One of Michigan’s Signature Outhouse Races Has Been Cancelled

Bummer! We look forward to this event each year.

I'm not quite sure how it got started and I don't care; who doesn't want to see a team of hopefuls race an outrageously decorated outhouse across the snow. Does it get any more "Pure Michigan" than that?

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In addition to the famous outhouse races in Trenary, Michigan, each year Mackinaw City hosts the Pepsi International Outhouse Races to break up the monotony of the harsh winter season.

Now that the holidays are behind us and our guests have gone home, what do we have to look forward to besides short days and cold nights? The annual outhouse races were a great way to break out of a winter funk. So, what happened?

According to MightyMac.org and the Mackinaw City Winterfest the 2025 International Outhouse Races have been cancelled due to lack of snow! Currently the only Winterfest event scheduled for the weekend of January 18, 2025 will be the chili cook-off.

Don't get us wrong, we love a chili cook-off, but it's certainly no outhouse races!

Now, I'm not outhouse racer myself but there's still some time left for snow to fall before the calendar hits January 18-- doesn't it seem a little early to be cancelling? Would-be-spectators took to social media to share their disappointment commenting:

• "So just say you don't want to do it!! You have 2 1/2 weeks left, there will be snow" - Jeff Plante

• "You could literally borrow a snow maker from a very close ski resort. Plaster their name in adverts and have snow. This is a total lack of planning in the Commission that puts this on." - Ryan Cosper

• "...how much snow is needed don't they watch the weather? Watch out for the polar vortex lol" - Ronald Malone II

• "They’ll still need the outhouses for the chili cook off though…" - Steve Cahoon