Traverse City, Mich. - With only a few weeks to go until the start of the 2016 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, competitors are gearing up for this year's addition of FEI 2* and 3* weeks, as well as a $25,000 U-25 Grand Prix to the August show series.

The week of August 10-14 will surely be action packed, boasting both U-25 competition and two CSI2* ranking classes. The excitement continues just a week later, moving into August 17-21 with two more CSI2* ranking classes. Both CSI2* weeks will feature a $35,000 and $50,000 classes. Rounding out the new additions, the week of August 24-28 will be a CSI3* with three rankings classes consisting of $35,000, $40,000 and $100,000 Grand Prix.

Organizers of GLEF look forward to welcoming you to beautiful Traverse City and seeing you and your horses at the second annual Great Lakes Equestrian Festival.

Away from the show ring, Traverse City boasts a number of stunning attractions. Traverse City was named one of Smithsonian Magazine's "Top Ten Best Small Towns to Visit in 2015."  Fodors Travel's Jimmy Im says, "Traverse City is a burgeoning food and wine destination, popular for its cherries, excellent vineyards, and farm-to-table cuisine." Bon Appetit magazine named it one of the top five foodie towns in America.

Known for its pristine beaches, the area was voted one of the top 10 best summer trips by the travel editors at National Geographic. Viewers of ABC's Good Morning America voted nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes, "The Most Beautiful Place in America."

With July and August shaping up to be a summer of unforgettable competition and housing in this beautiful resort town always at a premium, make sure to arrange your travel accommodations now. For travel and housing information, please visit www.greatlakesequestrianfestival.com. Also, see the Fast Facts below for direct contact information.

Reservations for stabling, entries, VIP tables, camper spots, and vendor spaces are still available for week three and four of July's competition, July 20-31. All forms can be found on the website.

Applications for media credentials are now available for all seven weeks of competition, running July 6-31 and August 10-28. To apply for media credentials, please click here.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Brooke Berganza at [email protected].

For questions and comments, feel free to contact [email protected].