Foods Around the World – Mackinac Island (2024)

FAQs

What food is Mackinac Island known for? ›

You can find Mackinac Island Fudge and two dozen other flavors of Michigan-made Guernsey Ice Cream at Sadie's Ice Cream Parlor on the grounds of Grand Hotel. Many of the downtown fudge shops also serve ice cream, so you can chase your Mackinac Island fudge with a cone or bowl of Mackinac Island Fudge!

Whether you visit Mackinac Island on National Fudge Day in June or any other day – maybe during the Mackinac Island Fudge Festival in August – come find your favorite flavor and experience the fudge capital of the world!

Not only is the “charming island” a “throwback to old-timey seaside leisure” with a quaint downtown, the travel site says, but it's also “world-famous for its homemade fudge and travelers can work off sugar highs by exploring the limestone bluffs of Mackinac Island State Park.”

Do any celebrities live on Mackinac Island? Yes, celebrities have houses on Mackinac Island. A few are actor Vince Vaughn, Director Ron Howard, and Michigan's own Bob Seger.

Mackinac Island's 'Somewhere in Time' Gazebo. It's no coincidence that the time-traveling love story “Somewhere in Time” was filmed on Mackinac Island.

To obtain the world famous taste, the fudge is slowly cooked in traditional copper kettles over a gas flame. Once the desired temperature is reached, the mixture is poured onto marble slabs for a cooling period and then hand-paddled into loaves. Joann's Fudge does not contain any preservatives or powdered ingredients.

In 1887, Mackinac Island's first candy shop opened as Murdick's Candy Kitchen. Henry Murdick continued to make sails in the back of the building, while up front, Rome crafted fudge using his mother's recipe.

While fudge was not invented on Mackinac Island, it most certainly – and most deliciously – was perfected here.

While all of Mackinac Island, the landform, is located within the corporate limits of the City of Mackinac Island, today 82 percent of the island's landmass is owned by the State of Michigan and managed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission (MISPC).

What celebrities visit Mackinac Island? ›

Bailey spills the beans sharing some of the celebs he's seen such as: Vince Vaughn, Ron Howard, Bob Seger, University of Michigan Wolverines national championship-winning football coach Lloyd Carr and Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winning coach John Harbaugh.

Mackinac Island more than 400 years ago

Long before Europeans settled in Northern Michigan, Indigenous Peoples called the area home. Mackinac Island has been considered a sacred place for Anishinaabek People (Odawa, Ojibway, and Potawatomi) for centuries.

It is known for famous Mackinac Island fudge, Coney Island Hot Dogs, and Cornish Pasties, which were introduced by miners who came to the state from Cornwall, England. Tart cherries, Packzi (Polish Filled Donuts), and Superman Ice Cream are more popular foods you might enjoy when visiting Michigan.

Michigan is the largest producing region in the world for Montmorency tart cherries. This unique variety is known as “America's Superfruit.”

When WWII ended, people remembered how May's kept producing fresh fudge and flocked there, which is how the May family made fudge famous. May's has been family operated for four generations and is currently the oldest fudge shop on Mackinac Island.

Imagine the only way to get around is by horses and bicycles. That's right. No cars, no horns, no sirens and no motorcycles. Of course, getting around on foot is always allowed.

In fact, there are nearly 30 establishments on Mackinac Island with a liquor license including The Woods, home of the country's oldest operating duckpin bowling alley, Winchester's Whiskey & Bourbon Room, the Cupola Bar up high in Grand Hotel, the Mustang Lounge with its laid back vibe…the list of Mackinac Island bars ...