You can get to know Pinconning through its local history, which is closely connected with cheese; parks and protected areas in and around the town offer a different focus. Recurring events take place in June. You can decide whether you are most interested in local food history, the festival or outdoor activities.
Cheese History and Specialties
One important chapter in the history of cheese-making began in 1907, when William Reid founded the Pinconning Creamery. Daniel Horn, who moved to Pinconning from Wisconsin, later developed a new Colby cheese that became known in Michigan as Pinconning Cheese. The town’s history thus links a specific type of cheese with the development of the local food industry.
Wilson’s Cheese Shoppe is one place to find local specialties. Inez and Lawrence Wilson took over a grocery store in Pinconning in 1939 and specialized it in cheese. Visitors can enjoy specialties and samples there. The selection includes meat and fish, as well as gourmet sweets; Michigan wines and spirits are also available.
The history of other cheese shops is also part of the town’s development. Marie (née Horn) and Harry Bennett founded the Bennett Cheese Store in 1946; it officially opened in 1948. In 1987, the Pinconning Cheese Store was transformed into the Pinconning Cheese Co. and Fudge Shoppe. At the time, a range of additional specialties was added: fudge, custom-made cheese spreads, jerky made in Michigan, freshwater fish and various pickled products. This expansion describes the offerings at that time.
Festival and Recreation in Town
The CheeseTown Festival and CheeseTown Races take place in Pinconning every June. Both offer activities for the whole family.
Doc Litchfield Park is located in Pinconning and brings together a range of sports and recreational facilities: it has soccer fields, baseball fields, tennis courts and a band shell, as well as a pavilion, a concession building and batting cages. This sets the park apart from the natural areas around town. As individual facilities may change, it is worth checking their status before your visit.
Natural Attractions Along Saginaw Bay
Pinconning Park lies directly on Saginaw Bay, but outside the city limits. Activities there include fishing, kayaking and birdwatching. Further afield in the region is Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area, a protected coastal wetland. It is open to the public free of charge and offers opportunities for wildlife and birdwatching, hiking, shore fishing, trapping and kayaking, as well as observing the bay. Access and activity conditions may change, so check them before your visit.
The choice of travel focus is clear: the festival and cheese history take you into town, while Pinconning Park and Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area offer outdoor activities. You can weigh these options according to your interests and take dates and current conditions into account when planning.
Discover more destinations: Kawkawlin, Bay City, Auburn.
For the overview of the wider travel region: Bay.
