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Golf Cart *Rentals* at *Put-In-Bay →*
# **Put-in-Bay Upcoming Events For 2024**
There are no upcoming events at this time.
## **Put-in-Bay Up Coming Events For 2024**
### **Upcoming Events & Things To Do For The Whole Family!**
The upcoming events at Put-in-Bay for 2023 have been released! In addition to many of your year-after-year favorites, we have added some new ones! The schedule of events beings in early April when the island wakes from its winter slumber and begins to prepare to host over 1 million visitors annually! April weekends are a popular time as the upcoming events taking place are primarily on weekends, and the **** generally will offer a single-night stay on weekends, unlike in May thru September, where two and, in some cases, 3-night stays are required.
The ****returns after a successful debut in 2017. This popular family event is held near the Boathouse Bar & Grill downtown. Many visitors plan their vacation around the Put-in-Bay upcoming events schedule, and visitors are encouraged to book their ****as early as possible. The Put-in-Bay Events page is updated occasionally, and we receive additional information. It is always a good idea to check back occasionally for updated information.
The 2023 Season marks the return of the 7th annual country concert at Put-in-Bay.  This annual concert is held at the Put-in-Bay Airport, where the outdoor grounds are converted to a concert venue for the day! You’ll notice the event has been expanded to two full days of concerts!
Below you will find photos and Icons for the Put-in-Bay upcoming events for 2023. Clicking on that particular event will open another window where more detailed information can be found, such as event times, locations, and pricing if a fee is associated with the event. Many of the events held at Put-in-Bay are free and open to the public, and you are encouraged to make your ****early as these do sell out early! The central reservation center can be reached at 833-742-7827 to assist you with your lodging needs & recommendations.
## Helpful Links
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## Hotels & Resorts
Get the lowest rates on Put-in-Bay hotels and resorts by booking directly with the property. Avoid booking fees! Comfortable accommodations await, so book today, and enjoy your stay.
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## Spending more than a day in Put-in-Bay?
Book Put-in-Bay hotels and resorts by clicking below! Convenient online booking ensures the best rooms at the best rates. Experience Put-in-Bay in comfort!
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## Island Events
Check our Calendar of Events & find out what's happening at Put-in-Bay! There is always a fun time, from our annual Piratefest weekend to our season-ending Halloween Bash!
## Put-in-Bay Events
Browse our exciting line up of this seasons events on our Put-in-Bay Event Schedule. There's almost always something special going on!
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## Island Attractions
With over 30 unique Put-in-Bay Attractions there is something to interest everyone of all ages. From Caves to watersports, Put-in-Bay packs a punch when it comes to family fun!
No place in the MidWest offers as wide of a variety of fun-filled things to do as Put-in-Bay. From educational or action & adventure, our local attractions with ensure a memorable vacation!
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## Golf Cart Rentals
Put-in-Bay Golf Carts are available seating 2-4-6 & 8 passengers! You can rent by the hour, daily & overnight! Be sure to reserve by the link below!
Put-in-Bay Golf Cart Rentals rent daily, overnight & multiple days. Gas Powered Golf Carts ensure uninterrupted driving! Book Your Cart Rental Today!
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### **Put-in-Bay – A Truly Special Place Full Of Special Events**
In case you haven’t figured it out by now, Put-in-Bay, Ohio, Is a pretty special place! Aside from the over 75 attractions and things to do at Put-in-Bay, the action-packed upcoming events schedule has something for everyone. The Put-In-Bay 2023 schedule is packed with fun!
No matter if you are passing thru on a Put-in-Bay Day trip or here for one of our manythere is always something to celebrate on the island.
## **Put-in-Bay Events – An Island Tradition**
Many of our upcoming events have become island traditions, such as the , The  and Fall Ball events at the Put-in-Bay Resort, or our rich historical events packed with local history. Put-in-Bay is a great place for families to connect with nature and explore our miles on nature trails and acres of Forest preserves.
Our Put-in-Bay Upcoming Events allow visitors to plan to enjoy some of the best Ohio entertainment options, With activities that span from peace and nature to a lively party atmosphere at our exhilarating nightclubs. Early season April weekends include the Put-in-Bay Spring Fling and Bachelorette Weekend, both ideal for your bachelorette party.
Previous guests return to the island each year for their favorite annual festivities. Commemorate Put-in-Bay’s history at the Perry’s Victory Memorial or sign up for a road race around the island. No matter when you visit, there’s always an exciting way to enjoy your Lake Erie Island vacation. Discover our complete list of Put-in-Bay’s best upcoming events below. Also, download a Put-in-Bay Island Guide and bring it with you!
### **Eventful Island Fun**
Are you ready to have some fun during your upcoming trip to Put-in-Bay? Our exclusive  is all you need to plan the ultimate vacation. Look no further to find your all-in-one resource for the island’s best outdoor recreation, Put-in-Bay restaurants, and entertainment.
For many guests, the annual happenings keep them returning to the island year after year. Some, like the Volleyball and Soccer Tournaments, see a lot of the same faces. Popular times to visit are always on weekends with a Key West vibe.
### **Popular Event Calendar Choices**
* June
  + Put-in-Bay Pirate Festival
* July
  + Independence Day Celebration ()
* August
  + The Annual Volleyball Tournament
  + Bash on the Bay
* September
  + Labor Day Weekend Bash
  + Historic Weekend
* October
  + Halloween at the Bay (Closing Season Event)
### **Put-in-Bay Event Calendar Highlight | Bird Watching At Put-in-Bay**
In spring, bird lovers flock to Put-in-Bay Island yearly for birdwatching weeks. Put-in-Bay is home to many great parks, and birds have utilized these great nature preserves to live and prosper. Visitors can observe various bird species, catch glimpses of Canadian islands, and enjoy time with fellow birders at this favorite event calendar listing.
So, could you be sure to check when for ideal times and locations to get your chance to view a variety of species? The best times are usually April and October when the big annual migrations occur. But there are special birding times and dates in some years, so look through the calendar. Make sure to rent a golf cart to get to the different parks when you visit Put-in-Bay. Early season lodging options include the Bay Lodging Resort ****
## **Put-in-Bay Calendar of Events for All**
The island’s wide selection of fun activities includes things for the whole family. There is an event for you for a person wanting an exciting weekend full of entertainment and a good time. If a party time filled with hitting the clubs and dancing the night away is for you, there is an event on the calendar for that! Regardless, the diversity of options gives many reasons to head to South Bass Island.
Throughout the season, different organizations are responsible for hosting events.  is home to many of the great things to do in Put-in-Bay. The Put-in-Bay Visitors & Convention Bureau is also responsible for notable events like our annual Corn Hole Tournament.
Many of our visitors come from a four-hour drive window to enjoy our upcoming events and entertainers.  So, the question isn’t if but when you will plan your trip. Our website contains great information to help you plan a trip to Put-in-Bay. With a full event calendar every season, our friends and guests can expect exceptional entertainment choices every year.
## **Review The Put-in-Bay Event Calendar**
With so many types of upcoming events to select from, perhaps more than one trip to South Bass Island and Lake Erie Island is the answer!  The most important decision will be where to stay for your Put-in-Bay getaway… groups in rental homes, families in the Put-in-Bay Villas, or boaters on their boats.
So, hop aboard a Put-in-Bay Ferry Boat to an exotic island in the sun right here in Lake Erie! Pick a fun weekend event you and yours will enjoy and make fond memories together. There is never a bad time to visit Put-in-Bay! See you at the Bay!
**470 Loraine Ave.**
**Put-In-Bay, OH 43456**
**Phone: (419) 351-5166**
#### Our Hours
**Monday 8:30 AM–10 PM**
**Tuesday 8:30 AM–10 PM**
**Wednesday: 8:30 AM–10 PM**
**Thursday: 8:30 AM–10 PM**
**Friday: 8:30 AM–10 PM**
**Saturday: 8:30 AM–10 PM**
**Sunday: 8:30 AM–10 PM**
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# Put-in-Bay Event Calendar
# Tour Groups And Meetings
# **The Benson Ford Ship House**
### **A Freighter Reborn As An Island Landmark Residence**
Freighters of the Great Lakes are famous for their endurance. The Benson Ford Ship House is living proof of that resilience to this day. In contrast to their saltwater relatives, lake freighters, as they are called, tend to rust slowly, take less abuse from mother nature, and tend to be around for an extended period of usefulness. The Benson Ford Ship House is one that has escaped the scrapyard and enjoys life reborn as one of the ****, an island in Lake Erie.
Put-In-Bay, Ohio is a village located on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. Well known for being the site of Oliver Hazard Perry’s War of 1812 victory over British Naval forces, it’s also a popular vacation destination attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.  Put-in-Bay is also known as the final resting place for the forward deckhouse of the Great Lakes freighter now called the Benson Ford Ship House. The forward deckhouse was removed and is now a luxury lakehouse perched on a cliff towering above Lake Erie.
## **The Benson Ford Ship House History**
The Benson Ford was assembled at the Detroit Michigan River Rouge yard in 1924 and was commissioned by the Ford Motor Company. At 612’ long with a 62’ wide beam and 32’ deep, with an 8,626 GRT, and 12,900 DWT she was one of the larger vessels on Lake Erie for her time.  A sister ship, the Henry Ford II, was commissioned by the American Ship Building Company, Lorain, Ohio, and scheduled to be completed a few weeks prior to the Benson Ford.
A tornado struck Lorain prior to her completion and delayed the construction of Henry Ford II. As a result of the incident, the Benson Ford voyaged first. Both of the vessels were named after Henry Ford’s grandsons and the Henry Ford II was officially launched by the youngsters through electrical remote control in Detroit.
Undoubtedly two of the most modern ships on the Great Lakes, the twin ships were the foundation of the Ford Motor Company’s lake transport system. The ships were powered by a 3,000 bhp, four-cylinder, two-stroke, single-acting Sun-Doxford opposed piston diesel engine, 23 5/8” bore x 45 5/8” stroke per piston (91 ¼” total combined stroke) built by the Sun Shipbuilding Co., Chester, Penn., both had rated service speeds of 11 knots or 12.7 mph.
The Benson Fords’ maiden voyage began on August 2 with a load of coal from Toledo, Ohio, to be transported to Duluth, Minn., and returning to the Ford Rouge plant in Dearborn, Mich., with iron ore. While she was the pride of the Ford fleet, the Benson Ford seemingly was not faultless. On June 12, 1959, the ship ran aground in the Amherstburg Channel, near the Canadian mainland, and then a second time on August 16, 1959, in the St. Mary’s River between Canada and Michigan.
Following 60 years of faithful service, mostly carrying coal, the ship was scrapped except for the forward deckhouse, which featured luxurious walnut-paneled staterooms, a dining room, a galley, and a passenger lounge designed by Henry Ford for his own personal use.
## **The Frank J. Sullivan Era – The Benson Ford Ship House Arrives At Put-in-Bay**
The ship was sold to Frank J. Sullivan of Sullivan Marine, Cleveland, Ohio, who intended to use the ship as a barge; however, it never sailed Lake Erie again. On December 21, 1984, Sullivan had the ship towed to the Ontario Stone No. 4 docks on the Cuyahoga River where it sat idle for almost two years while the new owners deliberated what to do with the ship.
After much deliberation, Sullivan decided it would not be cost-effective to utilize the ship on the Great Lakes and opted for less conventional use. On July 3, 1986, the entire forward superstructure of the ship, along with the forecastle deck, was removed and transported by the barge Thor 101 to South Bass Island, also known as Put-in-Bay. The 62’ X 59’ foot section was originally used as a 7,000 square-foot, four-story, summer home for the Sullivans. The home would include walnut-paneled staterooms, a dining room, a galley, and a passenger lounge designed by Ford for his personal use.
On July 18, 1986, the deckhouse structure was transported by crane barge to Put-In-Bay, Ohio, and placed on an 18-foot cliff at Victory Point. The remainder of the ship was scrapped.
In 1992, Sullivan requested the Put-in-Bay Township Zoning Board for a conditional use permit to allow for the operation of a bed and breakfast at the Benson Ford ship house. After a long legal dispute, it was determined that the ship house could not be used for this purpose and Sullivan began seeking a purchaser for the home. It was at this time Benson Ford Ship History shifted towards what we see today.
## **The Benson Ford Ship House Modern Day**
On Sept. 21, 1999, the Dutton Auction & Realty Company, Navarre, Ohio, held an “open outcry real estate auction.” Over 128 inquiries were received from ten states and Canada, and there were 58 inspections. When the bidding stopped, Jerry and Bryan Kasper of Kasper Auto Group, Sandusky, Ohio, became the new keepers of the Put-in-Bay Benson Ford ship house.
The father and son duo promptly renamed the ship the Benson Ford and have utilized the unusual structure for personal use ever since. The first floor was recently renovated and the structure includes a garage and huge family room, five bedrooms, five full baths, a dining room, a living room, a reading room, a galley, and, of course, the pilothouse which offers spectacular views of the setting sun off the western shores of Put-in-Bay.
For those arriving at South Bass Island aboard the Jet Express ferry, an excellent photo opportunity awaits as the ferry arrived along the shoreline of ****. Once on the island, the ship house can be seen from a distance along the west shore by using a ****. Put-in-Bay offers many attractions that appeal to all age groups from caves, action-packed watersports, historical venues, and vibrant nightlife. Several popular  offer travelers modern accommodations for extended stays. Benson Ford Shiphouse Tours are offered several times a year as a fundraiser.