Northern Express

Line 5 Q&A

Great Lakes Tunnel: unsafe, unnecessary, insane. Use the alternate route to Sarnia!

Q: Enbridge Line 78, around Chicago, was rebuilt with excess capacity after the 2010 Kalamazoo spill and reaches the same destination as Line 5, so why risk the Great Lakes building a dangerous experimental tunnel?

A: $$$. Line 5 earns $6 billion/decade operating until it’s almost 80, even while the tunnel is drilled below it, then 99 more years with a tunnel owned by Michigan.

Building this high-risk tunnel is insane— except for Enbridge.

EGLE regulators are to consider all reasonable alternatives to the tunnel. Public comment is open until Aug. 29. It’s our last hope.

Barbara Stamiris | Traverse City

No Way to Treat a Friend

My friend Sam is an Australian citizen in good standing. He was denied re-entry into the USA last week at the Canadian border. Sam has a travel visa for the USA that is still valid and is married to a woman from Traverse City. The stated reason for denying his re-entry into the USA was a random speculation that Sam would overstay his visa. Sam did not overstay his visa at the end of summer last year and had a return ticket this year, which he was forced to use last week to return to Melbourne, Australia. His wife returned to Traverse City without her spouse after Sam was denied re-entry.

The facts countering this random border guard opinion are as follows: Sam and his Traverse City spouse are in the second year of their plan to spend half the year in Traverse City and the other half of the year in Melbourne, where Sam has a home and family. Sam is a retired corporate real estate manager, an active international sports agent, my duplicate bridge partner, an avid golfer who plays regularly at Elmbrook golf course, and a master teacher of the game of bridge. His Traverse City spouse is a lifelong resident of Traverse City who recently celebrated her 50th high graduation reunion from Central High School.

I have traveled to Sam’s country with my wife, and we have been treated with respect and good humor. Needless to say, I am shocked that my friend and his wife were treated so poorly by my country but, unfortunately, not surprised given the current fearmongering that informs USA immigration and border policies. We cannot mistreat our international friends like this and expect these allies not to turn against us. I only hope that our allies have the patience to allow us to redress our grievances about this xenophobic stance that is infecting our country.

Vince Maloney | Traverse City

Empty Promises

For months, Jack Bergman denied that he had any intention of cutting Medicaid and SNAP funding in the recent budget bill. He denied it in writing, on the phone, and in public remarks. He dismissed the very idea of it as a false talking point being used to smear him. Then when the vote was made, Bergman did what we knew he would do— he voted to cut Medicaid and SNAP.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill will result in $698 billion less in Medicaid and $267 billion less in federal spending for SNAP. Michigan receives $17.5 billion in federal Medicaid funding, which provides healthcare for some 2.5 million Michigan citizens, nearly 1 million of whom are children. It provides more than 90 percent of the funding to Michigan’s already stressed public mental health system. Cuts will affect seniors, people with disabilities, pregnant women, children, the mentally ill, and low-income adults.

These are not just numbers, these are our families, friends, and neighbors. In District 1, Medicare covers more than 170,000 constituents. How will these folks get medical care now, Mr. Bergman? We’re waiting for an honest answer.

Mark Wilson | Traverse City

Friday Night Live

Friday Night Live in Traverse City: two blocks on Front Street are closed off to vehicular traffic and hundreds upon hundreds of us go downtown. Many of us love those nights.

Why do we love them? Here is one explanation of what every city should have, which comes from a terrific book by Ray Oldenburg, The Great Good Place. He says that every city should have “a neutral ground upon which people may gather, ‘neutral ground’ where none are required to play host...in which all feel at home and comfortable.” All of us feel at home and comfortable on the streets of our city. It is our city and we pay for its upkeep and it is us, those of us who live here, who are hosting a big party for everyone who wishes to join us.

But the tragedy is that such places— public places to congregate, meet, greet— have ceased to exist in most towns in America. Ray Oldenburg calls such places “the Third Place.” (One: Home; Two: Work.) He pleads for the reemergence of such third places, places that were created by citizens of a city for the citizens in a city. Traverse City creates several nights of “The Great Good Place” during August’s Friday Night Live. I wish they were more frequent, but stores inside the restricted-to-cars zone say business is lousy on those nights. Of course it is! Who wants to be inside a store when hundreds of your friends and neighbors and odd strangers are mingling, socializing, swanning around outside? You want to be outside!

Henry Morgenstein | Traverse City

The Soul of Our Nation

The most recent news, regarding the stabbings at Walmart in Traverse City, is a tempting reason to resort to despair. Eleven innocent shoppers, aged 29 to 84, were ruthlessly stabbed. Most appear likely to survive. No young children were attacked. That’s what we call “blessings” these days. Thoughts and prayers.

Whoever you voted for, you can’t possibly believe the country is on the right track. The current administration is destroying everything earlier administrations put in place: laws to protect us from dying without healthcare; to save us from going hungry because we can’t afford to feed

our families; to monitor food and drug safety; to keep essential weather predictors and rescue agencies staffed to respond; to maintain access to a hard-working, dedicated immigrant work force that makes it possible to operate farms, construction, and hospitality; to providing Veterans with their hard-earned and richly deserved benefits; to maintain due process for all U.S. residents regardless of status; to nurture and live up to our commitments to allies around the world for mutual benefit and protection; and to require the most wealthy to pay their fair share.

Much cruel devastation is left out of this list. The blatant cover-up of sex trafficking. The wholesale destruction of National Parks and the environment. The grotesque pardons. For anyone who bought into it, now’s the time to get your money back. For those who knew all along, join us in the fight for the soul of our nation.

Greta Bolger | Thompsonville

The Damage Is Done

What do four out of seven candidates for the TC Commission have in common? In statements to The Ticker, Lance Boehmer says “balancing growth with livability,” Kenneth Funk says “mindful growth but prevent cancerous overdevelopment,” Mary Mills says “reasonable growth,” and Laura Ness says “preserving our community character.”

All these statements imply growth/ development in TC is dangerous. It’s clear why—the typical lament of longtime TC natives is “This used to be a small town; you can’t even recognize Traverse City anymore; so many strangers and tourists!” The constituent statements shape the commissioner statements.

The damage that rampant growth can do is already done. The metropolitan area of Traverse City now encompasses four counties. So, tell me commissioners, tell me anti-growth constituents, are you in favor of withholding permits and kicking out businesses? I think it’s more likely that the growth being tempered and curated is the growth of housing.

Growing up in Traverse City has come full circle, the city is once again small. It must be the case, because why else is there no room for me here? For the friends I grew up with? There is no character of Traverse City worth preserving. The Traverse City that I know is one of expensive housing, of low paying service jobs, and long commutes.

Hayden Northrup | Traverse City

Racine,

Cara, Jackson Price,

top ten

A Time Capsule in Port Oneida

What was life like in northern Michigan in the late 1800s and early 1900s? Find out at the Port Oneida Fair, Aug. 8 and 9 at five of the historic farmsteads in Port Oneida, tucked within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. With the help of the NPS and Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear, you’ll get to see live demonstrations of a variety of century-old skills—think: rug weaving, old-timey photography, and soap making—go on wagon rides, tour farms (and their cute animals!), learn from park rangers and historians, and peruse old vehicles, bikes, and machines. Explore arts and crafts plus food at each of the farms. A shuttle bus runs between farms, and on-site parking will be available. See the full slate of activities at nps.gov/thingstodo/ port-oneida-fair.htm.

2 tastemaker Vander Farm’s Sourdough Scones

Tucked among the endless acres of field and farmland in Leelanau County, Vander Farm might just be one of Traverse City’s best-kept secrets—but we’re not about to gatekeep the goods! This self-service farmstand and micro-bakery is a haven for all things sourdough, but it’s the scratch-made sourdough scones that’ll have you heading back for seconds (and thirds)! Featuring top-notch local ingredients, like Bulldog Berries and the farm’s own eggs, these flaky, tender bakes also pack an added dose of gut health thanks to their active sourdough base and multi-day fermentation process. Flavors rotate seasonally, which means each day is a delicious surprise, but a few recent favorites include lemon-blueberry, sweet peach, and warmly spiced cinnamon chip. Oh, and don’t miss the cinnamon rolls on the weekends! Stock up ($4-$5 per scone) at 5765 E Traverse Hwy just outside TC.

Be Like the Serviceberry

No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Serviceberry and Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer shares a message of a “gift economy,” a shift from capitalism and scarcity toward abundance, at the National Writers Series at City Opera House on Saturday, Aug. 9. The event begins at 7pm with a cash bar and live music and includes a Q&A and author signing. Matthew L.M. Fletcher, professor of law and American culture at the University of Michigan, will be the guest host for the evening. Tickets range from $10-$45 with virtual and in-person options. nationalwritersseries.org/author-event/robinwall-kimmerer

Hey, watch It! The Residence 4

Forgive us for being a bit late to this state dinner, but we’ve arrived and are ready to take a bite out of this fresh and funny murder mystery. The Residence—now officially boasting four Emmy nominations—feels a bit like if you mashed up The West Wing and Clue with a dash of The Thursday Murder Club. Eccentric detective (and avid birder) Cordelia Cupp is called into action at the White House when a high-profile staff member is found dead during a dinner with Australian officials. As you might expect, everyone Cordelia interacts with is hiding something, but her keen eye (helped by her binoculars) begins to root out the truth from the lies. There’s plenty of comedic star power—Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Ken Marino, to name a few— and plenty more mystery. All episodes now available on Netflix.

6 Grooving at All Call

Come one, come all—the All Call Music Festival is back for its fourth year on Aug. 9! This one-day jam takes place at The Little Fleet in Traverse City, where their regular food trucks will be slinging out eats while musicians from across the country play in the summer sun. The lineup includes Dos Santos, a Latinx-inspired quintet out of Chicago; Kairos Creature Club, a team-up between Lena Simon and Glenn Van Dyke; the Jordan Hamilton Trio, a Michigan cellist and singer (and then some); Mama Sol, a hip-hop and spoken word artist from Flint; and Sandra Ann, a TC-based “jangly rock” band. All ages are welcome, and kids 14 and under get in for free. Tickets are $25 plus fees ($35 at the door). Visit allcallmusicfestival.com to purchase and see the day’s schedule.

So Long, Sea Lamprey

Here’s hoping that another sea lamprey barrier project will help keep these destructive and invasive fish out of northern Michigan waters. At the end of July, construction began on a barrier and trap at the Little Manistee River Weir. The site—which is “Michigan’s primary egg collection site for Chinook salmon and only site for steelhead (rainbow trout) egg take,” per the Michigan Department of Natural Resources—will also have changes for paddlers, who will need to portage around the facility to the south side of the river. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is working with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Michigan DNR, expects the project to be completed by spring 2026. The weir will remain open to the public this summer. See more at Michigan.gov/Hatcheries.

Stuff We Love: A

New Vision, A New Trailhead

This summer, the nonprofit Thompsonville Area Revitalization Project (TARP) broke ground on phase one of their Thompsonville Junction Trailhead Project at Diamond Crossing, where two historic railways intersected. With thousands of outdoor enthusiasts using the 22-mile Betsie Valley Trail, which runs from Frankfort and Elbert to Beulah, this trailhead is intended to offer important placemaking and amenities for walkers and cyclists. Phase one of the project, anticipated to be completed this fall, includes the trailhead—complete with a water filling station, bike racks and repair, interpretive signage, and seating—along with an ADA-accessible visitor’s pavilion. The rendering is pictured above. Phase two, scheduled for next spring based on fundraising, will focus on nearby camping facilities to refurbish and upgrade campsites. Learn more about the ongoing project at allaboardtville.org.

bottoms up St. Ambrose’s Shotgun Wedding

Is there anything that screams summer more than the pairing of strawberry and rhubarb? Maybe if you add a little honey and a little apple… and then it’s time for a Shotgun Wedding. This St. Ambrose cyser—a form of mead made with the aforementioned apples and honey— is a little sweet, a little tart, and bound to have you walking down the aisle for a second pint. (P.S. This holy matrimony star took home a gold medal at the 2024 U.S. Mead Open!) Enjoy on a summer evening at their Beulah tasting room, where it pairs perfectly with one of the kitchen’s wood fired pizzas. Visit, dine, and drink (and find cool events like a Monday “Honey Bee” artisan market and regular live music) at 841 S Pioneer Rd in Beulah.

Jordan Hamilton Trio

THIRD PARTY FUTILITY

spectator

By steven Tuttle

Elon Musk says he wants to start a third political party. We’ll take a short break here until you stop giggling.

The U.S. has been basically a two-party system since the mid 1850s, though some would claim we’ve been a two-party system since 1796 when John Adams—a member of the Federalist Party, which ultimately morphed into the Republican Party— became president.

First, some very brief history. George Washington had no party affiliation and remains the only person elected president as a true independent. That ended with his successor as John Adams was a Federalist, and then Thomas Jefferson was part of the Democratic-Republican Party, and political parties dominated thereafter.

The Democratic Party, with a distrust of the federal government and a belief in the sovereignty of states, was formalized in 1828 with Andrew Jackson as the first Democratic president. Jackson treated indigenous people horribly and believed the individual states should decide the issue of slavery, which he supported. The primary opposition to the Democrats were the Whigs, who believed in the supremacy of the constitution and rule of law.

The Republican Party, initially a coalition of Whigs, Free Soilers, and some disenchanted Democrats, was organized officially in 1854 in Ripon, Wisconsin. They were mainly opposed to the KansasNebraska Act, which undid the Missouri Compromise and allowed both Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves if they wanted to be slave states. Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president.

The two-party system just grew from there though both changed dramatically over time. Democratic Party was pro-slavery, while the early Republican Party, opposing slavery and concerned as they were about humanitarian issues, might even be considered “woke” today.

But the philosophies flipped over the issue of civil rights and in the 1950s, and 1960s southern Democrats had become prosegregationists while the party was veering left. Republicans were veering right and southern Democrats switched parties, becoming conservative anti-integration Republicans while Democrats became the party of minorities and labor.

But there was still disaffection with both dominant parties, sometimes out of philosophical differences and sometimes more out of spite.

In 1912, after failing to secure the Republican presidential nomination, Teddy Roosevelt ran on the Progressive (aka Bull Moose) Party and garnered 27 percent of the popular vote and 88 electoral

votes, the most of both by any third party candidate ever. Most historians believe Roosevelt’s efforts likely split Republican voters, leading to the election of Democrat Woodrow Wilson.

Fast-forward and the next somewhat successful effort, or at least one that generated some support, was that of former Alabama Governor George Wallace, who ran as the American Independent Party candidate in 1968 and generated nearly 10 million popular votes and earned 45 electoral votes while winning the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

(Wallace, at the time an unrepentant racist, ran as a Democrat in 1972, was shot several times in May, but then won primary elections in both Michigan and Maryland the next day. The shooting left Wallace paralyzed and in pain but also led him to an epiphany about race, acknowledging he had been wrong.)

In 1992, Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot ran for president as an independent and won 19 percent of the popular vote, though he was not able to win a single state or an electoral vote. Perot claimed his candidacy would doom either the Republican or Democratic Party, but both survived easily. However, much of his rhetoric about the economy, including the notion that the “giant sucking sound” would be jobs outsourcing to Mexico, were at least close to correct. And many believe his candidacy swung the balance of the election away from George H.W. Bush and toward Bill Clinton.

In 1995, Perot created the Reform Party, which gained far less traction than did his efforts as an independent candidate. (Bet you didn’t know or don’t remember that in 2000 Donald Trump briefly ran for president as a Reform Party candidate. He lost, but he might now claim he won.)

The old third party standbys of the Green Party and the Libertarian Party are still with us and still making good faith efforts to at least be heard. Locally, Tom Mair became perhaps the only third party candidate to be elected to anything recently when he won a seat on the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners as a member of the Green Party.

There is also the Forward Party created by Chris Christie and Christine Whitman and something called the No Labels Party. Both founded in 2024 promising to offer positive alternatives to the currently damaged two-party system, but neither fielded a presidential candidate.

A third political party is not likely to be another Elon Musk success. Like the occasional SpaceX failure, it might not even get off the launch pad.

WHAT DO WE SAY WHEN IT HAPPENS HERE?

Editor’s Note

by Jillian Manning

We always think it won’t happen here.

At least we hope it won’t. We hope that pain and fear won’t strike our communities, that we’ll be immune from the violence we see in other parts of the state, country, or world.

But on Saturday, July 26, it did happen here. A man stabbed 11 people ranging in age from 29 to 84 years old in the Traverse City Walmart, leaving six in critical condition. The suspect, Bradford James Gille, was detained by brave citizens at Walmart before law enforcement arrived and arrested him.

in situations like these, and it can be hard to wait for information to come from law enforcement and media outlets. But in the meantime, countless people took to social media to offer their opinions, informed or otherwise, on the events of the day.

In those comments, I saw Gille dubbed everything from an Islamic terrorist to a Christian Nationalist terrorist. I saw people vilifying the unhoused population— particularly those who once lived in The Pines—and people who experience mental illness. I saw threats of violence or death against Gille, certain population groups,

This is a defining moment for us in Traverse City and beyond. How will we choose to meet it?

The story is developing and the investigation ongoing. As Northern Express is a weekly paper, we will undoubtedly be learning more by the time this issue hits newsstands. But here is what we know now:

The 42-year-old Gille is from Afton in Cheboygan County. Our sister publication, The Ticker, reported Gille’s background includes “a history of criminal activity, mental illness, and homelessness—with authorities in Emmet County attempting but failing to take him into protective custody the day before the Walmart attack.”

There is no known motive for his actions. Gille has been charged with 11 counts of assault with intent to murder and one count of terrorism— all of which carry a potential life sentence—and is being held on a $1 million cash/surety bond.

As of press time, one of the victims of the attack had been released from Munson, and all victims are expected to recover.

Over the last week, I’ve seen a lot of stories and theories circulating on social media about the attack, the citizens who stepped up to help, and about Gille. I’ve scrolled through hundreds of comments, and there are three things I have noticed.

The first was an outpouring of love for this community. So many well wishes, offers of support, commendations to those who risked their lives, and more.

The second was useful background on this man and the attack itself. Some family members and acquaintances took to the internet to share their perspectives of Gille, offering context about the man suspected of this heinous crime. Several people also shared their harrowing eyewitness accounts or the videos they took of the attack to help justice be served.

The third thing I saw, and the one that stuck with me the most, was a tirade of angry speculation.

Of course we are all curious—and afraid—

and even other commentors. And through it all, there was plenty of misinformation and fearmongering.

We say we don’t want it to happen here, and unfortunately, we don’t have control over the actions of troubled or dangerous individuals.

But we do have control over our voices. We have control over what we post on social media. We have control over the message we put out into the world.

When we are hurt or afraid, we can choose a message of anger. It is a natural impulse and may well be justified. But it’s all too easy to meet an act of senseless violence with more fearful, reactive violence. We spread rumors, jump on the mob-mindset bandwagon, and shout down—or in some cases, threaten—all those who disagree.

Or we can choose a message of unity. We can choose to open our arms to our friends and neighbors and say, “This is hard and heartbreaking. I’ve got you.” We can be thankful that the system worked as well as it could to stop Gille’s attack, from the people who stepped up in Walmart to our law enforcement to the doctors and nurses who saved lives that difficult day.

We can turn toward helping those who suffered the most: the victims, their families, and the other people in the store. We can demand systemic change so that people with histories like Gille’s get the help they need and don’t become a threat. And we can discuss, as a community, how we can keep each other safe, whether that’s watching for signs of a person in distress, learning self-defense, or working to tackle complex issues like homelessness and mental illness here at home.

This is a defining moment for us in Traverse City and beyond. How will we choose to meet it? What will we say, and what will the world say about us?

Jillian Manning is the editor of Northern Express.

$400,000

DURING AUGUST & SEPTEMBER! Thursdays and Sundays 11AM - 7PM $25,000 SCRATCH AND WIN UP TO Fridays 11AM - 7PM $5,000

Creme de la Weird

Neil Hopper, 49, a vascular surgeon from Truro, England, has been the subject of a 2 1/2-year investigation after he allegedly tried to defraud two insurance companies, The Guardian reported on July 23. Devon and Cornwall police said that in 2019 he "made a false representation to insurers, namely the injuries to his legs were the result of sepsis and were not selfinflicted." Hopper is accused of amputating his own legs in the scheme, hoping to gain $320,000 from one company and $314,000 from the other. Before his legal problems, he was shortlisted in the European Space Agency's search for an astronaut with a disability. He was scheduled to reappear in court on Aug. 26.

Saw That Coming

Or not. Several victims reported on July 19 that they had been subjected to an involuntary "golden shower" at The Landing in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Smoking Gun reported that 30-year-old Matthew Day "entered the rooftop bar ... and urinated from the balcony onto the sidewalk," according to police, with urine striking people on the ground. Security officers saw the incident and showed Day the door; he was charged with disorderly conduct and released on $500 bond.

News You Can Use

For five days every summer, a flotilla of rowboats is unleashed on the River Thames in London, where carefully selected, scarlet-coated oarsmen are tasked with Swan Upping -- a census of the swans, the Associated Press reported. These swans belong to the Lord of the Swans, otherwise known as King Charles III, and they must be marked and checked for disease or injury. Veteran King's Swan Marker David Barber sees the ritual as more than tradition: "I think it's serving a very useful purpose. It gives us an indication of what's going on throughout the country." The census dates back to the 12th century, when swans were important food sources for royal banquets.

The National Police Agency in Japan is urgently warning parents and others about a "Real Gimmick Mini Revolver" found among the prizes in claw machines around the country, Oddity Central reported. The plastic toy, which comes with eight plastic bullets, reportedly can also fire real bullets. Sixteen thousand of the toys have been imported from China since December; the added danger is that shooting a live bullet could cause the plastic firearm to blow up in the shooter's hand.

Truth Is Stranger Than Netflix

The Tech Revolution

The South Florida Water Management District is working with the University of Florida to develop a new strategy for managing invasive pythons in the Everglades, WFLA-TV reported on July 23. Solar-powered toy bunnies that emit heat and are equipped with cameras are alerting staff to python activity, which sends them out to capture and euthanize the snakes. The district said it is "committed to protecting this delicate ecosystem."

Clothing Optional

A couple in Oklahoma City were startled by a "big, fat, naked, crazy guy" entering their home around 6 p.m. on July 21, KFOR-TV reported. Homeowner Blake Overstreet said the perp, Korey Sisco, was 6-feet-2 and 400 pounds. When Overstreet and his wife pointed a gun at him, Sisco exited through the back door and skipped to the neighborhood pond, where he jumped in. "It was very strange," Overstreet said. He noted the pond is full of snakes and snapping turtles. Sisco lingered in the pond for about an hour until police coaxed him out.

Fashion Faux Paw

For more than a year, Natasha Lavoie of British Columbia has been receiving phone calls about her missing cat, Torbo, United Press International reported. Problem is, her cat's name is Mauser and is very much not missing. The mix-up mystery was finally traced to a T-shirt sold by Wisdumb NY, which features a lost cat poster that includes Lavoie's phone number. Wisdumb NY said the shirt is no longer available and the "use of a real number within the art created was not intentional." But Lavoie doesn't want to change her number. "I've had my number for 20 years," she said. "I'll just keep not answering."

On July 19, 36-year-old Stephen Blasetti allegedly stole a boat and took it for a joyride on the Hudson River in New York, WABCTV reported. Blasetti, notably, wasn't wearing any clothes when he committed the theft, for which he was charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and reckless endangerment. He was admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia in New York for a psychiatric evaluation, but early on July 23, Blasetti slipped out of his handcuffs as the police officer guarding him slept, borrowed a doctor's lab coat and left the hospital. He was last seen on surveillance video walking down a sidewalk, barefooted.

It's Come to This

At the Ryde Hotel in California, Fox5 Atlanta reported, peacocks and peahens are part of the appeal as they wander about the property. But on July 20, after a guest reported seeing two men loading one of the birds into a cage in a pickup truck bed, the hotel's general manager, David Nielsen, initiated a count of the flock, realizing that only four of about 15 remained. "We're not sure why anyone would do anything like this," he said -- but the male birds are valued at about $2,000 and the females at $1,000. The colorful birds have become tame and like pets to the staff of the hotel. Police are depending on tips from the public to locate the animals.

Ewwwww!

Leanna Coy, a flight attendant based in Connecticut, couldn't help but share the yuck factor after she made a discovery on the floor of a plane, the New York Post reported on July 24. "Those are toenails," she captioned a TikTok post. "The passenger clipped their toenails mid-flight and left them." Commenters had no empathy for the long-in-the-toenail flyer: "No-fly list!" said one. "What dirtbag did this?" asked another.

FRINGE, FASCISM, AND THE FUTURE

GUEST OPINION

by Sam Inglot

Over 10 years ago, I quietly attended an event called something to the effect of “The Michigan Tea Party Powwow” at a casino in Mount Pleasant. I remember it was cold outside, and inside I threw a few bucks in the slots when the event was over, which took place in an unmemorable conference area off the main floor. But lately, I’ve been remembering that event more for what it foretold about the political reality we’d find ourselves in today.

This was during the Rick Snyder years and after the Tea Party wave that swept the country.

The event was organized by ex-Republican State Representatives Cindy Gamrat and Todd Courser. Remember them? If not, Google with caution. The lineup featured speakers like then-Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema, who at the time was facing calls from both sides of the political aisle for his ouster for racist remarks.

Chunks of the event featured typical Republican anti-tax and anti-government rhetoric, but the major hits came in the form of demonization of Muslims, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community.

I feel pretty confident saying that—at the time—this type of event was still considered somewhat “fringe” by Republican standards. Outright bigotry and denouncements of an inclusive democracy were often met with condemnation by other Republican office holders and talking heads at the time.

But you could tell that something bad was on the rise and not enough was being done to confront it.

Compare that event, which was a relatively closed-door gathering of activists and politicians in a casino conference room, to today. Just this last week, I saw multiple young white men proudly proclaim themselves as fascists and white nationalists on the YouTube channel Jubilee, a debate show that generates millions of views on its own and hundreds of millions of more through clips that make the rounds on social media.

It used to be that those sorts of sentiments were hidden away in the dark corners of the internet or chanted by hooded Klansmen behind barricaded demonstrations. Now we have young men unafraid to align themselves with political forces the Greatest Generation fought a world war against.

We have ICE agents rounding up and locking up immigrants regardless of their citizenship status while Republicans hawk T-shirts to manufacture consent for a concentration camp in the Florida Everglades. And to further show how far we’ve slid into the territory of hate, we have Stephen Miller in the White House dictating national policy to Donald Trump, which impacts every state in the country.

This is a problem, and Michigan is not immune. We even have current state representatives like Josh Schriver spewing white nationalist talking points online, only to be rewarded with coveted committee roles by Republican House Speaker Matt Hall.

The right-wing authoritarianism problem, the fascism problem, whatever you want to call it, has reached an inflection point, and there’s plenty of blame to go around for how we got here.

Democrats have all too often abandoned their own platforms and sampled from bogus Republican narratives that stoke fear of immigration with the hopes of winning over a few swing voters. Media outlets and talking heads have treated the erosion of the human rights and civil liberties of marginalized groups as some sort of topic worthy of reasonable debate for clicks and views. And Republicans have completely hitched their political fates to campaigns centered on anger, fear, and othering as a means to reach power while ensuring no one ever blames the wealthy CEOs who are making their healthcare and groceries unaffordable.

And that does not even begin to touch on the deeply flawed and all too often ignored history of this nation, but my word count is limited.

This is a problem that should not be everyone’s responsibility to fix—too often marginalized groups under fire are expected to be on the frontlines fighting the problems created by or ignored by the privileged—but it is a problem that will inevitably be shared by us all.

Because the same people now proudly flying their flags of fascism before audiences of millions online are the same ones who are behind the wheel of the machine that is driving us toward a climate disaster, a housing crisis, a massive wealth gap, and the erosion of a government that is controlled by the people.

Things are dark and will likely get worse, but I am far from hopeless.

The only way we get out of an authoritarian future is through a multi-racial, diverse, working class movement rooted in solidarity that can confront the forces of greed that wield racism and fear as means to power while making the basics of life better for everyone.

Together, we can build a future of inclusion where everyone can thrive and fascists are forced back to the fringes. (Or maybe, at a minimum, a casino conference room where the sounds of the slot machines drown out their rhetoric from the outside world.)

Sam Inglot is the executive director of Progress Michigan, a nonprofit communications advocacy and government watchdog group.

Cookies - Bread - Muffins - Sweet Treats

Try

our

Honey White Bread!

clothing * gifts

footwear

The long fermentation process and sweet honey, a natural preservative give this loaf a unique flavor and longer shelf life.

839 S. Garfield Ave Traverse City 231-922-8003

accessories

222 N Saint Joseph Street Downtown Suttons Bay 231-271-5462

Open 7 days • thelimabean.net

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY (But Not Too Far Away)

How strange and severe weather threatens local agriculture now more than ever

By Art Bukowski

Local farmers face no shortage of challenges these days.

There are broad, long-standing problems like increased pressure to sell for development, declining interest from the next generation, and decreased prices due to competition from imported products. Then there are more acute issues like inflation driving up input costs, uncertainty about the labor market due to current immigration policy, and continuously fluctuating crop prices.

But chat with Nikki Rothwell, arguably the most in-the-know person when it comes to local agriculture, and one challenge overshadows all the others: wild, unpredictable weather.

Rothwell is the longtime coordinator of Michigan State University’s Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center (the “Hort Station”) in Leelanau County, and in that role she’s in constant touch with scores of farmers throughout the region.

What she’ll tell you is that weather events—frosts, hail, excessive moisture

that breeds disease, and more—are causing problems at a much more frequent pace than in years past, and that these problems are posing a serious and growing threat to farming operations.

“The weather is really, really challenging again this year, and it’s been challenging [for a while now],” she says. “All the stars aligned for so many years, but now I feel like we can’t get a handle on all of these changes. Weather is our biggest challenge.”

Unpredictable Patterns

Rain is good, right? Yes, but to a point. A big problem this year has been a ton of rain that has led to very favorable conditions for diseases and pests.

“We just can’t seem to stop disease,” Rothwell says. “It’s been really warm and wet and muggy, and we’re really struggling with that. It’s putting tons of disease and insect pressure on growers.”

This is, perhaps ironically, after a lack of rain in some areas last year put a major strain on fruit trees. And an early frost this year that wiped out a good portion of the region’s

tart cherry crops (if the frost comes after the buds are out, it kills the fruit). And hail that subsequently damaged the remaining cherries, along with apples and other crops.

Part of the problem is that the problem is always different, making mitigation tactics difficult and costly. And weather issues are becoming more frequent, causing farmers to brace for impact nearly every single year.

Travis Bratschi grows high-density Honeycrisp and Gala apples in Williamsburg. He’s been growing there about 15 years, and he says things have taken a marked turn for the worse even in that short time.

“When I first started, there was a guy selling hail insurance, and I said ‘Who buys hail insurance? It never hails,’” he says. “And I think we’ve had hail five out of the last 10 years.”

Hail can damage Bratschi’s apples, forcing him to sell them for processing instead of the fresh fruit market, which means lower prices paid for his crop. He’s also experienced hail so hard it has damaged the trees itself, leaving “battle wounds” that hamper production of those trees in the future.

“It’s a real concern. I don’t care what side

of the fence you’re on, global warming [or not], but something has changed in our weather pattern, and it’s creating a lot more variability,” he says. “We had a once-in-a-hundred year freeze in 2012 right after it happened in 2001. These are not one-in-a-hundred year events anymore. They’re more normal.”

Juliette King-McAvoy of King Orchards in Antrim county, which grows cherries and a wide variety of other produce, echoes those concerns. Weather-driven crop losses have become “increasingly common to an alarming degree,” she says, and she’s also worried about the long-term effects of climate change.

“We had a crop disaster in 2001, and then in 2012, and then back-to-back in 2020 and 2021,” she says. “Even if you’re saying only one out of every 10 years is a crop failure, that’s not a viable business model for most people.”

Jim Bardenhagen grows apples, hay, wine grapes, and more on 80 acres in Leelanau County. He’s struggled this year with the moisture, and not just because of the pests and diseases it promotes. “This spring, we just couldn’t cut hay,” he says. “It was just

raining all the time [and too wet]. So the hay got large and overmature.”

Again, it’s not necessarily this season that bothers him—it’s the patterns from year to year.

“We’re seeing larger amounts of rain when it does rain,” he says. “I don’t remember having three inches of rain in years past. We had an inch the other day, but people a couple miles from us had three inches. So when we do get something, it always seems to be more severe. The wind seems to be stronger, and we seem to get far more moisture when we get it.”

Beyond its physical impacts to the crops themselves, Bardenhagen says, weather is also having an increasingly detrimental impact on pollinating conditions for bees and other insects.

Insult to Injury

Rothwell believes that most of these issues are due to climate change, though she’s hesitant to even use the term considering the political leanings of some farmers. Still, she says, a time comes when you have to call a spade a spade.

“I know some people are like, ‘Oh, it’s cyclical,’” she says. “Well, I guess, but as a farmer, how long can you wait out a cycle, especially in a perennial crop system?”

She’s also distressed by continued and projected cuts to various federal programs that support vital research.

“I feel like we’ve got to just understand it better, and taking away funding for climate research or weather research or disease research is just going to put a ton more pressure on farmers,” she says. “They’re going to be managing blindly if we don’t have research to support what we do, especially in specialty crops where we don’t have a lot of outside funding.”

Indeed, local farmers speak highly of the Hort Station’s output, and some are no doubt worried about funding for this longstanding institution.

“The research station is continually looking for disease resistant broodstocks and varieties to help combat [various problems],” Bardenhagen says.

Ultimately, Rothwell says, funding for her station and other research outfits will be critical if farming and farmland is to be preserved in the decades to come.

“What it all goes back to is finding ways to keep growers profitable,” she says. “You can’t keep farming at a loss and thinking that these farms are going to be around for another 50 years.”

A Voice for Change

Leisa Eckerle-Hankins is the latest in a long line of Leelanau County farmers, and she for one is not scared of terms like “climate change.” She recently founded the Michigan Cherry Grower Alliance, a group that aims to give a collective voice to local farmers and that has been vocal about the long-term threat posed by climate change.

“I’ve always said there should be no politics in farming. It’s nonpartisan. I will speak to Republicans, I will speak to Democrats,” she says. “I know there’s [a taboo with the term climate change], but I’m sorry, if you’re a grower right now, you know that your crop is being affected by the weather… and it’s getting worse and worse.”

Among larger goals of advocating fiercely for farmers, Eckerle-Hankins says her group can also fight to preserve or increase funding for important research that helps farmers combat climate-driven problems.

“Continued research will only help us. And without it, it’s only going to get worse,” she says. “People like my son and I are not researchers. We know that we need something to help combat these problems, but we’re not the people to say what it might be. That’s Nikki’s area. She and her group are instrumental.”

YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE HUNGRY

Demand at food pantries up 70 percent

By Jillian Manning

Feeding America West Michigan serves the western part of the Lower Peninsula and all of the Upper Peninsula, working with 800 partners and food pantries to provide 23 million meals each year. They estimate that one in seven people in their coverage area is food insecure, including 80,000 children, and that the demand for services has jumped 70 percent in the last four years.

With the passage of the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill”—which cuts nearly $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through 2034, per the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office—Feeding America expects that one in seven figure to rise.

“Because Feeding America West Michigan is already challenged to meet the current level of need, we are unprepared for the influx of people who will turn to us in 2026 if the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) take effect,” the agency wrote in a June newsletter. “In addition, we are deeply concerned that the bill shifts costs to the states, and our state can’t afford it.”

In turn, Gov. Whitmer released a state budget memo in June that found the bill “will cost Michigan $900 million, threaten benefits for nearly 15% of [the] population, increase hunger, harm retailers, [and] worsen health outcomes for kids and families.”

We turned to local food pantries and nonprofits to get their take on the snowballing issue of food insecurity Up North.

Longer Lines, Less Food Carrie Klingelsmith, executive director of the Manna Food Project—a Feeding America West Michigan affiliate food bank which serves Emmet, Charlevoix,

and Antrim counties—says food insecurity impacts nearly 15 percent of their coverage area’s population, with 514,950 visits to Manna in 2024 alone.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, Petoskey, Harbor Springs, there’s a very affluent area,’ but then they don’t really understand what lies beneath, and it’s a lot of people that are struggling,” Klingelsmith tells us. “We’re getting a lot of new people, because [food insecurity] is affecting so many more people.”

Klingelsmith chalks much of the pressure up to rising housing and cost-of-living prices, noting that a single bag of groceries can easily cost $50-$75. (On the flip side, the dollar can be stretched much further by a pantry.) She says that in her four years with Manna, she has only seen the need for services grow— and that trend isn’t likely to change.

“In the face of the SNAP benefits and Medicaid changing, our lines will probably just get longer. Therefore, we as a community need to come together to help our neighbors

in need,” she adds.

Klingelsmith tells us that Manna is working on deepening local partnerships— “I speak at every group I can speak to,” she says of local civil groups and businesses— exploring new grants, and seeking greater community awareness of the hunger problem lurking in their backyards.

“You might not know what somebody is going through … it might be your neighbor next door, and you don’t even know it.”

No Light at the End of the Tunnel Cathy Somes, executive director of Kalkaska KAIR, knows what it’s like for neighbors to be in need. Her organization offers financial and utility assistance, a food pantry, and community meals throughout Kalkaska County to individuals and families who are under-served.

“In the past few months, we’ve seen about a 40 percent increase in the number of families we are serving,” Somes says. In 2025

alone, their food pantry visits have gone from 700 to 1,000 per month, and their meal sites have seen an increase from 80 people to 100 or even 120.

For Somes, this shift represents a perfect storm. Demand for their services is going up—as is the cost of food—but donations, grant dollars, and volunteers are all down.

She’s even concerned about losing the help provided by Grand Traverse Industries (GTI), a nonprofit that offers vocational training, employment, and habilitation services to people with disabilities. Right now, GTI is facing a potential reduction in services due to Medicaid changes and funding shortages at the community mental health authorities that support their programs.

“They’re able to assist with trucks [to transport food], and that is a huge, huge blessing,” Somes says of GTI. “Those kids come in here, and they are just amazing. I don’t know what we would do if we didn’t have Grand Traverse Industries.”

When asked if there is a light at the end of the tunnel, Somes replies with a disheartened “no.”

“This is the first layer of cutbacks,” she says of the federal cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and SNAP funding. “Six months from now, I expect it to be a lot harder. … I think this trickle down is going to be a two-year, three-year cycle, maybe even longer.”

And that’s a hard pill to swallow when more and more neighbors are headed to KAIR’s doors. “If this continues down the path it’s on right now, I think it’s going to affect more households than we can even envision at this point.”

Food Insecurity Hurts Everyone Mary Clulo, chairperson of the operating

Photo courtesy of Food Rescue

What $10 can buy for a food pantry.

What $10 can buy at a typical grocery store. Photos courtesy of the Manna Food Project.

committee for Northwest Food Coalition (NFC), shares those concerns. She has been fighting hunger for 29 years and says she’s seen “huge change” in the number of people needing food.

NFC connects a group of 70 of food pantries, emergency meal sites, and baby pantries and helps them work together on sourcing food, sharing best practices, getting grants, and strengthening the regional food web. But already, Clulo says one of NFC’s grants has been canceled, a local food purchasing assistance grant from the USDA. That grant and others like it allow NFC to purchase food from local farmers, linking the needs of the agriculture community and the needs of the food insecure population. Doing away federal and state funding that supports those in need, Clulo says, hurts everyone.

“What we’re seeing, really, is the rug being pulled out from the safety net,” she says. “We fear [that] is going to have people … needing more food and seeking assistance from our pantries.”

Worse, she does not feel optimistic that local fundraising, even within a generous community, can fill the gaps from the loss of grant funding. Nor can farmers or other businesses magically have more food to donate or sell.

“We’re worried about an increase in demand and then … a reduction in the supply of food, unless we can get funding sources elsewhere or increase fundraising in order to meet that demand.”

Back to Square One

Food Rescue, a program of Goodwill Northern Michigan, works with NFC in their Farm2Neighbor program, which, per their website, purchases a variety of food “from local farmers and distributes them to food insecure people and their families through food pantries and meal sites in Northwest Lower Michigan.”

Taylor Moore, manager of Food Rescue, says that between the Farm2Neighbor program and other efforts, his team picks up and distributes 8,000 pounds of food a

CAFE - open daily at 8am SUPPER - menu, schedule, & reservations www.themillglenarbor.com 5440 W Harbor Hwy, Glen Arbor

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

When it comes to asking for community support, nonprofits operate under the “Three T’s”: time, talent, and treasure.

Volunteers—who share their time and talent—are needed in pantries across the North. “If we see an increase in people coming, we will need more people volunteering,” Clulo of Northwest Food Coalition says, noting that most of the people working in any given pantry are volunteers, not staff, which helps keep operating costs low so that the pantries can spend as much money as possible on food.

day, including soon-to-expire food from local grocery stores and bakeries. That food accounts for about one third of all food in local pantries and meal sites.

While that sounds like a lot, Moore explains that “of all the food assistance that’s out there, nine out of every 10 meals comes from the federal government, comes from programs like SNAP. These programs are significant. Any cuts to those programs, that difference needs to be covered. What’s expected is that the charitable food system— food banks, food rescue organizations, food pantries, and community meal sites—we’re going to need to pick up the difference. And in terms of the scale, it can’t be matched.”

Moore adds, “We can’t simply double the amount of food that we are picking up” when that food isn’t available for rescue or doesn’t even exist.

Finding Food Rescue in this position is frustrating, Moore says, because in 2021, federal programs like the Child Tax Credit, Pandemic EBT, universal meals in schools, and stimulus checks had actually helped communities reach the lowest rate of food insecurity in the last two decades. Now, Moore laments, it’s back to the status quo… and getting worse.

“This is difficult for us because we knew that rates of food insecurity were going to increase when the federal government eliminated some of the pandemic-era social services, and now we’re seeing another rollback.”

Moore believes Goodwill’s programs will “become increasingly needed” in the coming months and calls for an increase in donations and volunteerism. He also recommends “getting involved, whether that be reaching out to your representatives and telling them that you care deeply about this issue or with other community organizations that are helping to meet our basic needs.”

“Stay engaged,” Moore concludes. “We don’t know exactly what this will look like, but we do know that it’s going to require a lot of collaboration amongst the community and organizing within the community to make sure that people have access to the food that

All of the folks we talked to emphasized there are many ways to volunteer, from working in the pantry, to cooking meals, to going out in the field and harvesting food with local farmers. You could deliver food or meals to sites in your area, or even repack bulk items in the pantry into household sizes.

And then there’s treasure, aka donations. Many of the orgs above allow you to donate to general operating funds (preferred) or to specific programs within their purview. Depending on the pantry, you can also donate newly-purchased toiletries and food—cereals, canned proteins, and soups are always popular—as well as gently used clothing and household items.

“I just would like people to reach inside themselves and listen to their heart and see if they’re able to give back to help us in the community,” Somes of KAIR says. “Because I guarantee you, it does change your life. It changes how you look at things. And there’s that certain amount of joy that comes with that.”

DO

YOU NEED HELP WITH FOOD?

This article may be hitting a little close to home for you or one of your loved ones. If you need help getting access to food, there are resources available.

“We’re here for them—everybody needs help at some point in their life, I’m sure,” Klingelsmith of Manna says. “We just want to welcome people, serve them with respect and dignity, and try to release that stigma that some people may have that is associated with pantries.”

To find a pantry near you, head to feedwm.org/findfood or northwestmifoodcoalition.org/foodpantries. There, you can put in your address or zip code and find nearby options. You can even sort by the days of the week that that particular pantry is open, as well as find meal sites and other food resources.

Each individual food pantry website (or office, if you want to call in) will have more information about what to expect when you visit.

“New people are unsure how to navigate accessing food, and it can be a very, very stressful and emotional step that people would take to come to a pantry,” adds Clulo of Northwest Food Coalition. “People should not feel that they aren’t deserving or aren’t needful enough. If there is a need, it’s important that people have good nutrition for themselves and their families, and so they should feel like they can come to pantries and meal sites in the region. That’s what we’re there for, and we want to hear their story and help them out.”

8am - 7pm seven days / week coffee, fresh baked goods, breakfast, lunch, beer & wine www.outposttc.com 108 E Front St, Traverse City seasonal fare overlooking the Leland River terrace, deck, & dock open all summer Wednesday - Sunday www.theriversideinn.com 302 River St, Leland Book a Table! 4pm - 8pm seven days / week scratch made pizzas & ice cream www.milliesglenarbor.com 6281 W. Western Ave, Glen Arbor

Food Rescue staff and volunteers repack local carrots to distribute to food pantries.

U-PICK BLUEBERRIES

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

When it comes to asking for community support, nonprofits operate under the “Three T’s”: time, talent, and treasure.

needing food.

day, including soon-to-expire food from local grocery stores and bakeries. That food accounts for about one third of all food in local pantries and meal sites.

DO YOU NEED HELP WITH FOOD?

This article may be hitting a little close to home for you or one of your loved ones. If you need help getting access to food, there are resources available.

Moore adds, “We can’t simply double the amount of food that we are picking up” when that food isn’t available for rescue or doesn’t

“We’re worried about an increase in demand and then … a reduction in the supply of food, unless we can get funding sources elsewhere or increase fundraising in order to meet that demand.”

Back to Square One

Taylor Moore, manager of Food Rescue, says that between the Farm2Neighbor program and other efforts, his team picks up and distributes 8,000 pounds of food a

Each individual food pantry website (or office, if you want to call in) will have more information about what to expect when you visit.

SUMMER LOVIN’ WITH BLUEBERRIES & ZUCCHINI Inside the Ingredients

By Nora Rae Pearl

Is there ever a time when there’s too much of a good thing? When it comes to peak summer ingredients, our answer is no.

Let’s turn to the two simple ingredients we all know and love, blueberries and zucchini. For a perfect summer day adventure, go pick blueberries at Bulldog Berries in Traverse City. For the gift of zucchini that keeps on giving all summer long, check out Providence Organic Farm or Loma Farm. These recipes will help you put all that seasonal abundance to good use!

ZUCCHINI WALNUT BREAD

Rich, moist, and crunchy sweet bread, perfect for tea.

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, plus extra for top

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• Zest of 1 orange

• 2 cups grated zucchini

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted, roughly chopped

To make the bread: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two 9x5-inch loaf pans with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour through the salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Add the sugars, oil, and orange zest. Whisk until smooth, then stir in the zucchini and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined, then fold in the walnuts. Divide between pans. Sprinkle each top with a few tablespoons of brown sugar. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

EARL GREY & BLUEBERRY JAM SCONES

Earl Grey brings floral notes to a lovely jamstriped scone.

Blueberry Jam Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups blueberries

• 1/3 cup sugar

• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

• Pinch of salt

Scone Ingredients

• 4 cups flour

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup sugar

• The contents of 2 earl grey tea bags*

• 16 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small cubes

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 egg, beaten

• Salted butter, for serving

To make the jam: Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the blueberries have broken down. Continue to cook the mixture until it has thickened and reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof container and chill overnight.

To make the scones: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour through the earl grey tea. Swiftly rub in the butter until crumbly and only small pebbles remain. In a small cup, whisk together two eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream. Pour over the flour-butter mixture. Fold the mixture gently until a dough begins to come together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and fold the dough over itself to incorporate all the loose flour bits. Once cohesive, roll out to a rough 12x15-inch rectangle. Cut into three equal pieces, each measuring around 5x12 inches.

On two of the pieces, spread 1/3-1/2 cup of the blueberry jam all the way to the edges. Save the remaining jam to serve with warm scones. Place one of the covered pieces on top of the other covered piece. Place the remaining piece on top. Pat the layers together so they stick, but nothing comes squishing out of the sides. Cut into eight squarish pieces, then cut each diagonally to create triangles. Place 2-3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Brush with beaten egg. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating halfway through, until nicely golden on bottoms and tops.

*Look for a tea with a finer consistency. If it is coarse, use a mortar and pestle to crush into finer pieces.

BYOB!

(Bring your own beverages)

Wednesday August 6th • 5-7pm

Civic Center Park & Amphitheater

Jimmy Johns sandwiches and snacks, Grand Traverse Pie Co. pies, lawn games, park tours and more — FREE!

AMAZING PRIZES !

YMCA Family Membership, Downtown TC $100 shopping spree, TC Phil tickets, TC Roller Derby tickets

Recess is brought to you by

By Geri Dietze

In just one year, owners Tom and Heather Goodman have earned the 2024-2025 Trailblazer Award for business leadership from the Cadillac Area Visitor’s Bureau, plus a place on MyNorth.com’s 2025 Red Hot Best Bakery for their region. Their business, Wildflour Bakery, is billed as a “modern, fusion style cafe” with great teas— from the traditional cuppa (served with cute hourglass timers for the perfect steep) to authentic boba milk teas and bubble teas— and Viennese coffees, alongside Heather’s eye-popping array of pastries and sweets.

That seems to be the way the Goodmans roll, and it’s just part of their recipe for success: Think warmth, enthusiasm, curiosity, vision, integrity, and lots of love. “We do happy,” says Heather, and we’re happy just thinking about this place.

Learning from the Best to Make the Best

Heather is a self-taught home baker, and she began her journey with the world’s most difficult cookie recipe: the French macaron, requiring precision at every level: measuring, temperature, humidity, and even the special method for folding the mixture together, macronage.

She followed with “full immersion” into the baking world, with six months of pastry training at California’s International Culinary Center, and then four months in Las Vegas working with world-renowned pastry chef and chocolatier Chef Amaury Guichon.

Tom Goodman, after retiring from AT&T, also attended the International Culinary Center, specializing in authentic Italian cooking, followed by a year of study in Italy with Michelin Chef Paolo Teverini in Bagno di Romagna, southeast of Bologna. There, he perfected his skills in handmade

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

pasta, sauces, and the art of combining rustic Italian flavors with elevated technique. (Now you know why Wildflour Bakery is garnering awards and accolades.)

Everything is house made, and the Goodmans source their ingredients from near and far, just as long as they are the best. Local fruits and vegetables are a given, whenever possible, as are products from top-tier vendors. Some of the components come right from the source: French butter with 85 percent butterfat, and flours and olive oil from Italy. Add a statecertified reverse osmosis (RO) water system for the kitchen and the front of the house, and you can be sure that nothing interferes with creating the best flavors possible.

Wildflour has a sit-down-and-stay-awhile ambiance, as cozy and assured as a European café, with hand-chosen décor and comfy upholstered seating. (It’s the alternative to industrial chic.)

Walls are covered with Heather’s free form Sharpie murals, and Tom designed the engaging wall clock featuring cups and saucers marking the hours. He also turned Heather’s rolling pin collection into a unique hanging feature and built the immense calendar rack on one wall inviting patrons to pen aspirational notes to themselves, a friend, or loved one, which the Wildflour folks will mail on the desired date.

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart,” Heather says, quoting Wordsworth.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

When you arrive, expect cookies, muffins, pies, and every iteration of American and international favorite, but Heather Goodman likes to “play with flavors,” so while you can choose a traditional scone with Devonshire cream, you might also try one with a flavor combo, like strawberry/rhubarb, strawberry/ orange, or raspberry with lemon drizzle.

In that same vein, enjoy a traditional brownie, or choose Heather’s Milky Way or Trail Mix versions. French croissants come plain or flavored, with strawberry, chocolate, peach, almonds, and more. Bread Pudding gets a fancy update with chocolate, doughnuts, and croissant. There’s also the lemon and glazed doughnut version, or—this sounds incredible—a sweet potato/croissant blend.

Guests often opt for the filled-to-order cannoli, and Wildflour’s ½ and ½ version comes with pistachios on one end and chocolate chips on the other, so you don’t have to choose.

Heather’s favorite creations in the bakery are “multi-level, multi-layered, high-end desserts.” So, get a load of these ingredients: Start with a traditional Italian Olive Oil Cake, a light, moist confection with olive oil and lemon, topped with super creamy olive oil ice cream. But wait, there’s more, and this is where we enter the sublime: Add candied black olives—olives are a fruit, after all— which yield a chewy texture with a sweet and salty flavor. Goodman tops this with her own white chocolate powder and finishes the flavor profile with a pipette (aka flavor injector) of sweet balsamic reduction to drizzle on top.

Tom Goodman’s delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner items fill out the rest of the space. Fresh salads, sandwiches, and wraps are available every day.

Perfectly formed individual quiches are encased in a deep crust, and Tom’s rich and creamy Chicken Pot Pie delivers a bite of tender crust with every bite. Patrons love the meaty Italian Muffaletta, with cheese and savory olive blend and the Roast Beef and Turkey on a croissant with Horsey Sauce.

Soups range from Tomato Bisque to Mushroom and Sausage and everything in between. (Add a Mac and Cheese puck if you

choose.) Fresh pasta bowls and pasta salads get their inspiration directly from Tom’s Italian experience.

The Future Looks Sweet

Head to Facebook (facebook.com/ wildflourbakerymichigan) to keep track of upcoming events, including pasta making classes, high tea, tasting dinners, entertainment, and fundraisers like their Cookies for a Cause partnership with local charities and boards. A beer and wine license is planned for the future. And look out: Wildflour Bakery has leased the space next door! The space is still in the planning stages, but Goodman says that it will be “food related.” And don’t forget Willdflour’s gorgeous cakes and catering for your weddings, special events, and private parties.

Find Wildflour Bakery at 105 S. Mitchell St., Cadillac. (231) 444-6400; wildflourcadillac.com

Wildflour Bakery chefs are working with all the right ingredients

CAMP COMPOST

Inside the regenerative farming event held Aug. 15-17 in Central Lake

By Anna Faller

As humans, it can be easy to forget that there’s a whole universe under our gardens and lawns, one that’s vital to the health of our ecosystems and all the lives they sustain (including our own). In fact, a single spoonful of soil should contain more microorganisms than there are people on earth!

Many modern agricultural practices, however, can seriously disrupt that delicate balance by stripping our soil of its microbiology (think: fungi, bacteria, nematodes, protozoa, etc.) or introducing harmful chemicals. And, when allowed to continue, those actions can incite serious ecological issues, from decreased crop production and nutrient density to erosion, toxic algae blooms, and beyond.

Learning to support our soil through practices like composting, however, closes the loop, thereby ensuring that those systems are equipped to survive and thrive for years to come.

“I like to think of soil as the foundation to all life,” says soil health consultant and educator Alexa Kipper. “When you have healthy soil, ecosystems flourish and people are healthier. It creates a ripple effect that we can see on so many levels.”

All Things Dirt

The seed for Camp Compost took root about five years ago, when co-organizers Kipper, Chandler Michalsky (operations manager at Grand Rapids compost company Wormies), and Mike Freund (of

regenerative farming initiative Kuleana Consulting), discovered their shared passion for all things dirt.

“We knew of each other from [social media], but when we all met in person at this event, it just clicked,” says Michalsky. It also didn’t hurt that Freund had a large piece of land he was hoping to use for events.

Fast-forward through two short months of planning and the inaugural Camp Compost gathering, originally known as the Michigan Compost Cup, kicked off in September 2021 with an attendance of about 30 people.

“We started off wanting to have a competition where compost makers could bring their stuff in, we could all check it out, smell it, and [talk] about the different parameters of what good compost is,” Michalsky explains.

After reviewing participant feedback, though, the group ultimately ditched the contest, instead opting for an event that could serve as both a community hub and a learning experience. “We just wanted to have a fun event where we could celebrate compost, teach people how to do it, and be welcoming to everybody,” Michalsky says.

Part One: Compost

Now heading into its fifth season, Camp Compost has since bloomed into a weekend-long celebration, not only of soil but also of building community and living in a more reciprocal way. It takes place on a stunning 22-acre plot in Central Lake, just four miles from Torch Lake’s north end,

and encompasses a jam-packed schedule of hands-on classes and workshops for about 150 attendees.

Each day, campers can choose from a full itinerary of soil-centric activities, which run between about one and two hours and take place at various sites throughout the grounds. Most of these have a regenerative or agricultural bent—soil microbiology, worm casting compost, beekeeping, etc.— but there are a few outliers in the mix, like yoga, foraging, or breathwork, for instance, which allow attendees to unplug.

This year, headlining speakers include Chris Trump, creator of Biomei Natural Farming Solutions and an expert in Korean Natural Farming (KNF), and Stephen Raisner, founder of PlantPonics and aquaponics industry leader.

“They’ve both traveled all over the world, educating farmers on how to do this. They’re a big deal in our eyes, so we’re very fortunate to [host] them and have them share their information,” Michalsky says.

Also on the 2025 roster are course topics like micro-homestead design; learning the basics of canning fresh produce; quantum biology fundamentals; and a hands-on demonstration of Bokashi composting (a fermentation method using an airtight container and micro-critters), all helmed by local educators.

“They’re extraordinary!” Michalsky adds. “[Our presenters] all have something to share, and they can relate to everyone, because for the most part, we’re all just trying to do this in our own backyards.”

Part Two: Camp

Once activities start to wrap up for the day, attendees can either head home or set up camp and sleep under the stars (which, per Michalsky, is part of the magic).

Options here include car- or tent-camping at one of the property’s connected sites, which are large enough to house multiple groups, or hammocking in dispersed foliage. There are no cabins or huts onsite—nor is there power, to encourage connection with nature—though, there is a series of portable toilets, as well as four camp showers, one with hot water. Guests also have access to a sink setup, a drinking water refill station, and a domed greenhouse packed with lounge furniture and fairy light strings for evening festivities.

“It’s a really cool space where everyone connects,” Freund says. “In the past, we’ve seen people become friends [there], and now they meet up every year at the event.”

Other attractions include the Main Stage which hosts live music sets at night, a bonfire pit for drum circle sessions, an onsite spring, and the Giving Tree, where attendees can leave and take offerings of clothing, jewelry, tinctures, or other trinkets.

In addition to the daily demos, there’s also a farm market feel throughout the event. Per Freund, this includes onsite vending provided by several local businesses, headlined this year by Providence Organic Farms (Central Lake) and a regenerative pig farmer for protein-based snacks.

Guests can also expect coffee service, as well as a smattering of organic confections

Photos courtesy of Camp Compost

and unique wares, like home-dyed clothing, jewelry, tea blends etc., provided by crafty attendees.

Stewards of the Earth

What’s even more unique than the shopping, though, is the tight-knit community campers have formed.

“One of the things that I’ve noticed is that it’s become like a big family,” Kipper says. “A lot of the same people come back year after year, so it feels like you’re in a warm hug with your friends all weekend.”

In this regard, Freund hopes Camp Compost stays the same; though, he does hint at the possibility of further property development down the line. Also on the

immediate docket is continuing to increase audience size and building on the event’s success to garner a more diverse attendance. In other words, the more communities are exposed to the information and tools Camp Compost supplies, the greater and more positive the ecological impact will be.

“We want it to be a sacred space as stewards of the earth together,” adds Kipper. “It’s all about giving people the tools they need to go home and create meaningful change in their lives so we can transform from the ground up.”

For more information on Camp Compost, helpful resources, and online ticket sales, visit campcompost.com.

COMPOSTING BASICS

If your goal is to harvest your compost to grow food or feed a garden, it’s important to offset nitrogen-rich matter like food scraps, manure, grass clippings, etc. with a separating layer of browns, like cardboard or straw, which have a higher carbon content. If possible, Michalsky recommends aiming for a 60- to 40-percent split, respectively—not only will this create balanced compost, but it’ll also help control smells and critters!

When you’re working with a smaller space, or if you have neighbors to think about, worm bins also make great starter kits. All you need is a plastic tote, some food scraps, and a few wriggly guys to reap the benefits. (The byproduct, which is worm manure, is also the most potent variety for plant fertilizer!)

You’ll know your compost is finished once it’s reached a rich dark brown color— that’s an indicator of humic acid from decomposition of organic matter—and clumps together when you squeeze it, which is a quick way to test for microbes and moisture.

Per Michalsky, another indicator of compost that’s ready is a forest floor aroma. “Finished compost should be calming,” he says. “It should smell good, literally like the forest after it rains.” Conversely, if your compost smells sour or off-putting, it’s too early for use.

Want your compost to include animal products like meat and dairy? The trio recommend going the hot route, which requires significantly more area and upkeep to maintain the operative temperature (130-160 degrees F).

If you have the space and the means, though, don’t be afraid to throw everything in one big pile! “People think you have to do certain things, but soil is like the digestive system of the earth—the microbes will take care of everything,” says Kipper. Adding a symbiotic bran product, like Bokashi, can also help streamline the process. In fact, she says, the only true composting no-no is putting it in a landfill!

ROBIN WALL KIMMERER

Visions of an ecologically-inspired alternative to consumerism.

BUZZ KILL?

What’s threatening northern Michigan’s main pollinators (and how we can help)

By Kierstin Gunsberg

It’s been a summer of bummer news for our pollinator friends, from scientists reporting the presence of microplastics in bee brains to stats showing that this year’s commercial honeybee population saw mass die-offs nationally.

And bad news for the bees is bad news for us. New research published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) finds that pollinating insects, including beetles, moths, and even wasps, contribute $18 billion to U.S. agriculture revenue annually. Up North, that includes our cherry crops, which make up over 40 percent of the nation’s tart cherry haul.

So what does that mean for northern Michigan’s VIPs (Very Important Pollinators)? Here’s a look at what they’re up against, how they’re faring in a season of wildfire haze, and the simple ways we can help them thrive.

Very Busy Bees

JC Bailey is standing amid the orchestrated frenzy of the 1 million honeybees she’s raising on her farm in Traverse City. As summer hits its dog days, the bees celebrate something called the “honey flow” when they finally get to feast on all of their favorite buds like star thistle and milkweed.

The honey flow can last anywhere from a few weeks to the whole summer, depending on how the weather is treating the plants and trees the bees depend on. Either way, it’s always action packed. “They’re just dropping and going, dropping and going. It’s just nonstop,” says JC, who runs Bailey’s Farms, a kombucha brand, with her husband Steve.

Despite Steve’s bee allergy, the couple manages a total of 29 hives. “It’s an amazing sight to stand here,” says JC. “They don’t care about me. They just have a job to do.”

That job is storing honey to nourish the colony through the winter. For the Baileys’ hives, that amounts to 50 to 100 pounds of honey per hive, with JC and Steve taking a little back to sell under their Bailey’s Farms brand. Sometimes jars of their small batch honey hit their product line as well.

But the couple, who launched their apiary six years ago with just two hives, haven’t made a business out of their beekeeping.

“We do small batches [of honey] because that’s our preference,” JC says. Producing more honey would mean amping up their production with commercial practices like swapping out ageing queen bees for younger ones or importing swarms from other parts of the country (migratory beekeeping) to speed up and multiply pollination, things that are commonly used by large-scale honey and fruit producers in northern Michigan, but that can also contribute to some of the honeybee’s greatest threats.

The Mite Fight

As honeybees face what may be their worst year on record—commercial colony deaths are expected to spike 10 to 30 percent over the average losses of the past decade— practices like migratory beekeeping are coming under scrutiny.

While moving hives around can boost both crop and honey yields, it also helps spread the varroa mite, parasites that are deadly to bees and getting harder to kill thanks to pesticide resistance.

“You can have your whole hive collapse and die from these mites,” says JC, who’s currently treating her colonies with oxalic acid, an organic compound.

It’s not just honeybees at risk of varroa mites and human-led threats like pesticide spraying and habitat or fauna reduction. Michigan State University estimates that across Michigan, over 460 species of wild,

Photos courtesy of Bailey Farms

native bees do their part to pollinate the state. NoMi’s long list of non-cherry crops— apples, blueberries, elderberry, mint, and even willow trees—benefit from them.

And, argue some critics, raising honeybees is harming wild, native bee populations by creating too much competition for food.

Beyond the Bees

Bees might be the headliners, but they’re not the only ones making sure our farmer’s markets are slammin’ this season. Monarch butterflies love a good patch of wildflowers, and hawk moths can’t resist a lilac tree.

Birds make an impact too. While several species do their part, northern Michigan’s most common and reliable bird-pollinator is the ruby-throated hummingbird, a tiny powerhouse that loves flowers and migrates all the way from Mexico to the Great Lakes each spring, usually landing in late April.

But thanks to climate change pressures, that schedule’s getting out of whack, says Benzie Audubon Club president Doug Cook. “Plants are flowering earlier than in the past,” he explains. And if the ruby-throated

THE

BIRDS & THE BEES 101:

How to be better neighbors to pollinators

It may not be all rainbows and butterflies for the birds and the bees right now, but both JC and Cook report that though the bigpicture numbers look dire, locally, bird and bee populations seem to be holding steady. And with a little help from their friends (that’s us!) it can stay that way. Here’s how. Keep feeders clean. Who doesn’t love a fleeting moment of bird-watching bliss? Unfortunately, feeders can become hotspots for the spread of avian flu. Cook recommends restocking them every few days with fresh food and syrup and giving them a good scrub down then too.

hummingbird doesn’t start adjusting its arrival to match up with when the plants it eats are actually flowering, “there will be negative effects” Cook fears.

What about Wildfire Smoke?

The shifting climate is hurting bees too. Northern Michigan’s record-breaking 20232024 winter was unseasonably warm and when that happens, says JC, “the bees go through more honey,” leaving them with less fuel come spring, right when they need it most.

And then there’s a newer problem to face in our area: wildfires. Summer haze drifting down from Canada is becoming a regular summertime occurrence. While the fires themselves can destroy bee habitat, it’s still unclear how much the smoke actually affects bees. So far, says JC, northern Michigan’s bees “really don’t seem to be affected as far as we can tell from a foraging standpoint.”

As for their little lungs, that part’s still fuzzy. But behaviorally they seem to be unchanged. “The whole sky is just full of bees that are zipping around and on their missions,” she says.

Go for nectar-rich, native plants. Pollinator plant seed packets are a good start, but it’s even better to choose varieties native to northern Michigan. Both Cook and JC say that native species like echinacea and wild columbine support local pollinators best. “We make sure the plantings we select are good sources of nectar or that they contribute to [the] habitat required of local bird species,” says Cook. And, adds JC, leave native wildflowers and milkweed, often mistaken for weeds, alone. “Right now, the bees are feasting on the milkweed,” JC says. “Growing up, it would be like, ‘Oh, get rid of the milkweed!’ Now, no matter where it pops up—even in the most inconvenient spot—it stays there.”

She adds not to forget the overlooked wild bees when planning a pollinator garden. “Honey bees really don’t go to chamomile, but the wild bees love chamomile,” she says. “So, I’ll plant chamomile just for the wild bees.”

Plan for late bloomers. Pollinators need food beyond summertime. Afterall, they’re still buzzing about through early autumn. JC recommends planting anise hyssop and sedum, a type of succulent that flowers late in the season. “In the summertime you have all these things to forage on, and then all of a sudden it comes to September, October, and there’s nothing for the bees. So they start eating into their honey stores.”

A ruby-throated hummingbird. Photo by Kent Ross (CC BY-NC), iNaturalist.

Harbor Springs Car Festival

Fantastic Four: First Steps

by Joseph beyer

In a culture where AI can create spectacular visual effects at the tap of a button on our phones, at a time when the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become as complex as our own galaxy, within a summer movie season already stockpiled with superheroes, The Fantastic Four: First Steps might be easy to dismiss as yet another predictable blockbuster trying to make a buck.

Instead, supported by an astonishingly talented cast of performers, a smart script, and a retro-futuristic art direction that lovers of midcentury-modern will never want to leave, The Fantastic Four not only lives up to the hype of something fresh, it surpasses it in my opinion by becoming an almost visual art piece homage to comics themselves.

And while the stellar sets, iconic costumes, and clever CGI that created this Jetsonsesque analog mashup are nothing short of dazzling, it’s the simple story of an unlikely family at the heart of the film that will ignite your emotions and draw you in. (And their fight to stay together may have you sometimes choking back tears. I had to let mine go during one of the most intense “mom-energy” sequences I’ve ever seen.)

As American astronauts who were altered in space with special powers, the Fantastic Four have returned to Earth where they use their smarts and skills to defend and serve humanity. Reed Richards can stretch his body as far as his brilliant scientific mind; his wife Susan Storm can generate powerful force fields and invisibility; Susan’s brother Johnny can fly like a flaming meteor; and their friend Ben Grimm has superstrength and a rock-like skin.

Nerd alert: The familiar cast of Fantastic Four characters is appearing here with a fresh start, but technically it’s their fourth onscreen appearance in the sixth phase of the MCU after migrating across three studios. The good news is, none of that matters to thoroughly enjoy the current 1 hour and 55

minute cinematic adventure, rated PG-13 for intergalactic violence and villains.

This particularly well done Fantastic Four adventure begins with a scene that lays out the film’s entire premise in less than a minute: Reed and Susan are unexpectedly … expecting. And even as they long to have children, their altered DNA makes the outcome unknown.

Played by Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), Reed is an analytical mess of worry and pragmatism. Played by Vaness Kirby (The Crown), Susan is a longing mother-to-be who tries to calm him. Their chemistry as a couple should grab you from the start, but their joy of pregnancy is put on hold when they must suddenly risk their lives again to save the planet from The Silver Surfer and a demon named Galactus.

Actors Joseph Quinn (Gladiator II) as the hot-headed and flame-throwing Johnny, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) hidden in plain sight as the vulnerable Ben, are both equally great as the sidekick expectant uncles and supporting cast.

Add to the ensemble an adorable robot named H.E.R.B.I.E. with special tools and powers, and later, a perfect newborn baby (also with special tools and powers), and there’s a lot to like about hanging out with this crew.

Inventive, clever, fast-paced, and genuinely fun (child carseat haters will be in stitches), I found myself delighted with the movies when I left, and grateful they still exist to whisk me away to worlds like this.

Now available in the full depth of digital/ theatrical formats, get to the theater early and stay late for a special advanced extended trailer for the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash, a truly fun custom Fantastic Four Dolby countdown, and of course two hidden “stingers” or teaser scenes within the credits for future installments.

Where Crystal Lake Meets the Mediterranean Sea

Dine on (almost in) the water at Rock’s Landing

By Ross Boissoneau

The strings of cars on either side of M-22 at Chimney Corners might be your first clue that something special awaits you inside Rock’s Landing. The warmth of the greeting upon entering is confirmation. Then there’s the view—the sparkling waters of Crystal Lake are visible from practically everywhere, and you may end up literally two feet from shore.

Best of all, the food is every bit as remarkable, and makes clear why all those cars are out there. Current owners Chris and Katie Bigelow, Julie Tebo and Paul Danes, and Joe Meyers, who also serves as executive chef, continue to build upon the reputation of the restaurant. A reputation (and restaurant) that didn’t even exist just a decade ago.

A Long History

A familiar sight to longtime residents and passersby since the 1950s, the Beach Club at Chimney Corners offered breakfast and lunch for resort guests and the public for some 60 years until closing in 2014, at which point Chimney Corners owners Jim and Mary Rogers enlisted longtime friends Steve and Kristin Tebo to reimagine it. Along with Julie Tebo and Paul Danes, they reopened the space in 2018 as Rock’s Landing.

A few years later, the restaurant changed hands again. Katie Bigelow had worked

at the restaurant for years when Steve and Kristin told her and husband, Chris, they were looking to sell. Chris was a longtime mental health professional and director of behavioral health services for Manistee Public Schools who also boasted years of restaurant experience downstate.

“Steve was ready to retire and made an offer,” says Chris. Apparently it was an offer they couldn’t refuse, and together with Chef Meyers they bought in and joined Julie Tebo and Paul Danes on their culinary adventure.

The cozy restaurant—“our capacity is 78,” says Bigelow—serves about twice that many on a typical night. The open-air porch is enclosed with heavy-duty clear plastic to keep the weather out when needed, while portable heaters are at the ready for cool evenings. When those windows are rolled up, you can hear the waves lapping against the shoreline while you eat and watch as boaters pass by almost within reach.

The flair for a great customer experience extends into and through the staff. “We try to have a family feel,” Bigelow says. That includes staff sitting down to a meal together after the restaurant closes and the last customers leave. “It’s part of our tradition.”

A Fresh Menu

With the lakeside setting comes a seaside menu. Bigelow calls the dinner

menu “Mediterranean influenced.” Meyers trained in French cuisine while working in Portland, Oregon, and he’s expanded that influence with other Mediterranean styles, as well as Asian and Scandinavian influences.

The resulting menu is diverse and interesting, and almost as fun to read as to eat: salt and pepper calamari with pepper chutney, gnocchi sorrentina with red sauce and fresh mozzarella, mushroom adobo with tofu, broccoli, and adobo sauce, and blackened redfish with celeriac remoulade slaw, red beans and rice, and creole butter.

“All [of it] is homemade and made fresh every day,” says Bigelow with pride. Many of the vegetables and greens are sourced from local farms, while the fish is flown into Grand Rapids and driven directly to the restaurant

That delivery is critically important, as Bigelow says the sablefish gets his vote as the best thing on the menu, as well as most popular. Also known as black cod, it is prized for its buttery texture, and Meyer and his crew pan sear each piece with za’atar spice and serve it with Mediterranean vegetables and couscous. Bigelow also gives props to the Rocks Burger, ground in-house from the cuttings from the prime grade spinalis steak, aka ribeye cap, known for its marbling, tenderness, and flavor. No doubt

the pimento cheese and house pickle add to the party.

If you’re into something old and something new, you’re in the right place.

The Monday night BBQ is a longstanding tradition at the resort that the Rock’s Landing crew has embraced. The action takes place up the hill from the restaurant.

“It’s been going on many years,” says Bigelow. “At six, we ring the dinner bell.” That’s when people file into the lodge and help themselves to brats, ribs, brisket, veggie burgers, Cajun alfredo pasta, salads, and more, including a dessert and ice cream bar. The pit boss is none other than Jim Rogers, the third-generation owner of Chimney Corners

A new addition this year is Sunday cocktails. Bigelow says the restaurant, historically closed on Sundays, is open for casual dining and drinks during the afternoon, an extended happy hour, if you will.

“We decided to have a more casual environment coming off the beach. No reservations. We have a variety of French, Spanish, and California wine flights, flights of bourbon, a small food menu,” says Bigelow.

Find Rock’s Landing at 1577 Crystal Dr. in Frankfort, open seasonally from mid-May to mid-October. Reservations are recommended. (231) 399-0158; rocksoncrystal.com

lOGY

AUG 04 - AUG 10

BY ROB BREZSNY

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the Arctic, the sun shines for 24 hours a day during midsummer. There is no night, only the surreal glow of prolonged gold. The human body, confused by the unending day, may be confused about when to sleep. For some, this creates disorientation, and for others, a strange euphoria. In my astrological opinion, Leo, you have entered a metaphorical version of this solar dreamscape. Your creative powers are beaming like a relentless sun. There may be little darkness in sight. So how will you rest? How will you replenish under the glow of fervent possibility? Be wisely discerning with your energy. Don’t mistake illumination for invincibility. Bask in the light, yes, but protect your rhythms.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Now is an excellent time for you to swear sacred oaths. suggest you get less comfortable with transitory arrangements and short-term promises. The near future will also be a ripe phase to make brave commitments that require you to go farther and deeper than you've dared to before. I recommend you forgo the cheap thrills of skipping along from one random moment to the next. Embrace a game plan. Finally, I urge you to cast magic spells on yourself that will release your unconscious mind from old fixations that subtly drain your power to fulfill your dreams. Please please please surrender trivial obsessions that distract you from your life’s key goals.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In West African traditions, griots are key figures in their communities. They serve as storytellers, oral historians, poets, genealogists, and advisors. Their presence is often central to events like weddings, funerals, and ceremonies. In the coming weeks, Libra, I hope that you will embrace a role that resembles the griot. Your ability to enhance and nurture your network is at a peak. You have extra power to weave together threads that have become frayed or unraveled. Given your potential potency as a social glue, advise you to avoid gossip and instead favor wise, kind words that foster connection.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The phrase “elegant sufficiency” is an old English expression meaning “just enough” or “a sufficient amount in a refined or tasteful way.” am expanding it to also mean “the simplest solution that solves a problem completely without unnecessary complexity.” It’s your power phrase, Scorpio. What you need is not intricate perfection, but elegant sufficiency: enoughness. I suggest you welcome this gift with enthusiasm—not in a resigned way, but with a quiet triumph. Maybe your plan doesn’t need more bullet points. Maybe the relationship doesn’t require further analysis. Maybe your offering is already thorough. Allow yourself the sweet satisfaction of having just the right amount. What you have created may be more organically whole than you realize.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): How do you become a maestro of desire? What must you do to honor your beautiful yearnings and cull your mediocre ones? What’s the magic that will help you fulfill your life’s purpose by trusting your deepest cravings? Here are some tips. First, jettison your inessential desires and cherish the precious yearnings that are crucial. Second, dispose of outmoded goals so you can make expansive space for robust goals that steer you away from the past and guide you toward the future. These are challenging tasks! The very good news is that the coming weeks can be a turning point in your quest to claim this birthright.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):II’m writing a fairy tale about an ancient land whose queen regards poetry as essential to the public good. She often invites poets to perform for her and her court. When they finish a stirring passage, they bow—not to the queen or other observers, but to the silence they mined to access their inspiration; to the pregnant chaos from which the poem was born. The pause is a gesture of gratitude and acknowledgment. I invite you to partake in similar acts of appreciation, Capricorn. Bow toward the mysteries from which your blessings flow. Honor the quiet sources that keep you fertile. Praise the treasures in the dark that fuel your intense activities.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "When I advise you to get naked, I’m not necessarily suggesting that you doff your clothes. What I primarily mean is the following: Shed the armor around your heart; strip off your defense mechanisms; discard knee pads you wear while kissing butt or paying excessive homage; recycle shoes, jackets, pants, and opinions that don't fit you; and discard pride-spawned obstacles that impede your communions with those you love.

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): The Finnish word sisu describes a radical, unglamorous persistence. Those who possess sisu can summon extraordinary determination, tenacity, and resilience in the face of confusion or difficulty. It’s not about bravado or flair, but about soulful gutsiness. I suspect it’s time for you to draw on your sisu, Pisces. It will empower you to tap into reserves of strength that have previously been unavailable. You will activate potentials that have been half-dormant.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Tagalog word gigil refers to the urge to squeeze or pinch something adorable. It’s an ecstatic tension that verges on overflowing the container of decorum. In the coming weeks, you Aries could feel gigil for the whole world. Everything may seem almost too vivid, too raw, too marvelous, and altogether too much. advise you to welcome these surges and allow them to enhance your perceptions. Laugh hard. Cry freely. Invite goosebumps. Please note: But don’t actually squeeze anyone without their permission.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In Japan’s Snow Country, artisans practice yuki-sarashi. It involves laying woven cloth on snow under sunlight to bleach, brighten, purify, and soften the fibers through the effects of snow, sunlight, cold, and ozone. Because this process doesn't require harsh chemicals, it helps maintain the fabric's strength and prevents it from yellowing over time. I propose you make yuki-sarashi a useful metaphor, Taurus. Something fragile and fine is ready to emerge, but it needs your gentle touch and natural methods. You are often grounded in the adept manipulation of raw material—what works, what holds, what can be relied on. But this burgeoning treasure needs maximum nuance and the blessings of sensitive care.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When African American dancer Josephine Baker arrived in Paris in 1925 at age 19, she was seeking refuge from her home country’s racism. Her electrifying performances soon made her a celebrity. Author Ernest Hemingway said she was “the most sensational woman anyone ever saw.” As she grew wealthy, she donated generously to French charities, hospitals, and schools. Her compassionate works evolved further, too. During World War II, she worked as a spy for the French Resistance against the Nazi occupation. Later, she became a civil rights activist in the US. Can you guess the astrological sign of this multi-faceted star? Gemini! hope you will be inspired by her in the coming weeks. May you, too, use your natural gifts and stylish flair to serve the greater good. Look for opportunities to mentor, encourage, and advocate for those lacking your advantages.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): When a glacier moves, it doesn't rush. It presses forward incrementally, reshaping mountains, carving valleys, and transporting boulders. In a metaphorical sense, Cancerian, you are now in glacier time. A slow, relentless, and ultimately magnificent process is afoot in your life. Others may not yet see the forward momentum. Even you may doubt it. But the shift is real and permanent. Trust the deep, inexorable push. Your soul is hauling whole landscapes into new configurations.

“Jonesin” Crosswords

"Spoiler: Free" another themeless for what ails you. by Matt Jones

ACROSS

1. Nickelodeon character with a heartbreaking viral video in which he finds out his show has been canceled

9. Side, back, cottage, and jowl, e.g.

15. Match

16. Music genre that fits in with Hot Topic

17. Slowpokes

18. Cold sore treatment brand

19. "The Westing Game" author Raskin

20. Tucked in before bed?

22. Battle of Hastings region

24. Brown, e.g.

25. Pit

26. Ltd., across the Chunnel

27. Order

29. Guinea pig lookalikes

30. ___ Octavius ("Spider-Man" villain)

32. Navel scraping?

34. Bridge component

36. Title seventeen-year-old on Broadway

39. Low-quality images?

43. Tricked

44. Macron's head

45. Night sch. course, maybe

46. It comes before a fall

47. Prefix meaning 10 to the 18th power

48. Match single socks again

51. Singer-songwriter, e.g.

54. Aleppo's country

55. Invader of the Roman Empire

56. Abstainer's mantra

58. Group of infected computers

59. Like many half-courses

60. Most distant point

61. Like some livestock

DOWN

1. "Wrecking Crew" guitarist Tommy (whose surname means "German" in Italian)

2. Capital of the territory featured in Netflix's "North of North" (2025)

3. { }, mathematically

4. Certain locks

5. "So Wrong" singer Patsy

6. Rush, quaintly

7. Caldecott Medal winner ___ Jack Keats

8. First-come, first-served arrangement, maybe

9. Like suspicious eyes

10. Prefix with valent

11. Diversion where the walls may have ears?

12. Easy area to pass to, in hockey

13. Devotional periods

14. Lean to the extreme

21. 50-50 shot

23. Nelson Mandela's native tongue

28. 1990s tennis star ___ S·nchez Vicario

29. Montblanc product

31. "Lecture ___" (John Cage text first delivered in 1950)

33. Irretrievable item

35. Actor Philip of "Kung Fu"

36. "Wicked: For Good" character

37. Elite

38. Get comfortable with

40. Discover

41. Small opening where spores are released

42. Like some skirts or slacks

47. On the maternal side

49. Twisty curves

50. They're hard to believe

52. Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake ___

53. Bahrain ruler

57. "De ___ Vez" (Selena Gomez single)

Saturday

PORT ONEIDA RUN:

HALF-MARATHON, 10K, 5K: 6:30am, Port Oneida Heritage Center/Olsen Farm, Maple City. The only run where the courses traverse through the scenic rolling hills & level pastoral pathways of the Port Oneida Rural Historic District, within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. $35-$110. phsb.org/port-oneida-run

ELK RAPIDS HARBOR DAYS: July 30Aug. 3. Today includes Harborun Fun Run, 5K Run/Walk & 10K Run, Rotary Roundup BBQ, Mutt Strut Dog Parade, Grande Parade, Sand Sculpture Building, $100,000 Hole-InOne Contest Qualifying & Final Round, Paddlebuoy/Paddleboard Races, Swan Race, Boat Lighting Contest & Display, Zambelli International Fireworks & much more. elkrapidsharbordays.org/events-schedule

ONEKAMA DAYS: July 31 - Aug. 4. Fun filled festival along Portage Lake. Onekama Days features fireworks, parade, car show, demolition derby, arts & crafts, kids’ activities, 5K race, breakfasts & dinners, craft beer tasting & more. onekama.info

NORTE’S RIDE WITH FRIENDS (FUNDRAISER RIDE): 7:30am, Norte Clubhouse, GT Civic Center, TC. This ride sponsored by J Merchant Builders features ride options for everyone in the family. More info & registration can be found on web site. $10-$100. norteyouthcycling.org/nortesride

ROTARY BREAKFAST & BBQ: Elk Rapids Town Hall. Breakfast: 7:30-10am; $10. Lunch/dinner: 11am-6pm; $15. Benefits the Rotary Club of Elk Rapids.

50TH ANNUAL BOYNE FALLS POLISH FESTIVAL: July 31 - Aug. 3. Today is Family Day & includes a 5K, Grand Royale Parade, Lumberjack Shows, Cornhole Tournament, live music by New Generation, Ty Parkin and the Old Souls, & more. boynefallspolishfestival.com

HARRIETTA BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL: Live music, pie eating & t-shirt contests, a quilt raffle, & a fire hose spray provide entertainment. Many skilled artisans line the streets & fill the Village Hall to offer their goods for sale. The highlight of the day is the Leo Porter Memorial Parade, featuring local leaders, sponsors, & various floats. Free. harriettamichigan.com/blueberry-festival

BLUEBERRY DASH 5K 2025: Bellows Park Pavilion, Frankfort. This run/walk benefits Benzie Senior Resources. For those wishing to be

timed, the start is at 8:15am; others may begin at any time & go any distance. $35. runsignup. com/Race/MI/Frankfort/BlueberryDash5K

22ND ANNUAL PETOSKEY ANTIQUES

SHOW: 9am, Emmet County Fairgrounds, Petoskey. Featuring more than 120 antique dealers from across the U.S. $10/person. facebook.com/petoskeyantiguesshow

PAUL MCMULLEN MEMORIAL 5K RUN/ WALK: 9am, 398 Chestnut St., Cadillac. This race is in memory of 1996 Olympian Paul McMullen. Paul was a multiple time American champion at 1500m/mile, 1996 Olympian at the Atlanta Games, coach of the Chariots of Fire Track Club, mentor to hundreds of kids, adventurer, father of three children, & husband. $25; increases after 7/25. runsignup.com/Race/Events/MI/Cadillac/PaulMcMullenMemorial5kRunWalk

SBBDL BOOK SALE: 9am-5pm, Suttons Bay-Binghman District Library, beach side of building. The Friends of the Suttons BayBingham District Library are hosting this book sale. It will feature puzzles as well as thousands of books of various genres. Payment is by donation. All proceeds benefit library programs. friends@sbbdl.org

VINTAGE BOATS ON THE BOARDWALK

‘25: Enjoy the 38th Annual Boats on the Boardwalk - with 50 vintage boats lining the Boardman River in downtown TC. Celebrate the heritage of Michigan boatbuilding - with pristine examples of varnished mahogany, polished chrome, & life Up North. Free. wwcacbs. org/event/boats-on-the-boardwalk-boat-show

2ND ANNUAL HOUSE TOUR: 10-11:30am, History Museum, Elk Rapids. The Elk Rapids Area Historical Society will be conducting its 2nd Annual Historic House Tour. 25 Historic Houses will be featured. Meet at the History Museum, Elk Rapids. Wear comfortable shoes & stay hydrated. 231-264-5692. Donations welcome. elkrapidshistory.org

45TH ANNUAL SUTTONS BAY ART FESTIVAL: 10am-5pm, next to Suttons Bay Marina Park. Featuring 100 artists along with community groups, a community library book sale, food vendors & a children’s area. Free. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traversecity/suttons-bay-art-festival-august-2-3-2025

62ND ANNUAL PORTSIDE ART FAIR: 10am-4pm, Elm Pointe Estate, South Arm of Lake Charlevoix, East Jordan. Featuring established artists as well as new artists. Juried art show, live entertainment, historical museum on site, & more. Free. portsideartsfair.org

PLEIN AIR WEEKEND RETURNS: Glen Arbor Arts Center, Aug. 1-2. Featuring two

Ahoy mateys! Find your treasure at the Boyne City Pirate Fest, Aug. 6-9! It all begins with a Pre-Invasion party at Stiggs Brewery & Kitchen on Weds., Aug. 6 from 6-10pm. Thurs., Aug. 7 brings the Princess and Queen Pageant, followed by The Invasion! on Fri., Aug. 8. Pirates will invade Treasure Town, USA by way of a Crazy Flotilla led by the 95’ schooner Madeline and the Little Traverse Bay Ferry. The Pirate Fest Parade starts at 10am, Sat., Aug. 9, followed by the Cap’n Kid’s Fair, a Pirate River Raft Adventure, and The Battle of Boyne River. The Little Traverse Bay Ferry will also offer multiple Sunsets and Pirates Cruises for purchase on Fri. and Sat., and there will be plenty of entertainment with live music, street shows and more! To see a schedule, visit boynecitypiratefest.com/schedule.

additions: The Sunsetter, a new Fri. evening painting event during the dramatic light of sundown, & a showcase of Youth Plein Air Exhibit winners, featured as part of Friday & Saturday’s exhibitions. Over two days, more than 100 artists will set up their easels in & around the area to capture the landscapes, water, & village life of Leelanau County. Watch the work unfold & then view & purchase freshly painted pieces from three painting events. glenarborart.org

BASKETBALL COP: 11am-2pm, Curling Club Parking Lot, TC. The second annual Basketball Cop initiative, a statewide program that connects officers with young people where they live & play. Using basketball, music & food, these free, family-friendly events are one way the MSP is working with local partners to break down barriers & foster lasting relationships. Participating in the event will be MSP, Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office & TCPD. All kids will receive a free basketball. Free.

SAY NO TO ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE: 11am12:30pm, corner of Grandview Parkway &

Union St., TC. Join in showing solidarity with the people of Palestine who are being killed by Israel while our communities pay for the weapons. Demand that the U.S. Government serves America, not Israel. Meet every Sat. mideastjustpeace.net

WALLOON WOODIES & CLASSIC CAR SHOW: The Walloon Woodies is a group of Walloon wooden boat owners who get together the first Sat. in Aug. to parade their boats down to the Village of Walloon. Boats will be on the docks in front of Barrel Back from 11am12:30pm. Classic Cars will be parked in the circle park & in the grassy area across from Hotel Walloon from 11am-4pm. walloonwoodies.com

9TH ANNUAL KENNY OLSON ROCK-NHOLE CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT & CONCERT: 1pm, Elmbrook Golf Course, TC. Former Kid Rock Guitarist Kenny Olson Coming Home For Charity Golf & Music Event. Olson is a 1986 TC High School graduate. He will bring his fiery blues-rock style to the stage for this event. Proceeds benefit the Hallie’s Hearts Endowment at the GT Regional

Community Foundation, supporting women in northern Michigan impacted by ovarian cancer. The charity event also honors Olson’s late cousin, Hallie Wastell, who died from the disease at age 44 in 2016. Kenny will be joined onstage by keyboardist/singer Jimmy Olson & special guest musicians. Bring a chair to the concert. Register: 231-392-0379. $30 concert only; golf scramble is $550/foursome, or $150/ golfer; prices increase after 7/19.

MICHAEL G. LEE BOOK SIGNING & READING: 1-3pm, Horizon Books, TC. Meet Michael G. Lee, author of “When the Band Played On: The Life of Randy Shilts, America’s Trailblazing Gay Journalist.” Michael is a writer, researcher, & educator with more than twenty years’ experience in human services & HIV/AIDS. upnorthpride.com/event/2025/8/2/michael-g-lee-booksigning-reading-at-horizon-books

“PETER AND THE STARCATCHER”: 2pm & 7pm, Cadillac High School, Community Auditorium. Presented by Cadillac Footliters’ Upper Youth. This play upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan). $10-$15. cadillacfootliters.com/tickets

BENEFIT CONCERT FOR LGBTQ+ SUICIDE PREVENTION: 2-6pm, The Folded Leaf, Cedar. In response to the LGBTQ+ Suicide Prevention Hotline being defunded, Up North Pride is hosting this benefit concert & silent auction to support The Trevor Project. Enjoy an afternoon of music, conversation & conscious community involvement to support LGBTQ+ youth. Live music by Sierra Cassidy, The Lofteez, & Amber Hasan. upnorthpride.com/event/2025/8/2/folded-leafbenefit-concert-for-lgbtq-suicide-prevention

NAYC DRESSAGE AND THE DEXTER CSI3* GRAND PRIX: Flintfields Horse Park, Williamsburg. Elite youth show jumping & dressage competition, food, boutique shopping, & open-air fun. Gates open early, & the main competition begins at 3pm. All GA proceeds benefit City Opera House. traversecityhorseshows.com/visit $15 GA. app.gopassage.com/venues/8654

TC DANCE PROJECT KALKASKA SUMMER TOUR PERFORMANCE: 4pm, Railroad Square Pavilion, Kalkaska. The program features a lineup of professional dancers from around the country & showcases new dance works by Resident Choreographer Jennifer McQuiston Lott & recent Juilliard graduate Julia Ciesielska, in collaboration with live cellist Kyle Stachnik. The second half of the program will spotlight choreography by Artistic Director Brent Whitney, set to the music of Queen. Guests can enjoy pre-show tunes by DJ Eric P. There will also be a free kids’ dance class for all levels & abilities at 3pm by the pavilion, taught by one of the dancers. Following the performance, attendees are invited to participate in a Q&A session with dancers, musicians, choreographers, & crew, offering insight into the creative process & behind-the-scenes experiences. Free. tcdanceproject.org/events/ kalkaskaperformancetcdpsummertour-2025

“THE FISH THIEF” DOCUMENTARY & DISCUSSION: 5-7:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Theater, Petoskey. The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery, formerly known as Relentless, is a mystery that engages the audience in a battle for the survival of the largest freshwater ecosystem on Earth, the Great Lakes. petoskey.librarycalendar.com/event/ fish-thief-documentary-and-discussion-3997

CHERRY RUMBLE SCRIMMAGE: 5-9pm, GT County Civic Center, TC. Skaters from all over the state come together to play in a day

of roller derby mixed scrimmages. Hosted by TC Roller Derby. $5 - available day of. tcrollerderby.com/events-2-1/cherry-rumble696kz

“BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL”: 7pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Performed by Interlochen Arts Camp’s High School Musical Theatre Production students. Featuring the songs of legendary singer-songwriter Carole King, such as “One Fine Day,” “Natural Woman,” & “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” The Tony & Grammy Award-winning musical follows King from her Brooklyn adolescence to her emergence as one of the nation’s most sought-after hitmakers— while offering a glimpse into her tumultuous personal life. $21-$36. interlochen.org/events/ beautiful-carole-king-musical-2025-07-31

CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: 7pm, Northport Performing Arts Center, Auditorium, Northport School. This musical is based on the Roald Dahl book. Call 231-386-2009 or go online for tickets. $30 adults, $5 students; Northport students free with adult companion. northportperformingarts.org/tickets

CHRIS JANSON WSG BILLY GUNTHER & THE MIDWEST RIDERS: 7-10:30pm, Little River Casino Resort, outdoor venue, Manistee. Multi-platinum songwriter & artist Chris Janson is a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry with hits that include “Buy Me A Boat,” “Good Vibes” & more. Flint, Michigan’s The Midwest Riders are “inspired by the roots of southern rock & country music, torn by the feel of funk & soul.” $55-$75. lrcr.com/event/chris-janson-specialguest-billy-gunther-midwest-riders

SATURDAYS IN THE PARK: EAST BAY DRIVE: 7pm, GT County Civic Center Amphitheater, TC.

THE KODAK QUARTET: 7pm, The Music House Museum, Williamsburg. Enjoy a concert of classical & contemporary classical music. Kodak Quartet is currently the Cuker and Stern Resident String Quartet at the Mannes School of Music, studying with the JACK Quartet. $25 online; $30 door. mynorthtickets.com/events/the-music-house-museumwelcomes-back-the-kodak-quartet-concertsaturday-august-2-2025-at-700pm-8-2-2025

CHAMBERFEST: ARIEL STRING QUAR-

TET: 7:30pm, The Cheboygan Opera House. Includes Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14, known as “Death and the Maiden.” The Ariel Quartet has earned numerous awards, including the Cleveland Quartet Award, First Prize at the Franz Schubert and Modern Music Competition in Graz, Austria, & the Grand Prize at the 2006 Fischoff Competition. $30; $5 discount for Veterans; free for students. theoperahouse.org

LANG LANG PERFORMS “RHAPSODY IN BLUE”: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Kresge Auditorium. Globally acclaimed pianist Lang Lang performs side-by-side with young artists of Interlochen Arts Camp in the inaugural performance of the Shirley Young Distinguished Artist Series. Tickets start at $51. interlochen.org/events/lang-lang-performs-rhapsody-in-blue-2025-08-02

Sunday

BLUEBERRY PANCAKE BREAKFAST: 8am, Rainbow of Hope Farm, Kingsley. Donation. rainbowofhopefarm.weebly.com

ONEKAMA DAYS: (See Sat., Aug. 2)

2025 HARBOR SPRINGS COASTAL

CRAWL: 8:30am, Little Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan, Harbor Springs. Choose from aug 03

WEDNESDAYS: D.A.T.E. NIGHT

Free Dessert or Appetizer w/purchase of Two Entrees (Begins 11/29)

1/2 mile, 1 mile, 2 mile, or 3 mile open water swim. $30-$50. webscorer.com/ register?raceid=378848

22ND ANNUAL PETOSKEY ANTIQUES SHOW: (See Sat., Aug. 2)

50TH ANNUAL BOYNE FALLS POLISH FESTIVAL: July 31 - Aug. 3. Today includes Mass under the Polka Tent, 4-Wheel Drive Mud Run, live music by Virgil Baker, Rod Loper, Waylon Hanel, & more. boynefallspolishfestival.com

ELK RAPIDS HARBOR DAYS: Clean Up Day – 9-11am. Meet at the First Presbyterian Church – Lighthouse for breakfast. elkrapidsharbordays.org/events-schedule

SBBDL BOOK SALE: (See Sat., Aug. 2, except today’s time is 9am-4pm.)

45TH ANNUAL SUTTONS BAY ART FESTIVAL: (See Sat., Aug. 2, except today’s time is 10am-4pm.)

62ND ANNUAL PORTSIDE ART FAIR: (See Sat., Aug. 2)

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN FAIR: 3606

Blair Town Hall Rd., TC. Aug. 3-9. Carnival rides, games, food, live animals, & much more. Today’s Grand Stand event is TNT Bump & Run at 7pm. northwesternmichiganfair.net

SPECIALS!

THURSDAYS: PASTA NIGHT!

2 pasta dinners & a bottle of wine for $62 *Now open at 5:00pm! Tues - Sat

WEDNESDAYS: D.A.T.E. NIGHT Free Dessert or Appetizer w/purchase of Two Entrees (Begins 11/29) THURSDAYS: PASTA NIGHT!

BOOKS TO MOVIES: 1pm, Traverse Area District Library, Thirlby Room, TC. Join & watch a movie based on a book or real life. Once in a while there may be one shown just for the fun of it that is not based on anything but pure enjoyment. Free. tadl.org/event/ books-movies-17880

“BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL”: (See Sat., Aug. 2, except today’s time is 2pm.)

CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: (See Sat., Aug. 2, except today’s time is 2pm.)

NAYC JUMPING FINALE: Flintfields Horse Park, Williamsburg. Enjoy elite youth show jumping, food, boutique shopping, & open-air fun. Gates open early, & the main competition begins at 2pm. All GA proceeds benefit City Opera House. traversecityhorseshows.com/visit $15 GA. app.gopassage.com/venues/8654

SUNDAY MUSIC IN THE PARK: 4-6pm, Marina Park, downtown Harbor Springs. Featuring Double Play. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

FREE BAYSIDE CONCERT SERIES: MICHELLE CHENARD: 5-7pm, Petoskey’s Waterfront, on the Promenade near waterfront clock tower.

pasta dinners & a bottle of wine for $62

STRAIGHT NO CHASER: 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. This male a cappella group has emerged with 2 RIAA Gold Certified albums, over 1.5 million concert tickets sold, over 1 billion streams on Pandora, & over 2 million albums sold worldwide. Starting at $47 before fees. greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/straight-no-chaser

in a Q&A session with dancers, musicians, choreographers, & crew, providing insight into the creative process & behind-thescenes experiences. Bring your own chair/ blanket. Free. tcdanceproject.org/events/ traversecityperformance-e5ltt

VESPER CONCERT: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER: 8pm, Bay View, John M. Hall Auditorium, Petoskey. Simon & Garfunkel’s hit song kicks off a night of musical themes touching on our relationships to the natural world & our ability to overcome adversity. $20.50-$24.50; under 18, free. bayviewassociation.org/events/vesper-concertbridge-over-troubled-water

aug 04

monday

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN FAIR: 3606 Blair Town Hall Rd., TC. Aug. 3-9. Carnival rides, games, food, live animals, & much more. Today’s Grand Stand event is Tractor & Truck Pulls at 7pm. northwesternmichiganfair.net

FOX’S FIESTA: 10:30am, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Movement and Me class for little ones. 231-223-7700.

STRING-A-PALOOZA!: 6pm, GT County Civic Center Amphitheater, TC. This community concert is presented by the TC Philharmonic Community Music School. Bring a chair or blanket to enjoy the range of string programs from members of the TC Suzuki School to the Cello Club, plus the multigenerational Civic Summer Pops orchestra performing music from the 1970s. Free. tcphil.org/events/string-a-palooza

july 21 aug 05

open at 5:00pm! Tues - Sat

TC DANCE PROJECT SUMMER TOUR PERFORMANCE: TRAVERSE CITY: 7:30pm, The Open Space, TC. The program features a lineup of professional dancers from around the country & showcases new dance works by Resident Choreographer Jennifer McQuiston Lott & recent Juilliard graduate Julia Ciesielska, in collaboration with live cellist Kyle Stachnik. The second half of the program will spotlight choreography by Artistic Director Brent Whitney, set to the music of Queen. Following the performance, attendees are invited to participate

JAMMIN MONDAYS ON BETSIE BAY: 7-9:15pm, Waterfront Park Amphitheater, Elberta. Featuring East Bay Drive. Enjoy smooth, cool, contemporary jazz infused with funk & deep soul.

ONEKAMA DAYS: (See Sat., Aug. 2)

TC PIT SPITTERS VS. ROCKFORD RIVETS: 7:05pm, Turtle Creek Stadium, TC. northwoodsleague.com/traverse-city-pitspitters/schedule

BUBBLING UP: LEELANAU CLEAN WATER STORYTELLING SHOW REMIX: 7:30pm, Lively NeighborFood Market event space, 3805 W Empire Hwy, Empire. Live onstage storytelling show, true stories about water. Storytellers: Annalise Povolo, Anne-Marie Oomen, Jeff Smith, & more. With emcee Cara McDonald & remarks by Watershed Biologist Rob Karner. Please bring your own chairs or blankets. Free; $10 suggested donation. leelanaucleanwater.org

MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE: 7:30-10pm, Voorhies Hall, Bay View Association, Petoskey. Featuring “Biggest Little Farm.” Free. bayviewassociation.org/monday-night-movies

THE WAR AND TREATY: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. This husband-and-wife duo made up of Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter were nominated for the Best New Artist & Best American Roots Song at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, have won two Americana Music Awards, plus much more. Tickets start at $38. interlochen.org/events/warand-treaty-2025-08-04

tuesday

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN FAIR: 10am, 3606 Blair Town Hall Rd., TC. Aug. 3-9. Carnival rides, games, food, live animals, & much

more. Today’s Grand Stand event is SJO Motocross at 7pm. northwesternmichiganfair.net

OUTDOOR STORY TIME: 10:30am, Suttons Bay Bingham District Library, outside, overlooking the beach. Please bring a blanket for your family to sit on. Geared toward pre-k to second graders & their caregivers, but fun for all who attend. Free. sbbdl.org

LELAND LIBRARY SUMMINARS: 4pm, Leland Township Public Library, Munnecke Room. Emily Modrall presents on the Kchi Wiikwedong Anishinaabe History Project. Free. lelandlibrary.org -

ROBERT VAN DELLEN: HEMINGWAY’S “OLD MAN & THE SEA”: 7pm, Glen Lake Community Library, Empire. Dr. Van Dellen will explore how Ernest Hemingway’s tempestuous personal life, especially his experiences in Key West & Cuba, helped shaped “The Old Man and the Sea,” considered to be one of his greatest novels. glenlakelibrary.net/events

TC PIT SPITTERS VS. ROCKFORD RIVETS: 7:05pm, Turtle Creek Stadium, TC. northwoodsleague.com/traverse-city-pit-spitters/schedule

EARTH, WIND & FIRE: SOLD OUT: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Kresge Auditorium. This group has scored eight number one hits, sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, won nine GRAMMY® Awards, plus much more. They are known for “Let’s Groove,” “September,” & “Reasons,” among many others. interlochen.org/events/earth-windfire-2025-08-05

STRAITS AREA CONCERT BAND: 8pm, Conkling Heritage Park, Mackinaw City.

wednesday

FREE SUMMER RECESS: 5-7pm, GT County Civic Center, outdoors, TC. Join The Ticker for this after-work happy hour where County Director of Parks and Facilities John Chase offers a walking tour of the Civic Center; try a balance bike race with Norte; compete in a YMCA hula hoop contest, play cornhole with TART Trails, or show off your best ladder ball, sidewalk chalk, giant tic-tac-toe, or slackline skills with GT Parks & Rec. Jimmy John’s subs, GT Pie Co. pie, veggie & fruit trays, & snacks. BYOB; allowed in the park. Attendees are entered into a drawing to win prizes including a $100 downtown TC gift card; a three-month family YMCA membership; a campsite overnight stay on Power Island; kayak rentals from River Outfitters including 2 single kayaks for 4 hrs. & 1 double kayak for 4 hrs.; TC Philharmonic tickets; TC Roller Derby tickets; & TART Trails swag. Find ‘FREE Summer Recess at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center’ on Facebook.

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN FAIR: 3606

Blair Town Hall Rd., TC. Aug. 3-9. Carnival rides, games, food, live animals, & much more. Today’s Grand Stand event is Lawn Mower & Mini Wedge Races at 7pm. northwesternmichiganfair.net

EMBRACE THE OUTDOORS: 10:30amnoon, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Young people ages 10-14 are invited to join the Woodsy Dude to learn outdoor survival skills. RSVP. 231-223-7700.

CHARLOTTE ROSS LEE CONCERTS

IN THE PARK: Noon, Pennsylvania Park, Gazebo stage, Petoskey. Featuring Mike

Ward. Bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket. crookedtree.org/article/concerts-park NAMI CONNECTION & NAMI FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP: Noon, Christ Church, lower level, 430 Fair St., TC. NAMI Connection is a support group for people with mental health conditions. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges & successes of others, & the groups are led by trained leaders who’ve been there. NAMI Family Support Group is a support group for family members, significant others & friends of people with mental health conditions. Gain insight from the challenges & successes of others facing similar experiences. Both groups are held on Wednesdays at the same location & at the same time. Free. namigt.org/ support-and-education/support-groups

INTRO TO HOME FOOD PRESERVATION: LOW ACID PRESSURE CANNING WORKSHOP: 5-7pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Presented by the GT Conservation District with a live demonstration from MSUE Food Safety Educator Kara Lynch. Free; registration required. natureiscalling.org/events/ introduction-to-home-food-preservation-lowacid-pressure-canning-workshop

MEET & GREET WITH MARK TOTTEN: 5pm, Otsego County Library, Upper Meeting Room, Gaylord. The Otsego County Democrats will host this Meet & Greet with Michigan Attorney general candidate Mark Totten.

PICNIC CONCERTS AT THE POOR FARM BARN: 5-7:30pm, Leelanau County Poor Farm Barn, Maple City. Hosted by the Leelanau Historic Preservation Society. Bring your picnic & a lawn chair or blanket. Featuring classic rock & new wave by Go North! Free. lchp.org

BOYNE CITY PIRATE FEST: 6-10pm, Stiggs Brewery & Kitchen, Boyne City. Tonight is the Pre-Invastion Party. Wear your finest pirate garb! boynecitypiratefest.com/schedule

EVENINGS AT THE GAZEBO - SUMMER MUSIC SERIES: 6:30-8pm, Old City Park Gazebo, Boyne City. Featuring Dags Und Timmah.

ELLSWORTH CONCERTS ON THE SQUARE: 7-9pm, Ellsworth Community Square, Center St. Featuring the Foghorn Jazz Band. Bring a chair or blanket.

IN CLOSE HARMONY: 7:30pm, The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, Manistee. Featuring internationally acclaimed vocalist Andrea Ross & cello virtuoso Robbie Erhard. $25 GA. ramsdelltheatre.org

THE TEMPTATIONS AND THE FOUR TOPS: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Kresge Auditorium. Hailed by Billboard as the Greatest R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of All Time, The Temptations scored four number-one hits including “My Girl” & “Can’t Get Next To You.” The Four Tops rocketed to overnight fame in 1964 with their breakout hit “Baby I Need Your Loving.” Tickets start at $63. interlochen.org/ events/temptations-and-four-tops-2025-08-06

2025 HIROSHIMA CANDLEFLOAT ON THE BOARDMAN RIVER: Boardman River by the Farmers Market, parking lot B, SW corner of E. Grandview Pkwy. & Cass, TC. Sponsored by Mideast: JustPeace and Veterans for Peace. Gather to make candle floats (materials provided) at 8:30pm. At 9pm circle

AUGUST COMMUNITY DINNER: 6pm, The Center, Suttons Bay. Join for an “Appetizers & Desserts” themed community dinner. Attendees are encouraged to bring a dish-topass & a donation, but neither are required. thecentersb.com/communitypotlucks

up to share poems, songs & intentions for peace. At 9:30pm gently float candles down the river & process in silence. Bring a chair if you would like one. 231-883-7041.

thursday

STAY GOLDEN BOOK

CLUB: 9:30am, Traverse Area District Library, Thirlby Room, TC. New book club in collaboration with the GT County Senior Center Network. Talk about books & authors, read excerpts, & maybe even have an author visit. The next book to read is “The Orphan Daughter” by Cari Noga. Stop at the Reference Desk & grab a copy set aside specifically for this group. Free. tadl.org/ event/stay-golden-book-club-new-24277

COFFEE @ TEN, PETOSKEY: 10am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Gilbert Gallery, Petoskey. Participate in a moderated conversation with Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, a plant ecologist, educator, & writer who articulates a vision of environmental stewardship grounded in scientific & Indigenous knowledge. Please submit questions in advance. Free. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/coffeeten-conversation-dr-robin-wall-kimmerer-author-braiding-sweetgrass

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN FAIR: 3606

Blair Town Hall Rd., TC. Aug. 3-9. Carnival rides, games, food, live animals, & much more. Today’s Grand Stand event is Tough Trucks at 7pm. northwesternmichiganfair.net

LUNCHEON LECTURE: SERVANT LEADERSHIP: 11:30am-1pm, NCMC, Library Conference Center, Petoskey. Tanya Matthews, president emerita & chairman of the board of TMG Construction Corporation of Purcellville, Virginia, is a female leader in a man’s world. She went from laborer to company owner over five decades. She has overseen multi-million dollar agreements with agencies including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, & many others. $15. ncmclifelonglearning.com/event-6159434

ANNUAL USED BOOK SALE - FRIENDS OF PENINSULA COMMUNITY LIBRARY: 3-7pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Join for a week of book bargains & help support programs & services at PCL. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org/friends -

“CRIB CRUISE” & LIGHTKEEPER RALLY: Leland. The North Manitou Light Keepers (NMLK) will host these events to rally people around restoring & experiencing the Crib, an offshore lighthouse in the Manitou Passage. The Light Keeper Rally will be held from 5-7pm at the Old Art Building, where the NMLK team will discuss the current status of restoring the North Manitou Shoal Light (also known as the Crib). No cost; please RSVP. The Crib Cruise, an evening cruise on board the Mishe-Mokwa, leaves from Historic Fishtown at 7:30pm & ventures into the Manitou Passage, where it then will gently circle the lighthouse during an NMLK team-narrated tour. Cost, $50. northmanitoulightkeepers.org/cribcruise

POETRY READING: STEVE BROWN: 5:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Carnegie Galleries, TC. Brown brings his two engaging new poetry collections to life through readings & storytelling. The more than 80 poems contained in Trample & Sew and News of Need capture people & places in the process of loving & losing, being left out & worked over, but not without the hope of revelation or redemption. Free. crookedtree.org/event/ctactraverse-city/poetry-reading-steve-brown

BOYNE CITY PIRATE FEST: 6-10pm, Sunset Park, Entertainment Tent, Boyne City.

Tonight features the Princess & Queen Pageant. boynecitypiratefest.com/schedule

SOUND & SHORE: 6-9pm, Rove Winery, TC. Join Flow Water Advocates for this evening of music, meaning, & movement. Featuring May Erlewine, whose powerful musical voice will fill the air with songs that stir the soul, spark connection, & inspire love for the Great Lakes. Tickets available through MyNorth Ticketing. $55-$65; includes one glass of wine & a charcuterie display. flowwateradvocates.org/upcoming-events

HARBOR SPRINGS STREET MUSIQUE: 6:30-8:30pm, downtown Harbor Springs. “Women of Street Musique”: Elizabeth Landry Trio, i.am.james, Trillium Groove, Zie, Magic by Jania, & Tommy Tropic.

CONCERTS ON THE LAWN: 7pm, GT Pavilions, TC. Featuring Elvis Tribute Artist Jake Slater. Concessions will be available for from 5:30-7pm. Free. gtpavilions.org/newsevents/2025-concerts-on-the-lawn/band-lineup

DR. ROBIN WALL KIMMERER: 7pm, Bay View Association, John M. Hall Auditorium, Petoskey. Dr. Kimmerer’s keynote address as the renowned botanist calls us to see the land not as a resource to be used, but as a gift to be cherished. She is the author of “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom,” & “Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants,” which have earned her wide acclaim. $10 members; $15 non-members. bayviewassociation.org/events/robin-wall-kimmerer

MUSIC SPARKS MEANING PRESENTS

ROOTS ON THE RIVER: 7-9pm, Veterans Memorial Park, Manistee. Enjoy live music by On The Lash.

MUSIC IN THE STREET: 7-9pm, downtown Beulah. Enjoy blues rock with Bill Frary & Da’ Frequency. Bring a lawn chair.

MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN: 7pm, The Homestead Resort, top of Bay Mountain, Glen Arbor. Featuring live music by The Sun Dogs, a duo who mixes reggae, easy listening & bluegrass music, blending their originals with music by the likes of the Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson & Bob Marley. $15 adults; $5 ages 5-12; free for under 5. thehomesteadresort.com

SALLY ROGERS & CLAUDIA SCHMIDT IN CONCERT: 7pm, Grow Benzie Event Center, Benzonia. Claudia & Sally have a unique folk connection that has been years in the making. It’s a creative recipe of songs, stories & interaction with their audience. $25 advance; $30 door. claudiaschmidt.com

THE HEAD AND THE HEART: APERTURE TOUR: 7pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Kresge Auditorium. Wsg Wilderado & Katie Pruitt. Indie folk rock sextet The Head and The Heart celebrate their latest album with the Aperture Tour. They are best known for their show closer “Rivers and Roads.” Tickets start at $46. interlochen.org/events/headand-heart-aperture-tour-2025-08-07

SUMMER GET DOWN AT THE GARDEN: 7:30pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. Live performances by Andrew Dost, Tim Jones & The Up North All Stars, Lost Swimmer, Jenni Rae, & Chrissie Reitmeyer. Local talent includes Rebecca Anthony, Cory Bissell, Steve Campbell, Rachel Higgins, & many more. $25 GA. gardentheater.org/upcoming-events

friday

ANNUAL USED BOOK SALE - FRIENDS OF PENINSULA COMMUNITY LI-

BRARY: (See Thurs., Aug. 7, except today’s time is 10am-4pm.)

HARBOR SPRINGS SIDEWALK SALES:

Downtown Harbor Springs, Fairview Square & Harbor Plaza. Local stores offer big summer discounts.

HIKE THE RIDGE!: 10am, Five Mile Rd., TC. Join for a hike on The Ridge, a new GTRLC project that will help safeguard the water quality of GT Bay, save wildlife habitat, & open up recreational opportunities. Check web site for exact directions. Registration required. Free. gtrlc.my.salesforce-sites.com/ es/event/home/theridge080825

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN FAIR: 3606

Blair Town Hall Rd., TC. Aug. 3-9. Carnival rides, games, food, live animals, & much more. Today’s Grand Stand events are TNT Bump & Run and Demolition Derby at 7pm. northwesternmichiganfair.net

ODAWA QUILL WORK: DEMONSTRATIONS & ART SALES: 10am-3pm, Andrew J. Blackbird Museum, Harbor Springs. Meet & learn from multiple generations of accomplished Odawa artists: Yvonne Walker Keshick, Odeimin Gèsis Walker Keshick, & Jacob L. Keshick. harborspringshistory.org/events/calendar/programs/odawa-quill-work-demonstrations-andart-sales-at-the-blackbird-museum.html

PORT ONEIDA FAIR: 10am-4pm, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Step back in time & experience life as it was in the late 1800’s & early 1900’s. Help bale hay or watch a broom-maker at work. Learn about spinning, basket weaving, soap making, butter making, candle dipping, & fur trapping. Watch as teams of oxen & horses cut, load, & haul hay, & artists & craftsmen demonstrate their skills. Free with Park Pass. nps.gov/ thingstodo/port-oneida-fair.htm

41ST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL IRON WORKERS FESTIVAL: Mackinaw City High School. The Walk of Iron Ceremony will be held on North Huron Ave. at 3pm. Registration & booth set-up runs from noon-5pm. Live band/dancing at 6pm. iwfestival.com

CHARLOTTE ROSS LEE CONCERTS IN THE PARK: Noon, Pennsylvania Park, Gazebo stage, Petoskey. Featuring Story & James. Bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket. crookedtree.org/article/concerts-park

MEET & GREET WITH SARAH ARTHUR: 1-3pm, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey. Sarah will be celebrating her new book “Once a Castle,” the sequel to her bestselling “Once a Queen.” mcleanandeakin. com/upcoming-events

$200,000 PRESTIGIOUS TEAM COMPETITION SHOW JUMPING: Flintfields Horse Park, Williamsburg. Major League Show Jumping Team Competition CSI5*. An afternoon of fast-paced, Olympic-level, team show jumping, food, boutique shopping, & open-air fun. Gates open early, & the main competition begins at 2pm. All GA proceeds benefit Food Rescue/Goodwill Northern Michigan. traversecityhorseshows.com/visit $15 GA. app.gopassage.com/venues/8654

2ND ANNUAL CRUISE & BELLAIRE CAR SHOW: M-88/Broad St., Bellaire. Cruise line up at 5pm at St. Luke’s Church; depart at 6pm; live music by Joe Domanick at Fireside Lounge at 7pm. See info under Aug. 9 for Car Show.

ARTIST RECEPTION: A WALK THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE: 5-8pm, Tinker Studio, TC. From NoMi to the Cotswolds. Celebrate rural life & landscape through the lens of local OMP artist & Tinker Studio co-owner Mary

Kay Burbee’s soft pastel creations. Enjoy sips & nibbles as you shop this collection of original works inspired by some favorite local destinations & a recent trip to the Cotwold’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England. Free to attend. tinkerstudiotc.com/events

SUTTONS BAY SIDEWALK SALES: Downtown Suttons Bay, St. Josephs St. Downtown retailers offer end of season deals & odd bits at big discounts to clean the shelves for new fall merchandise.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE: 6-9pm, Front St., TC. Friday Night Live transforms Front St. into a festive block party with live music, street performances, interactive nonprofit booths, food & beverage vendors, & family-friendly activities. Featured acts include the All-American Dance Party, Little Dipper ‘90s country with line dancing, Free. downtowntc.com/friday-night-live

LAUREL PREMO LIVE IN CONCERT: 6pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Free. tadl.org/event/updated-laurel-premo-concert-draft-24646

BEATS & BBQ FEST WEEKEND: CLASSIC SEGER & PETTY THIEVES TRIBUTE BANDS: Little River Casino Resort, outdoor venue, Manistee. 6:30pm: Petty Thieves, Michigan’s premier tribute band, is dedicated to performing the timeless music of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. 8:30pm: Seger is a worldclass tribute act, performing renditions of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s greatest hits like “Night Moves” & “Turn the Page.” Free music. lrcr.com/event/classic-seger-petty-thievestribute-bands-along-award-winning-bbq

FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC IN THE PARK: 6:308:30pm, Marina Park, downtown Harbor Springs. Featuring Eric Jaqua. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

BOYNE CITY PIRATE FEST: Aug. 6-9. Today includes The Invasion at 7pm. Priates invade Treasure Town, USA by way of a Crazy Floatilla led by the 95’ schooner Madeline & the Little Traverse Bay Ferry. The Pirates will disembark behind Boyne City’s Sunset Park & start their search for the treasure. Enjoy live music by The Remedee under the tent from 6-11pm. There will be a costume contest at the Eagles Club at 6pm. boynecitypiratefest.com/schedule

DOWNTOWN GAYLORD SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: 7-9pm, Claude Shannon Park, Gaylord. Featuring Oh Brother Big Sister. Bring a chair.

EAST JORDAN MUSIC IN THE PARK: 7-9pm, Memorial Park Bandshell, East Jordan. Featuring The Crampton Brothers. Bring a chair or blanket.

SOUNDS OF SUMMER: 7-8:30pm, Pennsylvania Park, downtown Petoskey. Tonight features Chloe Kimes. Bring your blankets & chairs. Free. petoskeydowntown.com/ events/sounds-of-summer

TC PIT SPITTERS VS. ROYAL OAK LEPRECHAUNS: 7:05pm, Turtle Creek Stadium, TC. northwoodsleague.com/traverse-city-pitspitters/schedule

“THE MUSIC MAN”: 7:30pm, Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, Manistee. Presented by the Manistee Civic Players. A musical with book, music, & lyrics by Meredith Willson. $20-$35. ramsdelltheatre.org

MUSIC IN MACKINAW: 8pm, Conkling Heritage Park, Mackinaw City. Enjoy honky-tonk, blues & rockabilly with Delilah DeWylde.

SAIL ON: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEACH BOYS: 8pm, Leelanau Sands Casino

Showroom, Peshawbestown. Relive the Soundtrack of Summer! This high-energy concert brings iconic harmonies of America’s band. Hear “Surfin’ USA,” “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations,” & many more. Sail On delivers spot-on vocals, vintage instruments, & the nostalgic charm that defined the golden age of surf rock. $25. leelanausandscasino. com/beach_boys_tribute

MOVIES IN THE PARK AT DARK: 9:30pm, Pennsylvania Park, Petoskey. Featuring “Moana 2.” Bring a blanket to sit on. Free. petoskeydowntown.com/events/movie-inthe-park-at-dark-2

saturday

CRYSTAL LAKE TEAM MARATHON: 7am, 284 S. Benzie Blvd., Beulah. The course takes you around Crystal Lake & ends back in Beulah. First four team members run 5 miles each. Fifth team member runs 6.2 miles. See web site for various start times & to register. runsignup.com/CrystalLakeTeamMarathon

SWIM FOR GRAND TRAVERSE BAY: 7am, Sutton Park, Suttons Bay. Celebrate clean, healthy water in Grand Traverse Bay with a unique open water two-mile swim event to benefit The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, a non-profit that works to protect the bay & its 1,000-square-mile watershed. $45 per person; $20 per support paddler. swimforgtbay.org

2ND ANNUAL CRUISE & BELLAIRE CAR SHOW: M-88/Broad St., Bellaire. Today features the Car Show; see Aug. 8 for Cruise info. Registration from 8-10am; Car Show at 10am; awards with trophies, 2:30pm.

FIGHTING THE FIGHT WITHIN 5K: 8am, Community Park, Cadillac. Featuring a cross-country timed trail run & a 2-mile tribute walk which takes place on a course designed & built by Veterans Serving Veterans, Inc. This event raises awareness about veteran suicide & the struggles our service men & women face. Funds raised will help support the outreach center (Belay My Last Barracks), transitional housing project, the Staff Sergeant Drew Kostic Veterans’ Scholarship at NMC, & allow to continue to offer free programs, resources, & support to local area veterans. $22-$35 + sign up fees. 222none.org/ffw-blog/2025/6/11/ registration-info-amp-reminders

MARK MELLON TRIATHLON & 5K: 8am, Otsego Lake County Park, Gaylord. Featuring a sprint triathlon - individual or relay, 5K run, kids swim run, & kayak triathlon - individual or relay. See web site for various start times & to register. $0-$100. runsignup.com/Race/ Events/MI/Gaylord/MarkMellonTriathlon5K

OPEN AIR SERIES: ANNIVERSARY FLOW + COMMUNITY GATHERING: 9am, Leland River Studio. This all-levels morning flow is a chance to move together one more time before summer winds down. After class, gather for light bites from Trish’s Dishes, coffee & tea, & a small celebration. You’ll also learn the final amount raised for the Leelanau Conservancy, made possible by donations throughout the summer. River Studio will match every dollar contributed. Sign up in advance. Minimum donation requested: $10. lelandriverstudio.com/events/openair05

2025 HDSA TC TEAM HOPE WALK: 10am, The Elks Lodge, TC. The Midwest Region of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America will host this event that benefits HDSA’s mission to improve the lives of people affected by Huntington’s disease & their families. Register. midwest.hdsa.org/events/2025team-hope-walk-traverse-city-mi

41ST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL IRON WORKERS FESTIVAL: Mackinaw City High School. Parade, 10am; kid’s events, 11am; skilled events, noon; live band & dancing, 6pm. iwfestival.com/#events

ANNUAL USED BOOK SALE - FRIENDS OF PENINSULA COMMUNITY LIBRARY:

(See Thurs., Aug. 7, except today’s time is 10am-5pm.)

ART IN THE BARN: 10am-5pm, 6411 N. Overlook Rd., Northport. Artist Douglas Racich will be in his studio in the historic Leelanau Barn. Featured works will include egg tempera & watercolor paintings by Racich. Free. leelanauprints.com

BOYNE CITY PIRATE FEST: Aug. 6-9. Today includes the Pirate Fest Parade at 10am; begins in SOBO, travels down Lake St., & ends at Veterans Park. Cap’n Kids Fair runs from 11am-3pm in Old City Park. Pirate River Raft Adventure, noon-6pm. Non-stop street shows beginning at noon: sword swallowing, acrobats, escape artists, & more. The Battle of the Boyne River at 3pm. Plus more! boynecitypiratefest.com/schedule

HARBOR SPRINGS SIDEWALK SALES:

Downtown Harbor Springs, Fairview Square & Harbor Plaza. Local stores offer big summer discounts.

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN FAIR: 3606 Blair Town Hall Rd., TC. Aug. 3-9. Carnival rides, games, food, live animals, & much more. Today’s Grand Stand event is Twisted P Rodeo at 7pm. northwesternmichiganfair.net

OUTDOOR CRAFT & VENDOR SHOW: 10am-3pm, The Village at GT Commons, Historic Front Lawn, TC. Browse Michigan vendors offering art, jewelry, crafts, food & more. Free. thevillagetc.com

PORT ONEIDA FAIR: (See Fri., Aug. 8)

IKEBANA POP-UP EXHIBIT: 11am-4pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. TC’s Ikebana International chapter will present original floral arrangements in the sculpture court & galleries for visitors to enjoy. Please pay admission upon arrival. $0-$10. dennosmuseum.org/events/community-programs.html

SAY NO TO ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE: (See Sat., Aug. 2)

PLEIN AIR ARTIST DEMO: CHERYL PERKINS: Noon-3pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Carnegie Galleries, TC. Free. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-traverse-city/plein-air-artistdemo-cheryl-perkins

TOP O’ MICHIGAN OUTBOARD RACING CLUB OUTBOARD MARATHON NATIONALS: Noon, DeVoe Beach, Indian River. Racing the Inland Waterway. Today’s race is about 42 miles. It runs through Indian River, then along the west side of Mullet Lake & entering Cheboygan River & running its full length to a turn-around buoy in Cheboygan. The course then follows the same route back to a finish line at Devoe Beach in Indian River. tomorc.org/outboard-marathon-nationals

STEPHANIE CARPENTER BOOK SIGNING: 1-3pm, Horizon Books, TC. Stephanie will sign her book “Moral Treatment.” horizonbooks.com/event/stephanie-carpenterbook-signing

WAGANAKISING ODAWA 32ND ANNUAL HOMECOMING POW WOW: LTBB Pow Wow Grounds, 7500 Odawa Circle, Harbor Springs. Contests include Junior Miss & Miss

Odawa, Dance, Drum & Hand Drum. For more info visit web site. Grand entry times are 1pm & 7pm today. odawahomecoming.weebly.com

FROZEN KIDS: 2pm & 5pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Join Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Sven, & all your favorite characters as they embark on an ice-filled journey of self-discovery, camaraderie, & the real meaning of true love. Performed by students from the 1-Week Intensive Musical Theatre Camp. Adults, $22; youth under 18, $15. oldtownplayhouse.com/ youth-learning/performances/frozen-kids.html

WATER PROTECTORS PANEL: A SURVEY OF CONCERNS RELATED TO LINE 5: 2-3:15pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Theater, Petoskey. Expert panelists include Mae Wright, tribal historic preservation officer, LTBB; Brian O’Mara, geologic engineer & tunnel specialist; Sean McBrearty, Michigan legislative & policy director at Clean Water Action; & Matthew Borke, water protector. Free. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-petoskey/water-protectors-panel-survey-concerns-related-line-5

ALL CALL MUSIC FESTIVAL: 4-10:30pm, The Little Fleet, TC. Featuring Dos Santos, Kairos Creature Club, Jordan Hamilton Trio, Mama Sol & Sandra Ann. $25 + fees; $35 door. mynorthtickets.com/events/all-call-music-festival-8-9-2025

OLYMPIC LEVEL SHOW JUMPING COMPETITION: Flintfields Horse Park, Williamsburg. B&D Builder CSI5* Grand Prix. An afternoon of fast-paced show jumping, food, boutique shopping, & open-air fun. Gates open early, & the main competition begins at 5pm. All GA proceeds benefit Food Rescue/ Goodwill Northern Michigan. traversecityhorseshows.com/visit $15 GA. app.gopassage.com/venues/8654

SUTTONS BAY SIDEWALK SALES: (See Fri., Aug. 8)

BEATS & BBQ FEST WEEKEND: JUMP & MOVING IN STEREO BANDS: Little River Casino Resort, outdoor venue, Manistee. 6:30pm, Moving in Stereo: Enjoy this ultimate tribute to The Cars. Shake it up with the iconic sounds of the ‘80s. 8:30pm, Jump: America’s Van Halen Experience. Free music. lrcr.com/event/jump-and-moving-stereotribute-bands-along-award-winning-bbq

A TO Z MUSIC: 7pm, Oliver Art Center, Beck Gallery, Frankfort. Multifaceted instrumentalists & vocalists Zinnia Dungjen & Audrey Mason attend Interlochen Arts Academy. They perform all around northern Michigan & have opened for bands like The Accidentals, The Mountain Grass Unit & Five For Fighting. $25 GA. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org/music-series

NWS PRESENTS: ROBIN WALL KIMMERER: ON GRATITUDE AND GIVING BACK: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. Mother, scientist, decorated professor, & enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Robin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “The Serviceberry” & “Braiding Sweetgrass.” Hear her message of a “gift economy,” a shift from capitalism & scarcity toward abundance, much like the humble serviceberry that generously distributes its fruit to the ecosystem around it. $10-$45. cityoperahouse.org/node/664

SATURDAYS IN THE PARK: THE DAVE KELLER BAND: 7pm, GT County Civic Center Amphitheater, TC.

THE LIBRARY IS OPEN: ALL AGES DRAG SHOW: 7-9pm, The Friendship Community Center, Suttons Bay. Held on National Book Lovers Day, this show slays with style & smarts! Featuring Hell On Heels & Northern Michigan Dragwives. $20 advance; $25 door.

upnorthpride.com/event/2025/8/9/the-libraryis-open-all-ages-drag-show

TC PIT SPITTERS VS. ROYAL OAK LEPRECHAUNS: 7:05pm, Turtle Creek Stadium, TC. northwoodsleague.com/traverse-city-pitspitters/schedule

“THE MUSIC MAN”: (See Fri., Aug. 8)

ELSIE BINX: 7:30pm, The Cheboygan Opera House. Northern Michigan’s first Goth Ball for a cause. Elsie Binx is a powerhouse band blending rock & pop, with roots in Detroit’s local scene. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Michigan Chapter of the “American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.” Please also bring a canned or dry good for the local food pantries. $25. theoperahouse.org

THE LANDSHARKS BAND: 7:30pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Renowned as one of the world’s most popular beach bands, The Landsharks Band has shared the stage with iconic artists such as Jimmy Buffett, The Beach Boys, & Bob Marley’s Wailers. Starts at $47 before fees. greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/landsharks-band

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET W/ THE JAYHAWKS & SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Kresge Auditorium. Take your pick of alternative rock hits of the late 1980s to early 2000s including “Walk on the Ocean,” “Blue,” & “Kiss Me.” Tickets start at $38. interlochen. org/events/toad-wet-sprocket-jayhawks-sixpence-none-richer-2025-08-09

MUSIC IN MACKINAW: 8pm, Conkling Heritage Park, Mackinaw City. Enjoy classic country with Rachel Brooke.

sunday

41ST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL IRON WORKERS FESTIVAL: Mackinaw City High School. Old Timer’s events, 10am; World Champion Column Climb, 11am; Awards Ceremony, 2pm. iwfestival. com/#events

ANNUAL USED BOOK SALE - FRIENDS OF PENINSULA COMMUNITY LIBRARY: (See Thurs., Aug. 7, except today’s time is 10am-3pm.)

ART IN THE BARN: (See Sat., Aug. 9)

SHADY LANE WINE RUN 5K: 10am, Shady Lane Cellars, Suttons Bay. Enjoy amazing scenery of the vineyard property. $40; $25 ages 1-20; increases after 7/30. runsignup. com/Race/MI/SuttonsBay/ShadyLaneWineR un5k?raceRefCode=JgvmIXxE

IKEBANA POP-UP EXHIBIT: (See Sat., Aug. 9)

TOP O’ MICHIGAN OUTBOARD RACING CLUB OUTBOARD MARATHON NATIONALS: Noon, DeVoe Beach, Indian River. Approx. 42 miles, modified Lemans start from pits across Burt Lake & then north to entrance of Crooked River. Course runs through Crooked River & into & around Crooked Lake making 3 check points & then back into Crooked River. Course then continues south along the west side of Burt Lake, then across the lake into the Indian River. The race travels the full length of Indian River to a check point at Mullett Lake & then back through Indian River to the finish line at Devoe Beach. tomorc.org/outboard-marathon-nationals

WAGANAKISING ODAWA 32ND ANNUAL HOMECOMING POW WOW: (See Sat., Aug. aug 10

9, except today’s grand entry time is noon.)

“THE MUSIC MAN”: (See Fri., Aug. 8, except today’s time is 2pm.)

BEN TRAVERSE: 2pm, New Alden Village Center, downtown Alden. This Grand Rapids-based folk musician & member of the Earthwork Music Collective will be performing traditional folk music, which could include old time & Appalachian music. Bring a chair. 231-331-4318. Free.

SUNDAY MUSIC IN THE PARK: 4-6pm, Marina Park, downtown Harbor Springs. Featuring the Rivertown Jazz Band.

BAYSIDE CONCERT SERIES: 5-7pm, Petoskey’s Waterfront, on the Promenade near waterfront clock tower. Featuring Kevin Johnson. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

VESPER CONCERT: 8pm, Bay View, John M. Hall Auditorium, Petoskey. “Grand Finale.” Bid farewell to the 2025 Jubilee season in this annual closing night concert. $20.50$24.50. bayviewassociation.org/events/vesper-concert-grand-finale-2025

art

COLORPLAY - ACRYLIC GOUACHE PAINTINGS BY PAM SPICER: Lake Street Studios Center Gallery, Glen Arbor. Art opening on Fri., Aug. 8 from 6-8pm, & one week show from August 8-14. Meet the artist & see the show. Pam’s art captures the lush landscape & colorful still lives of the area. lakestreetstudiosglenarbor.com

CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC:

- PAINT GRAND TRAVERSE 2025 - EXTENDED EXHIBIT: Held in Carnegie Rotunda through Aug. 22. Features a selection of available artwork created during Paint Grand Traverse 2025, a week-long event where artists painted on location throughout the greater Grand Traverse area. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-traverse-city/paint-grand-traverse-2025-extended-exhibit - TURNING - TC: Held in Cornwell Gallery. An exhibit of wooden artworks by members of the Northwestern Michigan Woodturners Club whose motto is “Dedicated to the Art of Turning Wood on the Lathe.” Runs through Aug. 22. See web site for hours. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-traverse-city/turning-tc

- WOODEN & EARTHEN: A CELEBRATION OF ART ROOTED IN NATURE: An exhibit featuring Nik Burkhart & Nick Preneta & multi-juried artists celebrating artworks created from natural wood & earth-based materials. Runs through Aug. 22. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-city/wooden-earthen-celebration-art-rooted-nature-tc

DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC:

- JOAN FITZSIMMONS: INTO WHAT WORLD?: Runs through Aug. This is a solo exhibition by Joan Fitzsimmons & a personal investigation into landscape as a place of dreams & imagination. It consists of selections from three of her photographic series called “The Woods,” “Blue Moon,” & “Plant Life.” Hours are Tuesdays through Sundays, 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org

- MATT SHLIAN: EVERY LINE IS A CIRCLE IF YOU MAKE IT LONG ENOUGH: Runs through Aug. See a world where art, science & engineering converge. Renowned for his intricate paper sculptures, Shlian transforms flat sheets into dynamic, dimensional forms, exploring the beauty of structure, pattern, & movement. Hours are Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org

- RECLAIMED: THE ART OF ECOLOGY: Runs through Aug. San Francisco’s waste management service Recology believes that

art plays a unique role in educating & inspiring the public. Each year they award residencies to artists, which include a stipend, coveted studio space, & scavenging privileges at their Transfer Station & Recycling Center. These 33 artists have created this exhibit. Hours are Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org

- CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE CERAMICS FROM THE HORVITZ COLLECTION: Runs through Sept. 28, 2025. An array of works by contemporary Japanese ceramic artists, this is a sampler of the great diversity of styles, forms, glazes, & ages. These artworks are drawn from the curated collection of Carol & Jeffrey Horvitz, some of the leading collectors of Japanese contemporary outside of Japan. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions/index.html

- A STYLE ALL OUR OWN: CANADIAN WOODLAND ARTISTS: Runs through Sept. 28, 2025. In the early 1960s, young Indigenous artists from the Great Lakes region created a unique style of painting known as the Woodland School of Art. Early members of this prolific art community included Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray, Roy Thomas, Sam Ash, Jackson Beardy, & Daphne Odjig. Perhaps the best-known of the group is Norval Morrisseau, who is often referred to as the Father of the Woodland School. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum. org/art/now-on-view/canadian-woodlandartists.html

SECOND SUNDAY ART PROJECT: 1-3pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Take part in a vibrant artistic experience every second Sun. of the month. From printmaking to painting & weaving, each session offers a unique & creative activity. Included with museum admission. $0-$10. simpletix.com/e/ second-sunday-art-project-tickets-219823

GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER:

- RANDOM EXHIBITION: Runs through Aug. 28 in the Lobby Gallery. “Random: Collages From The Scrap Pile,” an exhibition of spontaneous compositions by Leelanau County artist Mark Mehaffey. Random is also a tutorial about remaining alert to creative possibilities. glenarborart.org/exhibits

- MEMBERS CREATE: Held in the Main Gallery, this exhibit runs through Aug. 7. Featuring work in a wide range of media: paint to fiber, clay to metal. Open Mon. through Fri., 9am-3pm, & Sat. & Sun., noon-4pm. Free. glenarborart.org/product/exhibit-2025-members-create

OLIVER ART CENTER, FRANKFORT:

- HORIZONS: ALTERNATIVE LANDSCAPES: A fresh look at the landscape genre, exploring it through the lens of several artists with a unique twist on the subject. This exhibit opens with a reception on Fri., Aug. 2 from 5-7pm & continues through Sept. 5. An artist talk will take place on Fri., Sept. 5 from 2-4pm. Hours are Mon. - Sat., 10am-4pm & Sun., noon-4pm. oliverart.org

- SAILING LIFE: THE ADVENTURE OF MICHIGAN’S WATERWAYS: This exhibition explores the joy of sailing Michigan’s rivers & lakes, & celebrates the adventurous heart of the harbor community. Artwork in all media highlighting all kinds of water travel from tug boats to kayaks, canoes to freighters, & everything in between. Runs through Aug. 22. Hours are Mon.-Sat., 10am-4pm; Sun., noon-4pm. oliverart.org

- “SMALL WORKS: COMMUNITY COLLAGE” PROJECT, HONORING LEGACY OF JOE MUER: Runs through Aug. This engaging project underscores the Oliver Art Center’s commitment to fostering awareness & accessibility of the visual arts by inviting artists of all ages & abilities to contribute their creativity. oliverart.org

BRADY’S, TC

8/8 – Craig Jolly, 6-9

CHATEAU CHANTAL, TC

Thu -- Jazz at Sunset w/ Jeff Haas Trio & Laurie Sears, 7

ENCORE 201, TC

8/2 -- DJ Ricky T

8/8 – DJ Ricky T & Fade

8/9 – DJ Ricky T & DJ Fierce

IDENTITY BREWING CO., TC

PATIO:

8/4 – Vinyl Night w/ DJ E-Knuf, 5-8

8/5 – TC Celtic, 6-8

8/7 – Beyond Trivia, 7-9

8/8 – Bourbon & Brass Company, 6:30-8:30

KILKENNY'S IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE, TC 9:30:

8/2 – The Ampersands

8/8-9 – Somebody’s Sister & The Goodfellas

KINGSLEY LOCAL BREWING

8/5 – Open Mic Night w/ LaRose Duo, 6-8

8/7 – Trivia Night w/ Marcus Anderson, 6:30-8:30

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC

BARREL ROOM:

8/4 -- Open Mic w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9

TASTING ROOM:

8/8 -- PPM, 5-7

MIDDLECOAST BREWING CO., TC

8/2 – Zeke Clemons, 6-9

8/6 – Trivia Night, 7-9

8/7 -- Open Mic, 7-9; Sign-ups at 6:30

8/9 – Sean Megoran, 6-9

MT. HOLIDAY, TC

BEER GARDEN, 6-9:

8/7 – Headwaters Duo

8/8 – Zeke Clemons

NORTH BAR, TC

8/2 -- Craig Jolly, 1-4; David Cisco, 5-8

8/3 – Nick Vasquez, 5-8

8/6 – Jesse Jefferson, 7-10

8/7 – Mal & Mike, 7-10

8/8 – John Richard Paul, 1-4; The Boardman River Band, 5-8

8/9 – Rhett DuCouer, 1-4; Clint Weaner, 5-8

OAKY’S TAVERN, GRAWN

8/7 – Craig Jolly, 6-9

OLD MISSION DISTILLING, TC SEVEN HILLS:

8/2 – Weston Buchan, 6

8/6 – Jimmy Olson, 7 8/7 – Pete Fetters, 6

8/8 – Sweater Party, 6

8/9 – Boardman River Band, 7

8/10 – The Fridays, 6:30

SAIL INN BAR & GRILL, TC PATIO: Wed -- Live Music w/ Josh, 6 Thurs, Sat – Karaoke, 9

STONE HOUND BREWING CO., WILLIAMSBURG

8/2 – Andrew Lutes, 6:30-9:30

8/8 – John Richard Paul, 7-9

8/9 – Delilah DeWylde, 6:30-9:30

THE ALEXANDRA INN, TC BLUSH ROOFTOP TERRACE: Mon -- John & Madeline Piatek, 4-6

THE ALLUVION, TC

8/4 – Funky Uncle, 6-8:30

8/8 – Harmolodics & Evening Star, 7:30-10:30

8/9 – Adrianne Evans, 7-9:30

THE COIN SLOT, TC

8/2 -- The Real Ingredients

8/6 -- BYOVinyl Night with Eugene’s Record Co-op

8/7 -- Sean Miller

8/8 -- Skin Kwon Doe

8/9 -- The Timber Fellers

8/10 -- Theølogy

THE HAYLOFT INN, TC

8/1-2 & 8/8-9 – Sandy & The Bandits, 7:30-11

THE LITTLE FLEET, TC

8/9 -- All Call Festival Music Festival with Dos Santos, Kairos Creature Club, Jordan Hamilton Trio, Mama Sol, & Sandra Ann, 4

THE PARLOR, TC PATIO:

8/5 – Reese Keelor, 8-11

8/6 – Rob Coonrod, 8-11

8/7 – Jimmy Olson, 8-11

8/8 – Mal & Mike, 9-12

8/9 – Brett Mitchell, 6-9

THE PUB, TC

8/2 – Ben Richey, 5-8; DJ Wavrunner, 9-12

8/3 & 8/10 -- David Martón, 5-8

8/4 – Karaoke w/ DJ Shawny T, 8-11

8/6 – Zeke Clemons, 8-11

8/7 – Music Bingo, 7:30-10

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC

8/2 -- Hannah Rose Graves, 8-10

8/5 – Open Mic w/ Zak Bunce, 6:30-10

8/7 – DJ Trivia, 7-8:30

8/8 – Jazz Jam w/ Ron Getz, John Lindy & Andy Evans, 6-9

8/9 – Elizabeth Landry, 8-10

8/10 – Full Tilt Comedy: Comedy Lab, 7-10

THIRSTY FISH SPORTS GRILLE, TC PATIO, 6:30-9:30:

8/2 – Chris Michels Band

8/7 – Peril

8/8 – DJ 1Wave

8/9 – TC Guitar Guys

TOWNLINE CIDERWORKS, WILLIAMSBURG

8/8 – LaRose Duo, 6-8

UNION STREET STATION, TC

8/2 – DJ YesImJon, 10

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee

NORTHERN NATURAL CIDER HOUSE & WINERY, KALEVA

8/2 -- Jen Sygit Trio, 7

8/8 -- Elisabeth Pixley-Fink Trio, 7

8/9 -- The Handstanders, 7

ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD 6-9: 7/26 – Brian Curran

THREE SISTERS TAVERN, KALEVA

8/2 -- Cheryl Wolfram, 6

Otsego, Crawford & Central

8/1 – Nelson Olstrom 8/2 – Rick Woods BIG BUCK BREWERY, GAYLORD 8/2 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6

C.R.A.V.E., GAYLORD 6-9: 7/26 – Lou Thumser

BRANDY'S HARBORTOWN, BAY HARBOR

8/2 – Ty Parkin, 12:30-3:30

8/3 – Elizabeth Christe, 12:303:30

8/4 – Sean Bielby, 6-9

8/5 – Two Track Mind, 6-9

8/6 – Will Springsteen, 6-9

8/7 – Chris Calleja, 6-9

8/8 – Chris Calleja, 12:30-3:30

8/9 – Patrick Ryan, 12:30-3:30

8/10 – Joey Hickman, 12:303:30

BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY

8/2 – Chase & Allie, 2-6

8/8 – Chris Calleja, 4-7:30

8/9 – Michelle Chenard, 2-6

INN AT BAY HARBOR CABANA BAR, 6-9:

Antrim & Charlevoix

8/4 – Sean Miller

8/7 – Nelson Olstrom

NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY

8/2 – Sydni K, 7:30-10:30

8/7 – Rob Yates, 7-10

8/8 – Donald Benjamin, 7:3010:30

8/9 – Beachbillies, 7:30-10:30

NORTHLAND BREWING CO., INDIAN RIVER

8/2 – Lavender Lions, 7-10

8/7 – Two Track Mind, 6:30-8:30

8/8 – Cellar Door, 6-8; Neon Crows, 8-11

8/9 – Harmonized Steel, 7-10

8/10 – Tim Neumeyer, 5-8

ODAWA CASINO RESORT, PETOSKEY VICTORIES, 9:

8/1-2 -- 90's & 2000's Weekend w/DJ

POND HILL FARM, HARBOR SPRINGS

8/1-2 -- Ravon "Steely" Rhoden, 5-8

8/3 -- Greg Nagy, 3-6

8/6 – Open Mic w/ Kirby, 5-8

8/7 – Matt Scharpf, 5-8

8/8 – Sarah Darling Tour, 5-8

8/9 – Timberline North Band, 5-8

8/10 – Double Play, 3-6

THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN

8/2 -- Ahab & The Smelt Dippers, 8

WALLOON LAKE WINERY, PETOSKEY 8/7 -- High Blue Sky, 6-8

Emmet & Cheboygan

nitelife

continued...

Leelanau & Benzie

45 NORTH VINEYARD & WINERY, LAKE LEELANAU

8/7 -- Whitney Boecker, 5-7

BEL LAGO VINEYARD, WINERY & CIDERY, CEDAR

8/2 -- Jakob Abraham, 3:30-5:30

8/3 -- Jesse Jefferson, 3:30

8/5 -- Dominic Fortuna, 5:30

8/8 -- Andre Villoch, 5:30

8/9 -- Luke Woltanski & John Piatek Band, 3:30

8/10 -- Chris Smith, 3:30

BLACK STAR FARMS, SUTTONS BAY LAWN, 6-8: 8/2 – Agnes Su 8/9 -- Highway North

BOATHOUSE VINEYARDS, LAKE LEELANAU

8/3 -- Jim Hawley & his Band, 4-6:30

8/6 – Chris Smith, 5:30-8

8/10 – Pinter Whitnick, 4-6:30

CICCONE VINEYARD & WINERY, SUTTONS BAY

8/3 – Rhett & John, 2-4:30

8/7 – Highway North, 4-6:30 8/10 – Jabo, 2-4:30

CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLLE

BARR PARK, 6-8: 8/2 -- Carl Pawluk Duo 8/3 -- Rhett & John

8/9 – Doc Probes

8/10 – Highway North

KINLOCHEN PLAZA, 6-8:

8/2 -- Dave Barth

8/6 – Sydni K 8/9 – Christopher Winkelmann

LEVEL4 LOUNGE, 8:30-10:30

8/2 -- Brady Corcoran

8/3 -- Jesse Jefferson

8/6 – Jim Hawley

8/7 – Luke Woltanski Duo

8/8 – Meg Gunia

8/9 – Cole Caspers

8/10 – Drew Hale

DUNE BIRD WINERY, NORTHPORT

3-6: 8/3 -- Swingbone North

8/6 -- Touch of Grey

8/10 -- Liz Landry Trio

FIVE SHORES BREWING, BEULAH

8/6 -- Open Mic w/ Andy Littlefield, 7-9

8/8 – Rochelle Clark, 6-9

MAKE-A-BOOK WITH KIDS WORKSHOP: Create a keepsake book with a special little. August 10, 1:00 @ Bee Well Leelanau. Visit the events page at The Artist's Way Leelanau or Contact Jo @ 231.409.2050 for more info.

HOUSE FOR RENT TRAVERSE CITY 3 BED 1 BA. $1600/MO: 1618 Crescent St. Off Barlow near the airport. stephenjosephemery@gmail.com

JAGUARS UNCAGED ! (JUST OUT OF STORAGE): Rare 5-Speed '89 XJS & '85 XJ6 Both with Low Miles & Pretty. 231-536-7439

NMCAA DISCOVERY EARLY LEARNING

CENTER: Seeking Early Head Start Teacher for classroom of 8.CDA required, infant toddler preferred. 40 hours per week, 41 weeks per year, summers off. $20.75-$21.99 per hour. Paid time off, insurance, continuing education support. EOE. For details and to

FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARD, CEDAR

4-7:

8/4 -- Swingbone North 8/7 -- Rebekah Jon

FURNACE STREET DISTILLERY, ELBERTA

PATIO, 6-8:

8/2 – Andy Littlefield

8/3 – Billy & the Kid

HOP LOT BREWING CO., SUTTONS BAY

5-8:

8/2 -- Dune Brothers

8/5 -- Chris Smith

8/6 -- Jameson Brothers

8/8 -- Drew Hale

8/9 -- Mike Struwin Band

IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE

8/2 – Searching for Jane, 6:308:30

8/3 – Jakob Abraham, 4-6

8/8 – Crosscut Kings, 6:30-8:30

8/9 – Anna p.s., 6:30-8:30

8/10 – Brian Curran, 4-7

JACOBSON MARINA RESORT, FRANKFORT

8/2 -- Jim Hawley, 3-6

LAKE ANN BREWING CO.

8/2 -- Daydrinker's Series w/ Chris Skellenger & Paul Koss, 3-6; The Jameson Brothers, 7-10

8/5 – New Third Coast, 6:30

8/6 – Andre Villoch, 6:30

8/7 – Drew Hale, 6:30

8/8 – Happy Hour w/ Jakob Abraham, 3-6; Mike Struwin Band/Paul Simon Tribute (2nd Set), 7-10

8/9 -- Daydrinkers Series w/ The Waymores, 3-6; Looking Forward – CSN&Y Tribute, 7-10

LEELANAU SANDS CASINO, PESHAWBESTOWN SHOWROOM, 8:

8/2 & 8/9 -- Club Night feat. DJ Mark Wilson

8/8 -- Sail On: A Tribute to The Beach Boys

LITTLE TRAVERSE INN, BEER GARDEN, MAPLE CITY

8/8 – Rigs & Jeels, 6-9

BEER GARDEN, 4-7:

8/3 -- The Shakers

8/10 – Carter Creek & John Phillips

RIVER CLUB, GLEN ARBOR

8/2 – Jason Locke, 1:30-4:30;

Empire Highway, 6-9

8/3 – Chromatix Band, 5-8

8/4 – Kevin Paul, 6-9

8/5 – Levi Britton, 6-9

8/6 – Loose Change, 6-9

8/7 – Andre Villoch, 6-9

8/8 – Manitou Blues, 6-9

8/9 – Kevin Paul, 1-4; Empire Highway, 6-9

8/10 – Go North!, 5-8

SHADY LANE CELLARS, SUTTONS BAY

8/2 -- Kyle Brown, 4-7

8/8 – Friday Night Live w/ Mason Grady, 4-7

8/9 – Drew Alkema, 4-7

SOUL SQUEEZE CELLARS, LAKE LEELANAU

4-7:

8/7 – Broom Closet Boys

8/8 – Jerome Ford

8/9 – Big Fun

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH

8/3 – Kyle Brown & Nina Sofia, 3-6

8/4 – The Duges, 5-8

8/5 – Lisa Mac & Jack, 5-8

8/6 – Bill Frary, 5-8

8/7 – Bekah Brudi, 5-8

8/9 – Anna p.s., 1-4; Trillium Groove, 5-8

NMCAA DISCOVERY EARLY LEARNING

CENTER: Seeking classroom aide for classroom of 8 infant and toddlers. High School Diploma or GED preferred. 40 hours per week, 37 weeks per year, summers off. $14.26-$15.36 per hour. Accrued vacation/ personal time off, paid holidays, insurance, Professional development opportunities. EOE. For details and to apply visit www. nmcaa.net select Careers/Search Jobs.

TREASURES CONSIGNMENT $ELL YOUR FURNITURE & DECOR: NoMi’s source for furniture and decor! 211 Bell Ave. Cadillac, MI 231-444-6094

SEWING, ALTERATIONS, MENDING & REPAIRS. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231228-6248

SUTTONS BAY CIDERS

8/3 -- Brady Corcoran, 5:30-8

8/7 – DJ Trivia, 6:30-8

8/10 -- Nick and Rokko, 5:30-8

SWEET’S BAR & GRILL, HONOR Mon. – Music Bingo, 7 Fri. – Music Bingo, 8; Karaoke, 10 Sat. – Karaoke, 8

THE CABBAGE SHED, ELBERTA 8/2 – The Benzie Playboys, 6-9 8/5 – Aldrich, 5-8

8-6 – Vinyl Vednesday w/ DJ T.J., 5-8

8/7 – Open Mic Night, 6:30-9

8/8 – Larz, 5:30-8:30

THE FOLDED LEAF, CEDAR 8/2 – Benefit Concert for LGBTQ+ Suicide Prevention w/ Sierra Cassidy, The Lofteez, & Amber Hasan, 2-6

THE HOMESTEAD RESORT, GLEN ARBOR WHISKERS, 6-9: 8/2 – Laura Thurston TIPSY CANOE, HONOR 8/2 – Billy and the Kid 8/3 – Jason Locke