Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp

Our child had a wonderful first experience at BLFAC a few weeks ago. Came home energized about music. Made new friends. Staff was very friendly.

My daughter was granted a scholarship through a school audition and we were fortunate enough to fill in the gaps for her to go. I am so glad she had the opportunity to participate this year and we look forward to making this a yearly trip for her!
At drop off, everyone was friendly and made the kids feel welcome and as a parent, I immediately knew my daughter would have a blast even though she can be an introvert at times.
We were able to send emails, and the councilor did allow her to call home after a rough second day of homesickness (she is only 12 and this was her first time away for a long period so far away!).
No news was good news and we picked her up today and she was surrounded by so many new friends and has a lot of great things to say about her experience.
I was absolutely blown away by the final performance. These kids had twelve days to learn and perfect six pieces of challenging music. The excellent instructors and clinicians turned these kids into professionals.
The work these kids turned out was fantastic and more finely tuned than the three or four pieces band students showcase after an entire semester of school classes.
I just want to thank everyone at the camp for giving these kids such an awesome education and experience.
As I initially stated, my daughter was given a merit based scholarship, so I encourage everyone to donate to their scholarship funds so more students can share in this amazing program!
See you next year!

This place made me into the artist I am today and I will forever be grateful. I learned a new love and respect for so many art forms and really blossomed here. Edit: finished my last BLFAC summer as a graduated senior. I'll miss this place so much 💙

Great camp for young artists! Everyone there is very welcoming and knows what they are doing. It's organized, and it provides a schedule that is preparing me for the school year. They have well water, and it does smell a bit like eggs, so if you want to bring your own water, that is an option. Bring snacks because the food is school quality. Overall, I would l highly recommend this camp for any teen/young adult.

Just picked up our 13 y.o. daughter after a 12 day session. She said she had a lot of fun, and was only homesick on the first day. Her counselor made a lot of kind comments about her and was happy she was there. The cabins are very rustic, but it didn't bother her one bit. She didn't ask about her phone once, until we were leaving. I am planning ahead and starting to save for her going again next year.

As grand parents, we took our granddaughter from Arkansas to this art camp in Michigan. We didn't stay but our experience in the check-in process was revealing. The camp staff were all very knowledgeable, courteous and very helpful. The process was very organized and expeditious. The camp is situated in a beautiful, rustic setting which is inspiring in itself. When we departed on our journey back to Arkansas, we felt at ease that our granddaughter is in the best of hands and that her stay will be both beneficial and enjoyable.

A great summer camp experience. Cabins, food/cafeteria, and trails right out of the vintage parent trap movie. Add to that a great experience of the arts (theatre, band, art...). There are different sessions that you can register for. The setting is gorgeous with wildlife sightings. Some.of the most talented teachers from around the country. Very diverse group.of students and teachers. Highly recommend.

My daughter had a great experience at Blue Lake. The rustic setting, away from technology and being immersed in music was everything she needed this summer.

Reflecting now over 20 years since I attended, Blue Lake Fine Arts camp was definitely one of the highlights of my high school years. I attended 3 years from out of state and participated in their international orchestra one year.

It’s not for everyone- the place is no frills and you’ll be sleeping in a sleeping bag in rustic cabins on top of a two inch mattress. Bathrooms are common areas. The food is school cafeteria quality.

I attended at a time when there wasn’t a need to unplug but you’ll definitely get that here (like it or not). It’s very much like camping with just a few luxuries. But still it was so much fun to play music in an outdoor setting that felt so remote.

The friendships I made were memorable and the time we spent walking through the woods or sitting by the lake just talking and working on our music probably helped to shape who I am today.

If my own children wish to pursue music as they get a little older I’ll do my best to make sure attending Blue Lake is an option for them.

Shakespearean Rose theater is a jewel . Wish they had more shows. You may want to bring a snack and seat cushion for the benches. Be surprised by the number and names of cool cabins for campers. Music and the arts for west Michigan. Worth 2-3 hours. A rustic Interlochen. Tune into blue lake radio for fine musical programming!

Going here was really fun! The nature is very calming too. Although there is sand EVERYWHERE so be prepared to get sand in your shoes. Also bring multiple towels unless you're okay reusing the same one for 11-12 days unwashed. Showers are also great! I recommend bringing extra bras,underwear, and socks than the days you are there, trust me it gets gross. BRING A FAN! it gets very hot! And your own bottled water, a 32 pack did me great and lasted about 10 days, you get really thirsty. Expect to walk more than 100 miles while your there because I sure did.
A digital watch is recommended as well to know how much time you have to get to your next class and just for reminders. Bring a backpack, you might end up carrying a lot especially with a heavy instrument. Snacks are great as well but don't get the care package its not worth the $40. Beware the line for Dollwip and drinks is longer than Cedar Point lines, no joke. The food was good too when I was there, they even have a special foods line for vegan/vegetarians/gluten-free and dairy-free people and have almond and soy milk! Have fun!

That's me in the back row holding a Miraphone. Two weeks in 1977 that I remember fondly today. My friends and I had an impromptu private audience with Buddy Rich on that stage that lasted for about an hour. Magical times.

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp has been part of our summers for the last 13 years ( minus the 2 years cancelled due to Covid). If you have kids who are into music, theater writing or art. Should seriously look into.

My daughter Has attended camp here for the last two years and absolutely had a fabulous experience. She learned a lot, Gained independence and made tons of new friends She plans to go back again next summer

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to hone their artistic and musical talents and push themselves out of their comfort zone for 2 weeks. I went here in 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grade, and I have good memories even though many parts were also challenging. The choir major at Blue Lake has helped tremendously in my pursuit of vocal music in high school, and even though I am not currently in a choir at college, I'd like to join a choir again someday even if it's not soon. My cabins and I always became very tight-knit by the end and we stayed in contact for a while after every year. I will say the food isn't great, but if you're a middle/high school kid who eats cafeteria food it's about the same as that. I love the ice cream and pretzels at central camp, though! I also suggest bringing water bottles, snacks, and stuff to write and send letters with. The forest is really beautiful and it's so nice to walk around camp every day to get to rehearsals and classes. You WILL get sand in your shoes so be prepared for that too. I don't regret my time at Blue Lake at all! I think it was a really good growth experience for me when I was younger.

UPDATE: I’ve been in a choir this year in college! 😄

Blue Lake is a supportive, challenging but relaxed place for kids to focus on their music in an old-fashioned true summer camp setting.

Oh my gosh. What an amazing camp. I got told about it through schools choir program, and I gave it a shot. I had the best summer of my life. Some of the best days of my entire life were spent at that camp. It was so hard to leave and I just know i’ll be returning for years to come. Amazing staff, amazing program’s, truly just amazing.

My daughter said, all the teachers were very enthusiastic about music and helping the students. She went for a piano major and acting minor. She loved the acting, and next year wants to go back and major in Shakespeare. She feels she really got a lot out of her piano major as well, and one of the teacher's sought us out and told us how much she loved teaching our daughter. Loved her cabin mates and hanging out in her area with all the other girls. Make sure you pack warm pajamas and an extra blanket, because it gets cold at night. The food was typical camp food, some good, some bad. It was tough on us not to be able to talk to each other on the phone, but our reunion was very sweet.
As a parent I loved seeing her performances, and since she wants to go back next year, we definitely want to send her. I asked her how many stars to give Blue Lake and she immediately said five.

One of my favorite places in MI. Went to camp as a kid and now I do their adult camp. Loved going on an international tour with them. Food isn't too bad, but that's camp for ya. I loved not having a cell phone for 12 days. Seeing old and new friends.

I went to Blue Lake last year, and LOVED IT! I was majoring in Choir and found most of it challenging, and sometimes frustrating. But over all, it was so much fun! Not all my peers there were nice, and it wasn't always rainbows and sunshine, but it helped me grow a lot. Now I'm spoiled when it comes to good food, so the food there was GREAT! (Besides the taco in a bag. GROSS!) The staff was amazing and fun! I am going back this year for Piano! I suggest this for anyone who loves the fine, and performing arts! weather you are completely new, or very experienced!