walk Opens Weekend With a Local Milestone
Friday brings another longtime Elkton tradition.
The Ron Forster Memorial Dog Walk begins with activities at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at the Ackerman Park Pavilion, with the approximately 2-mile walk starting at 6 p.m.
This year’s event carries added significance as it coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Thumb Animal Shelter, established in 1996 near Elkton.
A silent auction will accompany the walk, with donated items from area businesses and organizations. Proceeds and community support from the event benefit the shelter.
The dog walk has become closely associated with Autumn Fest and provides a community-oriented start before Saturday’s larger entertainment schedule.
Sunday Belongs to the Tractors and Trucks
The tone changes considerably Sunday.
The Thumb Tractor Pulling Association Truck and Tractor Pull begins at noon Sept. 6 at 4907 York St. in Elkton.
Admission is $10. Children aged 7 and younger are admitted free of charge.
Truck and tractor pulling has long been part of Autumn Fest. It also gives the festival a distinctly rural Huron County identity that separates it from many late-summer community celebrations elsewhere in Michigan.
Previous Autumn Fest weekends have included farm equipment displays, chicken barbecues, car shows, parades, children’s activities and tractor pulls. In 2024, the festival’s grand parade drew nearly 100 entries, including old and modern farm equipment, Jeeps, emergency vehicles and local organizations.
Elkton Festival Has Survived Its Share of Changes
Autumn Fest has undergone several changes throughout its history.
The Elkton Community Club took responsibility for the celebration about a decade ago after the former local chamber of commerce disbanded. Community volunteers worked to rebuild the Labor Day weekend event and keep it operating.
The festival was interrupted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned in 2021. By 2026, the formula remains firmly local.
There is an animal shelter fundraiser, a community festival, fireworks, and four doses of 1980s arena rock. Then, a few hours after the final guitar amplifiers go quiet, the tractors start pulling.
For a Labor Day weekend in the Thumb, the combination seems almost appropriate.
