At no cost, the air show includes, but is not limited to the United States Navy Blue Angels, A-10C Thunderbolt II Demo Team, the US Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, and the Michigan Army National Guard.

The United States Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City also offers an opportunity to meet the pilots and see the aircraft that are flown.

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes those who have spent many years in the cherry farming industry and related fields.

By the beginning of the 20th century, much of the Lake Michigan shoreline, especially the area surrounding Traverse City, was the center of a well-established cherry-growing industry.

[9] The festival was cancelled from 1942 to 1946 due to World War II, and again in 1947, as Traverse City instead celebrated its centennial.

In 1975, President Gerald Ford, a Michigan native, attended the festival, and led the Cherry Royale Parade as Grand Marshal.

This record was held until July 14, 1990, when a pie weighing 37,740 lb 10 oz (17,118.9 kg), 20 feet (6.1 m) in diameter was baked and eaten by approximately 1500 people in Oliver, British Columbia.