Coloma
Experience small-town Americana
Coloma is everything you might imagine a small, rural Michigan town would be. Its downtown streets are lined with mom-and-pop stores, hometown restaurants and a movie theater that’s shown first-run films since 1964. It hosts a St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Glad-Peach Festival. The people who call this home, and those who vacation on Paw Paw Lake, are deeply proud of their community and cherish its easy-going lifestyle.
The city wasn’t always called Coloma. When the first English settlers arrived in the mid-1800s, they called the town Shingle Diggins after the town’s wooden shingles operation. A few years later, the name changed to Dickerville, because travelers would “dicker” prices with shopowners when they stopped between Paw Paw and St. Joseph.
When the townspeople learned they were getting a post office, they decided Dickerville wasn’t the name they wanted on the map. Instead, they chose Coloma, inspired by Coloma, California — the birthplace of the Gold Rush. In Spanish, "Coloma" means calm or peaceful — a name fitting for this town today. Experience its charm.
Where Is Coloma
Coloma, in northern Berrien County, spans less than one square mile yet sits at the heart of Michigan’s renowned Fruit Belt. Surrounded by lush farmland, it lies within the Lake Michigan Shore American Viticultural Area (AVA) — the state’s oldest modern commercial grape-growing region and home to the majority of Michigan’s vineyards. Conveniently accessible, visitors can reach Coloma via I-196 (Exit 4, Coloma Road) or I-94 (Exit 39 toward Millburg/Coloma).
Top Things to Do
Coloma may be a small town but no day ever needs to be the same when you vacation here or in a nearby city.
Watch a First-Run Movie on the Cheap
For a date night or family entertainment destination in Southwest Michigan, it is tough to beat the Loma Theatre. This historic downtown movie theater features three big screens, first-run films and concessions for surprisingly low prices.
Splash into Warm-Weather Family Fun
The newest reason to bring the kids to Coloma, especially on a summer day, is the Randall Park Norma Jean Somers Splash Pad. The refreshing water sprays and pours onto delighted toddlers to pre-teens. Then it’s off to the nearby wooden play structure that sparks an imaginary world of kings, queens, knights and castles. You can easily spend two hours climbing, swinging, sliding and more.
Create a Tradition Making Farm Memories
For over 160 years Jollay Orchards has been filling bushels with its fresh-picked fruits. Very family-friendly, you won’t want to miss its Summer Jamboree hours run from mid-June to the end of August. Plan to spend an hour or more picking in-season sweet cherries, sour cherries and peaches, bringing home more goodies from their market, playing on the playground, in the Dino Farm, the Western Town and on the firetruck.
The Harvest Festival runs from the end of August to Oct. 31 on weekends only. This is a premier fall event in Southwest Michigan. Come for the apples, grapes, pumpkins, cider and donuts. There’s a Haunted House, Corn Maze and Fishing Pond, too.
Both seasons offer a picnic area with a grill and hayrides on weekends. This place is so much fun, families come back generation after generation.
Another favorite place to gather fresh fruits and vegetables is Fruit Acres Farm Market & U-Pick. The market opens in June with local strawberries and U-Pick runs from late June to late October. You will be amazed how tastier fresh-picked sweet black cherries, sour pie cherries, juicy peaches and crisp apples are. There are free tractor rides in August, September and October. Plan to stop here throughout the summer and fall, there’s always something new on the market tables and shelves.
Relax Sipping Favorite Wines
Southwest Michigan’s Makers Trail is within a short drive from Coloma. The three scenic wineries and tasting rooms within minutes of downtown are Contessa Wine Cellars, Filkins Vineyards and Moonrise Winery. Each offers delicious wines and calming vineyard views. Check in to each one with your Makers Trail Passport and be on your way to earning fun prizes.
Play on Paw Paw Lake and Lake Michigan
Paw Paw Lake is the region’s largest lake in Berrien County. Once a top tourist destination in Southwest Michigan, it drew up to 40,000 visitors each summer arriving by trains and later cars from Chicago and Michigan. The Crystal Palace Ballroom hosted Big Bands such as Bob Crosby, Lawrence Welk, Jimmy Dorsey and the Benny Goodman orchestra and up to 2,500 dancers. From the late 1940s to 2015, Deer Forest petting zoo and theme park entertained millions of visitors.
Today, boaters can access the lake for water sports and fishing using a public boat ramp. The lake is also one of the best places locally to catch a sunset.
Lake Michigan is another water playground for you and your dog when visiting Coloma. Roadside Park is a small, quieter dune park on Blue Star Highway. Leashed dogs are welcome. Just follow the 0.3-mile trail down from the parking lot. It’s a perfect beach for playing with your pet and launching your kayak or stand-up paddleboard into the big lake. You will want to make this one of your sunset-watching destinations, too.
Attend Enriching Programs at Coloma Public Library
For inside fun for all ages, visit the Coloma Public Library. Besides a wealth of reading and audio materials, it offers year-round programs for children, teens and adults.
Discover Fascinating Stories at North Berrien Historical Museum
Whether you are a history buff or think the past is boring, put this on your list of places to explore. The North Berrien Historical Museum will captivate you with its 10,000 years of human history, from archaeology to modern technology. The main gallery’s exhibits share stories of the Potawatomi, Paw Paw Lake resorts, rural schools, resident life and businesses including the Watervliet Paper Mill. The Nichols Agricultural Building holds farm equipment, lumbering tools and a transportation display and the Print Shop contains the original newspaper linotype and other printing artifacts from the Watervliet Record. There are also popular children’s programs throughout the year. Check out their calendar for what to see and do.
Stay Active Nearby
Coloma has exhilarating ways nearby to be active, too.
Paddle the Paw Paw River
The Paw Paw River County Park is only a few miles east of Coloma. It welcomes people of all abilities with its barrier-free hard surface hiking trails, kayak launch, fishing access and overlook decks.
Golf Where Everyone Feels Welcome
Attracting golfers since 1918, Paw Paw Lake Golf Course is a scenic par 70, 18-hole course perched above the lake. It is designed for anyone who plays golf to relax, from those new to the greens to seasoned players wanting a new challenge. Before or after playing, swap stories with friends over a casual meal and beverages at the clubhouse or lakeside gazebo.
Get Outside Year-Round
Outdoor enthusiasts of all ages come from miles around to spend hours at the nearby Sarett Nature Center. Seasonally, hike, cross-country ski or snowshoe on eight miles of trails meandering along the Paw Paw River bluffs, through wet forests, cattail marshes and a fen. This is one of Southwest Michigan’s best places to birdwatch, spot butterflies, learn the art of maple syrup making and enjoy the well-being that comes naturally with silence.
Hungry? Gather Around a Table Downtown.
Yes, you can find familiar national chain restaurants in Coloma. But homemade food is why you will come back again and again to this town. Add these restaurants to your must-try places in Southwest Michigan.
Hub Central 185 gets five-star reviews for its breakfast, lunch or Friday Night Fish Frys. Since 1892, this building has served delicious, housemade meals and keeps its prices family-friendly.
Hot Spot Cafe is a breakfast and lunch destination that takes pride in serving a full menu of made-from-scratch options, plus cost-saving choices for seniors and kids.
Easy Street Inn offers food and spirits from lunch through dinner. The perch, cheeseburger, baby back ribs and Reuben sandwich are among the menu items that get thumbs up from local and vacationing customers.
Eddie’s Drive-In West is a local spot to order specialties such as pizza, trips to the soup and salad bar, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, shrimp or fish baskets and lots more Midwest diner specialties.
El Asadero brings genuine Mexican and Columbian food to Coloma. You can order online for your outdoor picnics or to reserve a table at this popular downtown restaurant. From a Sincronizada appetizer to nachos, tacos, tortas, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas and churrasco made the way you like them, it will be tough, but save room for the flan or fried ice cream.
The Friendly Tavern lives up to its name, serving food and spirits with a smile every day of the week except Tuesday. Many feet have crossed this building’s floors during its 120-plus years of serving locals and travelers. The current owners keep you returning for its BBQ ribs, salads, steaks, seafood, pasta, burgers and more.
Family-friendly annual festivals and events
- St. Patrick’s Day Celebration: In mid-March the City turns green with joy! Stroll downtown to pick your favorite window display, join in the North Berrien County Historical Museum’s Irish scavenger hunt, watch the Saturday evening lighted parade and stay for the wondrous drone show. It’s fun for everyone who is Irish and those who are for the day.
- Glad-Peach Festival: During the first weekend of August, everything is peachy at the Glad-Peach Festival when Coloma celebrates local gladiola flowers and the sweetest, juiciest peaches. The festivities start with a 5K Run/Walk and the fun continues with a Bake Fest, youth and festival parades, a corn hole contest, live music, food vendors, kid games and activities and Peach-Tac-U-Lar aerial fireworks.
Coloma Weather
Lake Michigan to the west of Coloma keeps our climate temperate throughout the year — it is rarely bone-chilling cold or sweltering hot. If you want to see our orchards and vineyards in blossom, tour our countryside in late April through mid-May and roll down your vehicle windows and breathe in the sweet fragrances. To do warm-weather activities, the best time to visit is from late May through September. For fall colors, visit from late September through mid-October. And for playing in the snow, pack your boots and warm gloves and see us in January and February.
Winter is snowy and mostly cloudy; January is the snowiest and coldest month. Average temperatures: 21°F to 45°F.
Spring starts cold and windy and ends pleasantly warm and breezy. Average temperatures: 31°F to 64°F.
Summer is warm, humid and sunny to partly cloudy. Average temperatures: 59°F to 78°F.
Fall starts warm and ends cold and windy. Average temperatures: 36°F to 72°F.
Places to Stay
With over 25 lodging choices nearby, you will easily find a place that fits your needs. Rooms fill up quickly in the summer, so make reservations early. Or book during the other seasons for the rates and amenities that will enhance your vacation.
