Color of Fall BEAUTIFUL at Highland State Recreation Area for Festival

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Haven Hill area visitors to Highland State Recreation Area in Highland/White Lake. Michigan are in for a big treat at this years’ Haven Hill Festival on Saturday the 19th of October - “peak” Fall tree colors!

The 2019 Haven Hill Festival at Highland State Recreation Area celebrates the beautiful recreation area and the historic Haven Hill estate which was once the country home of Edsel and Eleanor Ford. This year's event will feature a 1860’s style base ball baseball food and beverages, kids games and arts and crafts, historic Haven Hill items on display, and vintage Model A Ford automobiles for everyone to enjoy.

A shuttle bus will take you up to the Haven Hill Lodge site and Carriage House area which will be hosted by volunteer members for tours and info. And the Edsel Ford Barn will show off it’s new doors and paint job which is underway!

The Vintage Base Ball game in Goose Meadow will be played in front of a backdrop of Fall colors and feature the Novi Brass Band playing live brass instrument music as the ball players exhibit how ball was played in the 1860’s. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy a hot dog and snacks as the game is underway.

Come on out with the family and enjoy the day in the park! State park entry is via the Recreation Passport. The event is free to the public. Donations accepted to support the Friends of Highland Recreation Area volunteer organization.

New Roads "Pave the Way" for Highland State Recreation Area's Haven Hill Festival 2019 Date Change

Great news for park visitors that are bothered by unpaved and sometimes muddy or dusty bumpy roads… the long-awaited road paving project at the Highland State Recreation Area will begin in July! New blacktop roads will be installed throughout the summer starting after July 8, 2019.

To avoid conflicts with the paving of roads and of the Goose Meadow and Edsel Ford parking areas, the annual Haven Hill Festival will be moved from its’ currently scheduled date of July 27 to Saturday, October 19.

M-59 Highland Road sign announces the repaving project at Highland State Recreation Area.

The major road paving project will cause some inconveniences when various areas of the park are repaved and repaired. Park visitors are encouraged to be patient and safe with road crews as they do their jobs throughout the summer.

As a result of the newly announced paving schedule the Friends of Highland Recreation Area have rescheduled the annual Haven Hill Festival to Saturday, October 19. A Fall season theme will add new enjoyment to the day of vintage baseball, beautiful collector cars, outdoor activities, Haven Hill History, and more.

State Park visitors are reminded that 2019 is the 100th anniversary of the Michigan State Park system and that Highland State Recreation Area was a pillar in the newly formed state park system as the lands of Haven Hill were contributed by Eleanor Ford.

1956 Girl Scout Roundup to Be Commemorated at Haven Hill Festival

Lots of folks have heard of Boy Scout "Jamborees" but few have heard of Girl Scout "Roundups". The 1st ever Girl Scout Senior Roundup was held at Highland State Recreation Area in 1956. The Park was transformed into a small "tent city", and thousands of Scouts and their Leaders attended. The following are excerpts from the official  Friends of Highland Recreation Area Press Release:

On Saturday, August 26, 2017, at 1:00 pm EST, a special commemorative informational sign created with the assistance of the MotorCities organization of the National Park Service, will be unveiled at the Park during the 2017 Haven Hill Festival. Girl Scouts young and old are encouraged to attend the Festival to learn of and recall the memories of one of the organizations’ most significant outdoor gatherings. The ceremony is open to the public and everyone is encouraged to attend.

ABOVE: An amazing aerial photograph of the 1956 Girl Scout Senior Roundup in Highland State Recreation Area. This giant daily Flag Ceremony was held in front of what its now the park's maintenance buildings complex. Photo Property FOHRA.

The Friends of Highland Recreation Area volunteers are pleased to announce the commemoration of the first-ever Girl Scout Senior Roundup which was held at Michigan’s Highland State Recreation Area in 1956. Scouts and their Leaders from all 48 states and the territories of Alaska and Hawaii traveled by plane, train, bus, and automobile to attend the 12-day gathering from June 29 to July 10, 1956.  Ten other countries from around the world were also represented at the giant multi-day campout.

In preparation for the 1956 Roundup, an enormous one square mile encampment was created on the land of the former Edsel and Eleanor Ford Haven Hill Estate within the Highland State Recreation Area with the help of the United States 5th Army. The military troops built roads, assembled large tents, installed shower facilities, and even erected a press tent. The hundreds of large and small tents and other US Army-constructed facilities resembled a small city with water pipes and electrical power, telephone lines, food facilities, and even a small hospital for the over 6,000 Girl Scouts, their Leadership, guests, and visiting dignitaries.

An informative display of re-printed original photographs telling the story of the 1956 Roundup event will be on display at this years’ Haven Hill Festival on Saturday, August 26 from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm in the Goose Meadow festival tent.

The Haven Hill Festival is an alcohol-free outdoor family event held yearly at Highland State Recreation Area in White Lake, Michigan. In addition to the Scouts Ceremony, this year’s Festival will include summer foods and beverages, live brass band music, a barbershop quartet, a vintage base ball exhibition game, a fundraising Commemorative Brick Sale at the Gate House and an Antiques and Collectibles Sale at the Edsel Ford Barn. Proceeds from the food, beverage, and fundraising sales provide funding for the Friends group to continue their renovations of the remaining Edsel and Eleanor Ford Haven Hill structures and properties.

The Highland State Recreation Area is located at 5200 Highland Road (M-59) White Lake, Michigan, 48383. (248) 889-3750. Admission is with your Michigan Recreation Passport status on your vehicle license plate.

For more information go to www.fohravolunteers.org.

Article Contact: Jay Fitzgerald, Secretary, Friends of Highland Recreation Area. Ph.: (248) 494-8919

Haven Hill Festival Coming Saturday, August 29, 2015

The 2015 Haven Hill Festival will be coming to Goose Meadow on Saturday, August 29, 2015. Be on the lookout for more and more info about this great event at Highland State Recreation Area! Click on the logo for more information.

Haven Hill Festival: Special Events for 2014!

Saturday, August 23rd, at Haven Hill in Highland State Recreation Area

The Haven Hill Festival is a celebration of the amazing natural and historic resources of the Highland State Recreation Area and the former Edsel and Eleanor Ford Haven Hill Estate. This year’s free event will include activities for everyone of all ages. Vintage Model A Ford cars will be on display and an 1860’s Base Ball match will start at 10:00 am with live brass band music performed by the Novi Brass. Summer foods and beverages will be available for purchase while enjoying these other great activities:

• Model A Ford Car Display
• 1860's Vintage Base Ball Game with Base Ball History Information
• Edsel and Eleanor Ford Haven Hill Estate Historic Photographs and Found Items Displays
• Children’s Activities Tent
• Drawing Fundraiser for a Night's Stay at Highland State Rec Area's Bass Lake Cabin
• Haven Hill National Landmark Area Photography Exhibit
• Art Exhibits at the Haven Hill Gate House
• Haven Hill Gate House Garage: Open to the Public
• Self-guided Tours of the Haven Hill Lodge Footprint
• Volunteers Dressed in Period Attire
• And more!

The Festival will be held on Saturday, August 23, 2014 between 10 am and 3 pm at the Goose Meadow Picnic site and ball field. Follow signs in the park to the Festival on the day of the event. The Haven Hill section of the park can be entered at 5200 Highland Road (M-59) between Duck Lake and Bogie Lake roads. The Festival is provided to the public at no charge, while entry into Highland State Recreation Area is now via the Recreation Passport on your license plate. Day passes are available for a nominal charge at the front gate if you do not have a Recreation Passport. Food and beverage sales serve as a fundraiser for the Friends of Highland Recreation Area volunteer organization. These funds will be directed towards the general operations of FOHRA and their continuing efforts to revitalize the historic Edsel Ford Haven Hill estate structures within the park.

The Haven Hill Festival is an alcohol-free, family-oriented event now in its' 6th year at Highland State Recreation Area in Highland/White Lake, Michigan. The celebration continues to benefit the state park and the surrounding communities now and into the future.

More Info? visit www.havenhillfestival.com

The Friends of Highland Recreation Area are a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Visit www.fohra.org for more information.

5200 Highland Rd, White Lake Township, MI 48383, Phone: (248) 889-3750