Manistee National Forest Festival to return for 2021 with ‘lite’ edition Updated Apr 30, 2021; Posted Apr 30, 2021 A child rides a carnival ride at the Manistee National Forest Festival in Manistee, Mich.Photo provided by the Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook Share MANISTEE, MI – A scaled down version of the Manistee National Forest Festival is set to return to Northern Michigan this summer after the event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers announced. Forest Fest “Lite” will include most of the staple events that draw visitors and residents to First Street Beach and Douglas Park in Manistee over the long Fourth of July weekend. The festival is scheduled for July 1-5.