BATA adds free Park-n-Ride lot for National Cherry Festival crowds

BATA will open a free Park-n-Ride lot at the LaFranier Road Transfer and Park-and-Ride site, next to its headquarters off Hammond Road, for National Cherry Festival visitors heading downtown. The lot will include free EV charging for up to four vehicles.

Riders will also be able to use free lots at Meijer U.S.-31, Northwestern Michigan College’s Maple Lot and the Walgreens/TBA Credit Union ATM lot on Holiday Road. Festival buses will drop riders at Hall Street Transfer Station near The Open Space, with arrivals about every 15 minutes. Riders can track service in real time through BATA’s Bus Tracker or the Transit app.

The 100th National Cherry Festival runs July 4-11, 2026. The week includes cherries, parades, air shows, fireworks and free family fun, and Open Space Park is the main festival grounds on West Grand Traverse Bay. The July 4 Centennial Night Extravaganza fireworks are scheduled for 10:30 p.m. at Open Space Park.

The festival calendar also includes concerts at the Pepsi Bayside Music Stage, the Bed Race, the Cherry Pie Bike Ride and other events. BATA’s Bayline route will run extended hours during the Cherry Festival to provide return service back to park-n-ride locations after late-night concerts and fireworks.

On weekdays, Route 2 will depart both LaFranier and Hall Street bus stations every 30 minutes on the :00 and :30 until 6:30 p.m. The LaFranier transfer area will provide 40 free daily parking spots and direct connections to City Loop Routes 2 and 7 and Village Loop service.