A buddy rider is someone who rides alongside the tractor driver during the Crossing. The buddy rider must be on an approved seat, that has passed inspection by the Club Representative, as well as our staff. New buddy seats must have pre-approval before registering. Each year the form will open on March 1 and close July 15. A minimum of six pictures must be included in the pre-approval form. Please check with your club before registering a buddy rider, as some clubs do not allow buddy riders in the parade. Some clubs also do not allow participants under 18.

Tractors begin staging Wednesday - Friday at the South Staging area on West Central Ave, outside Mackinaw City. During the Crossing, the Mackinaw City Police Department will lead the tractors to the Bridge. Once over the Bridge, the tractors will continue on US-2 through downtown St. Ignace, where they will park at Little Bear East Arena for Saturday and Sunday.

If your club is interested in participating, please contact us at bridgecrossinginfo@owossotractor.com. Clubs must be a registered tractor club, sign a hold harmless disclaimer form and have a liability insurance policy with at least $1 million. We will provide a link for the club to sign up once we receive your email.

The Crossing takes place the Saturday after Labor Day every year.

In order to participate, every member must belong to a participating tractor club. If you don't belong to a participating club, fill out the "Need A Club" form on our website. Club registration begins in February of each year. We will publish the list of currently registered clubs as they sign up. A participant may not register for the event until they belong to the club they are signing up with. Club representatives check the list of participants against their current member list.

Drivers must be at least 18 years old on the day of the event. Buddy riders next to the driver must be at least 16 years old on the day of the event. There are no exceptions to the age requirements, which are set by the Mackinac Bridge Authority and Owosso Tractor Repair & Parts. For additional information please refer to the event rules on the website.

Each driver or buddy rider is required to pay an entry fee. The entry fee is set every year in February. Participants must also pay their dues to the club they are Crossing with. Please contact the club directly for payment information.

In order to participate, tractors must be at least 40 years old the year of the event. Example: In 2024, tractors need to be 1984 or before. We do occasionally allow unique tractors that may not fit those dates. Please contact us at bridgecrossinginfo@owossotractor.com if you're interested, to see if your unique tractor qualifies.

Tractors that participate in the Crossing must be able to maintain 10MPH throughout the parade. Tractors that are not able to reach or maintain 10MPH are not allowed. Tractor drivers are strongly encouraged to maintain a steady speed and not slow down or speed up to take photos, etc. Police and Mackinac Bridge Authority will be watching the parade for any slow-downs.

Tractors leave the staging area by 9AM on Saturday morning. The parade normally lasts until about 2PM (time is dependent upon the number of tractors).

There are many places to watch the tractors. Below are some options. Please note: We have no control over parking situation or crowds. For any questions, please contact the cities directly (Mackinaw City Visitor's Bureau and St. Ignace Visitor's Bureau) for information regarding parking and logistics in the city. Mackinaw City Side - Along W. Central Avenue, from the Bridge to the school - Along Nicolet St, north of Central Avenue St. Ignace Side - Mackinac Bridge Welcome Center - Mackinac Bridge Authority Welcome Center - US-2 from Family Dollar to the NAPA store

This answer is for participants... At the South Staging area in Mackinaw City, there is plenty of truck and trailer parking behind the staging area. There will be signs and event staff to direct you. There is a designated area for handicap parking at the front of the staging area. You must have a handicap sticker to park and parking is limited. There is additional parking at the back of the staging area in areas marked. There is a people mover running every day to take you to and from your vehicle. Golf Carts and Gators are allowed. The driver must be licensed. Exercise caution when driving as there are many people around. At the North Staging Area (Little Bear East Arena), there is a parking lot across the street from the Staging Area. Do not park at Little Bear, or at the drive at the bottom of the hill as your vehicle will be towed. Truck/Trailer parking on the North Side is available at Little Bear Arena (north of the ball fields in designated areas) or at the Mackinac County Airport (follow signs to designated area).

There is an entire weekend packed with fun activities for the whole family. This includes (but is not limited to) lunch for sale (local restaurant, not affiliated with us), concession stands, ice cream and cake social with Bingo and Euchre tournaments, tractor games with prizes, raffle giveaways, a downtown tractor parade on Sunday afternoon, music and more! For more detailed information, see the Event Schedule on our website!

We will have an information tent with official merchandise and apparel. The tent is open Wed-Fri at the South Side and Sat-Sun on the North side. At Little Bear Arena, Downhome Collectibles will be open with toy tractors and other items. Photos & More will be selling photos of tractors coming off the Bridge. Please Note: We are not affiliated with these vendors. Please work directly with them on any questions.