The Great Lakes Bat Festival is an annual two-day summer event that started in 2002. It has been held at the Cranbrook Institute of Science Bat Zone in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, at the Indiana State University Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation in Terre Haute, Indiana, at the Milwaukee County Zoo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in Iron Mountain, Michigan near Millie Hill Mine.

The Great Lakes Bat Festival brings attention to the diversity of life on earth, teaches people about the importance of bats, explains the need for conservation, and gives people the tools to make a positive change in their local environment. The festival includes live bat programs presented by the Organization for Bat Conservation featuring bats from around the world, including North American insect-eating bats, South American leaf-nosed bats, and giant Asian fruit bats.