top ten this week’s

Friday Night Comes Back to Life

Friday Night Live is back! After four years without the beloved Traverse City event, FNL returns Aug. 4 to kick off your weekend in style. And we mean that literally—earlier in the day, another TC classic, the Downtown Street Sale, will have merchants of all stripes displaying their hottest sale items along Front Street and beyond. Shop til you drop (or from 8am to 9pm) and then suit up in your new duds for FNL from 5pm to 9pm. Billed as a “community block party,” FNL will offer food vendors and entertainment in addition to family-friendly activities put on by 17 local nonprofits, including Cherryland Humane Society, The Watershed Center, and Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Network. Best of all, hometown superstars The Accidentals will perform their Michigan-inspired tunes at the intersection of Front and Cass streets. Friday Night Live is free and open to the public. Learn more at downtowntc. com/friday-night-live.

Going to the Fair!

It’s that time of year again—and you all know the jingle! The Northwestern Michigan Fair runs Aug. 6-12 at 3606 Blair Townhall Rd in Traverse City. One of the draws to the fair is the Northwestern Michigan Figure-8, BNR & Big Car Rs Bonestock Demo Derby on Sunday, Aug. 6 from 6-9pm. Make sure to also catch the Lawn Mower & Mini Wedge Races, SJO Motocross, Super Kicker Rodeo, midway rides, animals, and much more. northwesternmichiganfair.net

Hey, read It! Butts: A Backstory 4

Don’t let the peach emoji fool you—the bum is just the beginning of Radiolab reporter and essayist Heather Radke’s debut book, Butts: A Backstory. In it, she explores the evolution of the glorious gluteus maximus from a critical piece of our species’ survival (we wouldn’t be bipeds without the booty!) to the highly-scrutinized appendage we’ve come to inspect in mirrors and tight-fitting pants. This zinger of a cultural history spans 200 years of the female backside: from London side-show exhibitions, to the rise of vanity clothing sizes, to the 1980’s “Buns of Steel” movement, to the legacy of Sir Mix-aLot. Along the way, we meet industry experts— including designers, scientists, and pop-culture icons—while investigating how long-held ideals of race and power not only drive beauty standards (especially for women of color) but also our most intimate feelings about our bodies. Written with Radke’s signature snarky humor, this read is well-researched, propulsive, and just a bit cheeky.

Poke and nachos? What could be better? That was our takeaway when dining at Petoskey’s POUR Kitchen & Bar on a recent July night. For the uninitiated, poke (poh-kay) is a Hawaiian dish that features raw fish, fresh veggies (and sometimes fruit), and lots of flavor. Think of it as an island-inspired, deconstructed sushi roll or a tasty fish salad. POUR takes this concept—using marinated ahi tuna, mango salsa, avocado mousse, and unagi—and puts it on top of crispy wonton chips with a dash of salsa verde. Scallions, sesame seeds, and togarashi (a spicy chili seasoning) round out the dish. They even offer a wine pairing from their impressive wine list to accompany the dish: Raventós De Nit, a beautifully subtle rosé perfect for summer sipping. Don’t miss out on this cultural mash-up ($25) when you next visit POUR at 422 E Mitchell Street in Petoskey. (231) 881-9800, pourpetoskey.com