Free 2026 National Cherry Festival (Bayline and Route 2) Shuttles

 

Hop on BATA's Bayline route for free and easy transportation during National Cherry Festival. BATA's Bayline offers continuous transportation throughout the festival. Shuttles depart every 15 minutes from any stop location along the route. Bayline travels between Meijer/GT Commons/Munson & across from the Open Space/Cherry Festival from the west and through downtown Traverse City, Northwestern Michigan College, and East Bay Beach District to the east.  See map below.  

 

 
The primary park and ride lots are available at:
  • Meijer on US-31 and at
  • the Maple Lot (NEW) at Northwestern Michigan College.
  •  Parking lots for BATA shuttles are also available at:
    • Career Tech Center on Parson's Road (perfect for the Open Ramp display at the airport Friday night before the weekend air show),
    • at NMC Hagerty Center on E. Front and Barlow (limited parking, do not park at Senior Center),
    • the GT Civic Center, with nearby Bayline Bus stops on E. Front and Garfield to get you the rest of the way into town,
    • and at the Presbyterian Church off Airport Access Rd (public parking ONLY for Open Ramp shuttle, church guests only for the rest of Cherry Festival using the Bayline stop nearby). 

 

Cherry Festival Bayline Hours:

Saturday,July 4 - Saturday, July 11: 7am - Midnight. NOTE: Last departure from Hall Street to Meijer and Hall Street to East Bay is 11:45 p.m.

 

NOTE: The Bayline's route path is impacted by Cherry Festival parades on July 9 and 11 and downtown stops on Union, Front, State and Fourteenth Streets may be closed temporarily.  Regular Bayline riders will notice some stops are closed because of Cherry Festival traffic patterns such as Munson Cancer Center, State @ Union, Front @ Fair/Union/Pine, and Union at TC Tourism.

 

Track any BATA bus by visiting www.batabustracker.com on your phone and clicking on the route.

 

Open Ramp - Check out the Air Show Planes (July 3):

Free Shuttles to/from the US Coast Guard Air Station: 5 - 8pm

  • Park at Presbyterian Church of Traverse City located at 701 Westminster Rd, Traverse City, MI 49686 and take BATA to the Coast Guard gates.
  • Park at Northwest Ed Career Tech Center located at 880 Parsons Rd, Traverse City, MI 49686 and take BATA to the Coast Guard gates.
  • BATA's standard Bayline route can get you to the Open Ramp as well for free. You can ride the Eastbound Bayline to any number of stops near the event including:
    • Airport Access / Indian Trail Blvd Stop - from the East Bay Beach District area (short walk to the Coast Guard Station or the Presbyterian Church shuttle stop that takes you right to the gates)
    • Parsons and Career Tech Center Stop - from Downtown TC (access the Open Ramp shuttle from this stop that takes you right to the gates) 
  • OR : ​Park at CTC and bike the short TART Trail distance to the Coast Guard airport for the Open Ramp.

Learn more about the Open Ramp here.

 

NEW!  BATA's Route 2 is FREE during Cherry Festival.  Park at BATA's Park-n-Ride on LaFranier Rd near Hammond Rd and board the bus at the shelter.  Route 2 departs both LaFranier & Hall Street bus stations every 30 minutes on the :00 and :30 until 6:30pm M-F.  Then at 7:30pm and 8:30pm.  It also has hourly service on Saturdays from 9am to 6pm with the last bus departing Hall Street Saturday at 5:30pm.  Route 2 is your perfect non-crowded, reliable option for the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday air shows but it does not run late enough for concerts and fireworks nor on Sundays.  It makes stops along 8th Street, at the library, and along the Traverse Heights neighborhood too.

 

Track any BATA bus by visiting www.batabustracker.com on your phone and clicking on the route.

 

Orchard Tour with Michigan State University Extension:


Monday - Friday (July 6 - July 10)

Learn more about the Orchard Tour here. 

 

 

Ride your bikes up the Leelanau Trail past cherry farms, grab some cherry ice cream and relax at Suttons Bay beach and then take BATA's BIKE-n-Ride Route 10 bus back to Traverse City from the Suttons Bay Library.  ALL of BATA's buses hold three bikes (including the FREE Bayline shuttles from Park-n-Rides), and the Bike-n-Ride holds three (3) bikes each morning M-F, and can carry eleven (11) bikes each afternoon M-F and ALL DAY Saturdays!  ($3.00 per adult, $1.50 for seniors and students). See more information and the schedule at www.bata.net/bikenride.   Track any BATA bus by visiting www.batabustracker.com on your phone and clicking on the route.  If you can't access downtown TC parking, the Cherry Bend Leelanau Trail Park-n-Ride lot is a good place to start your journey, with the Bike-n-Ride bringing you back to the nearby Cherry Bend Route 10 bus shelter. 

 

BATA has more Park-n-Ride locations all over the area: the Leelanau Sands Casino on Route 10, on M-72 on Route 11, at Meijer in Acme on Route 14, and MORE!  Check out www.bata.net/parknride for more information.

 

You may ask, "How do I take the Bayline to my hotel?"  See the map below!

Revised June 23, 2026.