Candy and vacation just make sense. After all, life feels a little less practical, a little more nostalgic when you’re somewhere you don’t normally get to be.
That feeling shows up in small moments: in the smell of fresh fudge drifting out onto the sidewalk in the evening, or carrying ice cream down the boardwalk without ever worrying about what time it really is.
In St. Ignace, sweet shops are part of the experience. You step inside for the cool air, the smell of sugar, for the arrays of candy and fudge and ice cream…Keep reading for eight of our favorite stops that help make St. Ignace a little sweeter:
The Sweet Side of St. Ignace
Few things feel more Northern Michigan than stepping into a fudge shop during peak summer. In St. Ignace, Original Murdick’s Fudge is part of a much longer Mackinac tradition that began back in 1887 on Mackinac Island.
The shop grew out of a small family setup, eventually turning handmade fudge into a defining part of the region’s culinary identity. These days, the St. Ignace location uses the original family methods, and the delightful smells alone have been known to pull people inside.
Make sure to try the classic Mackinac-style fudge, and you’ll also have a chance to purchase caramel corn, brittle, salt water taffy, ice cream, and more. Many visitors end up continuing a vacation tradition that stretches back generations, enjoying the same recipe as back in the day.
Zak & Mac’s Chocolate Haus sits brightly along State Street in downtown St. Ignace, where most people are already moving between the waterfront, ferry docks, and State Street shops. It’s easy to spot, thanks to the distinctive red-and-white awnings out front. In the warmer months, cold treats and a warm view mean summer has really arrived here in St. Ignace.
Inside, you’ll find an offering of ice cream, fudge, chocolates, and classic candy shop favorites. The chocolate-covered “walking” strawberries and homemade fudge stand out as perennial favorites, along with generous scoops of ice cream that are hard to resist.
Sulley’s Sweet Shop has a different feel than the classic fudge stops downtown. Instead of focusing on one signature treat, it’s more of a wander-through kind of place. Inside, shelves are abundantly packed with novelty candy, bulk sweets, many different Jelly Belly flavors, salt water taffy, and there’s also ice cream!
What makes Sulley’s uniquely fun is the dazzling array. You’ll spot TikTok-style finds such as peelable candies, Dubai-style chocolate, and oversized novelty sweets that are made for gobbling while on vacation. The soda selection is just as exciting, with hard-to-find and nostalgic bottles, each their own little discovery.
Shops like this are part of what gives downtown St. Ignace its walkable, small-town atmosphere. Located on State Street, it’s the kind of place people head into while exploring downtown, often leaving with a bag of candy, a jar of jam, or a gift for a loved one back home.
The shop offers two different experiences. One leans into gifts, home décor, books, Michigan-made goods, and small treasures that are great for slow browsing. The other satisfies your sweet tooth with fudge, chocolates, nostalgic candies, and colorful lollipops that immediately pull kids toward the display racks.
5. Molly Moo’s
When summer temperatures finally settle into Northern Michigan, ice cream season takes over quickly, and Molly Moo’s Ice Cream Parlor becomes one of those classic downtown stops people naturally drift toward. Family-owned and full of old-school ice cream parlor energy, Molly Moo’s fits perfectly into a St. Ignace summer.
This is an easy place to grab soft serve, hand-dipped ice cream, sundaes, shakes, fudge, or candy while spending time downtown. During summer evenings in St. Ignace, you’ll usually spot people carrying cones toward the Huron Boardwalk or marina before settling in to watch one of the town’s signature evening waterfront events.
Roadside sweet shops have always been part of the Michigan road trip experience, and Mackinac Fudge Shop still delivers that feeling.
Located along US-2, Mackinac Fudge Shop offers handmade fudge, chocolate treats, popcorn, and gift boxes for travelers entering town or continuing deeper into the Upper Peninsula.
The shop is known for small-batch Mackinac Island–style fudge made the traditional way: cooked in copper kettles and cooled on marble slabs for that smooth texture Northern Michigan fudge fans look for. Along with the fudge, you’ll find a variety of popcorn, chocolates, bark, salt water taffy, and other favorites.
Pines Trading Post sits just north of downtown along Business Loop I-75, for an easy stop.
While it’s known for its deli, fresh sandwiches, jerky, and trading-post atmosphere, the homemade fudge and classic snack selection earn it a spot on any St. Ignace candy crawl. It’s an easy add-on stop when you’re already in motion being a road-trip pit stop, a sweet shop, and an “Up North” general store all in one.
At Pine’s, you can also find souvenirs, unique drinks, and grab-and-go snacks. Here, there’s a rustic, local feel when compared to the downtown candy shops, but it’s still very much part of the same “treat yourself” sweets trail.
Taste of the Upper Peninsula sits just off Highway 2 on the west side of St. Ignace, along the main travel route in and out of town. It’s known for classic UP candy shop staples: fudge, salt water taffy, maple candies, and other sweets that define the region’s road-trip culture.
Alongside the candy, you’ll also find UP-themed gifts and a nod to local food tradition with authentic pasties, so you can get both sugar and substance in a way that’s very “Upper Peninsula”.
Plan Your Visit Today
St. Ignace tastes just like roadside fudge, late-night ice cream, and great dining choices! Lodging fills quickly in peak summer, especially near the waterfront and close to the ferries to Mackinac Island.
Begin planning your St. Ignace Vacation by clicking the links below:
👉 Events & things happening in town