In the fall of 1978, Nathalie "Nat" Edmunds and other members of the Ypsilanti Convention and Visitors Bureau, applied for a grant from the Michigan Department of Commerce to fund a tour guide for Ypsilanti's historic districts.

Their request was denied because funding had been depleted. However, the department had money set aside as seed money for emerging festivals.

Edmunds spearheaded the endeavor to convene an August meeting of the many local summer activity organizations, as well as the city's historic districts. The meeting was held at Riverside Park in Depot Town and showcased the city heritage.

It took Nat Edmund's vision and persuasion to bring it all together and to get the Convention and Visitors Bureau to apply for the needed money.

In December, the Michigan Convention and Visitors Bureau came to Ypsilanti for a tour to see what was historic about the city. Nat Edmunds took them on a tour that only she could provide. That tour launched the 1979 "Ypsilanti Yesteryear Heritage Festival" which, in 1982, was renamed the "Ypsilanti Heritage Festival".

The Ypsilanti Heritage Festival celebrates the rich historical significance of Ypsilanti while offering contemporary events and activities for today’s families and creating lasting memories.

Many of the same volunteers and supporters from that first year, continue to work with the more than 50 Ypsilanti community organizations and hundreds of other volunteers to bring our three-day, family-friendly, festival to Riverside Park on the banks of the Huron River, Depot Town and Downtown.

The Festival has evolved over the past 32 years and activities and events have come and gone with new ones always being planned year round. Many of the original activities that were enjoyed at the first Festival continue to bring the community together now. The annual parade, Kerr's Grove, Riverside Beer Garden and Gaming, live entertainment, Festival Opening Reception, Children's Village, Historic Home Tour and nearly 100 artisans, attract nearly 100,000 visitors from southeastern Michigan to join us as we celebrate our heritage.

We are very proud that the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival is one of the last remaining FREE ADMISSION festivals of its size in the state.