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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • november 02 - november 08, 2026 • Vol. 36 No.44
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Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 1
Put Some Sunshine on Your Calendar. Fall Getaways. Winter Escapes.
Put Some Adventure on Your Calendar.
Fly from nearby! Whether a long weekend or a well-deserved vacation, start planning your getaway from TVC today.
Cherry Capital Airport tvcairport.com
2 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
letters DROP US CONTENTS Northern Express is a community-centered paper that covers local people, places, entertainment, and news. We invite letters to the editor that also address issues in northern Michigan, whether that’s local policies, changes in your community, art and education, or hot topics like housing, tourism, and the environment (just to name a few). If it touches northern Michigan, it is something we want to share! We also welcome letters “in conversation” with any stories, columns, and other letters published in Northern Express. Letters must be civil, 300 words or fewer, and submitted no more than once per month per person. Letters will be edited for clarity, and letters or portions may be omitted due to space or issues with questionable facts/citations or privacy. We do not print letters that have been sent to or published in other media. To have your letter included, please provide your full name and city of residence in northern Michigan.
Inside the Ingredients.......................................9 Born To Be Wild (And To Eat Well)...................10 Your Holiday Art Market Guide........................12 Stay Young, Go Dancing.................................14 Reaching the Boiling Point...............................17 Physical Therapy Insider...................................18
columns & stuff Top Ten.........................................................4 Spectator/Stephen Tuttle..................................6 Guest Opinion/Wescott.....................................7 Weird..............................................................8 Crossword.....................................................21 Astrology.......................................................22 Dates..........................................................23 Nitelife...........................................................28 Classifieds....................................................29
Joan Shelley + Nathan Salsburg LIVE! | November 14th | 7 PM (Doors Open 6:30)
Experience a captivating, luminous night of music that is poetic, grounding, and unmistakably warm. Tickets: $25 OAB Member | $35 Non-Member Old Art Building | 111 S. Main, Leland, MI | 231.256.2131
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Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase PO Box 4020 Traverse City, Michigan 49685 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Editor: Jillian Manning Creative Director: Kyra Cross Poehlman Finance Manager: Libby Shutler Sales: Lisa Gillespie, Kim Murray, Kaitlyn Nance, Abby Walton Porter, Michele Young For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948
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Contributors: Ross Boissoneau, Art Bukowski, Eric Cox, Geri Dietze, Anna Faller, Lourin Sprenger, Stephen Tuttle, Nora Rae Pearl Distribution: Marc Morris, Gerald Morris, Dave Anderson, Joe Evancho, Jason Ritter, Sherri Ritter, Roger Racine, Sarah Racine, Brandy Grames, Rachel Cara, Jackson Price, Lisa Price, Peggy Bell Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Copyright 2026, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 copies at 600+ locations weekly. Northern Express Weekly is free of charge, but no person may take more than one copy of each weekly issue without written permission of Northern Express Weekly. Reproduction of all content without permission of the publisher is prohibited.
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Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 3
this week’s
top ten A Slow Spell of Grace
If the time change is telling us anything, it’s that it’s time to slow down after a busy summer and fall. But don’t go into hibernation mode just yet, because you’ll want to catch the teamup of TC-based quartet Slow Spell with Jack M. Senff & the Heartland Mission at the Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay on Nov. 7. The show doubles as a hometown album release for Senff ’s newest record, Grace & Sorrow, which he’s been touring for across the U.S. and Canada in October. Concertgoers can expect a mix of experimental rock, alt-singer-songwriter vibes, and playful on-stage banter from the musicians. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door ($5 discount for certain Bay membership levels). Doors open at 6pm and songs start at 7pm. Get details and tickets at thebaytheatre.org/whats-on.
Kids’ Book Fest Need something fun and bookish to do with the kiddos this weekend? Head to City Opera House for the return of the Traverse City Children’s Book Festival (presented by Jenkins Group) on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10am-2pm. Along with 30+ award winning children’s and young adult authors are performances by the Old Town Playhouse Young Company, kids activities, and crafts… all for free! See more at moonbeamawards.com/ traverse-city-childrens-book-festival.
Hey, read It! MotherPerson Claire McGuire has never known who she’s supposed to be. The youngest daughter of highly-educated but ostensibly negligent parents, Claire spends her early 20s bouncing around the East Coast, steeped in drugs and booze (and bad men), working various deadend jobs, and eventually carving out a career as a writer. But the sudden death of her sister, Aisling, brings it all to a screeching halt. Still, the earth keeps turning, taking Claire to places like college classrooms, AA meetings, and suburban book clubs, through two illfated marriages, and to the consuming love of motherhood, as she slowly trades society’s cage for the person—artist, teacher, woman— she was meant to be. Michigan author Molly Moynahan dissects the expectations of womanhood through layers of killer humor, marriage, love, loss, and beyond, in her newest novel, MotherPerson. Psst—catch Moynahan at the Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay on Nov. 16 at 2pm!
BAKERY 2 tastemaker
Kilwin’s Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
In our humble opinion, it’s never too chilly for a scoop of ice cream. If you agree, then we recommend getting in on this limited edition seasonal flavor at your nearest Kilwins. A perfect fall treat, the Pumpkin Pie ice cream has real pie crust pieces in the mix, along with pumpkin puree and warm spices to give you a little taste of Thanksgiving dessert. We recommend taking things up a notch with one of the chocolatier’s “chocolate on the inside” waffle cones for a truly decadent scoop, or putting it into a milkshake! We spotted this special in the Charlevoix store, but check at other locations in northern Michigan (Traverse City, Petoskey, Frankfort, Mackinaw City, Cheboygan, Boyne City, Harbor Springs) when you’re out and about. kilwins.com
4 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
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Stuff We Love: Artists Who Look to the Skies
6 Shopping for a Cause
Photo by Madi Taylor for Downtown Traverse City
Yes, believe it or not, we’re inching closer to the holidays. Save your future self from Black Friday madness or last-minute shopping and head to downtown Traverse City on Saturday, Nov. 7, for Shop Your Community Day. This annual tradition brings out the best in stores and customers alike, as 15 percent of every purchase from participating retailers is donated to a nonprofit. Best of all, you get to choose where your money goes, with 30 different nonprofits operating in animal welfare, arts and culture, education, environment, recreation, health/medical, and social services. Keep an eye out for other specials (like 25 percent off gift card sales at Amical), samples, and sales while you’re out! See where to shop (and donate) at downtowntc.com/events/shop-your-community-day.html.
For Willie Jones Jr., the sky’s the limit. That’s because his artistic inspirations are primarily aircraft, particularly World War II planes. “They had so much character,” he says. The retired U.S. Air Force veteran researches his subjects before he ever gets out his pencil. “You have to know the aircraft,” Jones says. He painstakingly renders the details, making sure every panel and rivet is in exactly the right place. His fascination with aircraft goes back to when he was a child. “I always liked aviation,” Jones says. His works can be found at several military locations across the country, including the Pentagon and Scott Air Force Base outside St. Louis. Closer to home, you can see his art on display through November in the McGuire Room at the Traverse Area District Library Main Branch, 610 Woodmere Ave. in Traverse City.
Hammond Road Reopening Soon Cross your fingers that the weather gods cooperate: After repeated complications and delays, the Hammond/Three Mile project is eying a Nov. 7 completion date. (The original goal was to finish the project before school started, which got pushed out to the end of October.) The project started in early August, working on a stretch from Townline Rd. to the Hammond/Three Mile intersection, including installing a new traffic signal. Road work happened alongside the Safe Routes to School initiative, which offers 1.6 miles of trails to create safe walking and crossing options for kids at four East Bay Township schools. In late September, Team Elmers crews switched to the other side of Three Mile to redo a segment running to Carlisle Rd./Chartwell Dr. Paving is underway on that final stretch, after which Hammond will reopen. Stay tuned at gtcrc.org/307/Road-Projects.
8 bottoms up Right Bower’s Apple Crisp Cold Brew No northern Michigan autumn would be complete without a little escape. For our next venture, find us tucked away at Right Bower Kitchen & Coffee on Old Mission Peninsula, where the freshly-picked Apple Crisp Cold Brew just hit the fall menu. Featuring local Panther Coffee, this pomme-perfect pick begins with nitro cold brew, which is served on tap and infused with the warming spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and clove—from the café’s scratch-made apple pie syrup. Poured over ice and topped with a velvety pecan cold foam and matching candied nut crumble, it’s the perfect balanced and creamy boost to fuel your seasonal escapades. (Pair it with a homemade apple butter scone or apple cider donut for extra oomph!). Apple adventure awaits at 13795 Seven Hills Rd. in Traverse City. rightbowertc.com
Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 5
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shop.dennosmuseum.org 6 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
By Stephen Tuttle We can all be grateful the depressingly negative political ads will now mercifully stop. Every year they get worse and worse, and this year many candidates have decided to simply manufacture their own accomplishments or create imaginary flaws in their opponents. There are neither communists nor Nazis seeking office, but candidates have been accused of being both. As the bile flowed, so did the money. This will be the most expensive midterm election in history with more than $11 billion spent by Election Day, according to AdImpact. Democrats are raising and spending more from the campaigns directly, but Republicans are benefiting far more from outside spending not directly connected to campaigns. Thanks to multiple Supreme Court rulings, campaign contributions and financing is now an economic wild west. The 2010 Citizens United decision nearly eliminated restrictions on corporate, union, and special interest associations giving to independent expenditure campaigns. Additional rulings said much of those contributions could be anonymous. So the very rich can now contribute unlimited amounts of cash and stay anonymous. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, more than $2 billion in “dark money,” anonymously contributed money, has poured into this year’s campaigns, more than $1.3 billion for Republicans and $800 million for Democrats. (These numbers are only valid through Aug. 15, so likely have ballooned since then.)
Service (MIRS). The biggest spender, and he spent his own money, was Perry Johnson, who accounted for nearly $30 million of the gubernatorial race spending. By comparison, Jocelyn Benson, the Democratic nominee, has raised $16.7 million and still has millions in the bank and Republican nominee John James has raised $12.4 million but has spent more and is short on cash reserves. (It should be noted that Perry Johnson has spent $65 million of his own money in three Quixotic attempts at statewide office, and says he will not run again.) In addition to the financial excesses, the tone has been every bit as heinous as we have come to expect. Normal attacks morphed into outright lies, and there was no depth to which some candidates, of either party, were unwilling to stoop. The most offensive, by far, was in the Ohio gubernatorial race in which GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy created an ad using his opponent’s own mother to call her a liar. That Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, accused her stepfather of raping her when she was 12. Almost everybody, including the police and her siblings, believed her and there was forensic evidence to boot. But Mom chose to believe her husband and now calls her daughter, to whom she has not spoken since 1978, a liar. Stepdad fled to avoid an arrest warrant and stayed on the lam until his death in 2004. Ramaswamy and his friend the president think it’s just fine to further victimize someone who was allegedly raped at 12. Predictions are foolish, but there are some we can boldly make.
Other wealthy individuals are at least a bit more transparent. For example, Elon Musk has contributed nearly $366 million to his own political action committee (PAC) and super PAC to support Republican candidates in multiple races. That dwarfs the $103 million contributed by George Soros, his family members, and various associated organizations to Democratic candidates.
First, it is unlikely the Republicans will do as poorly as some are now predicting; surely some of these races in bright red states will tip back to Republicans. Democrats should have a very good election, but they won’t win every race they seem to be leading as this is being written. Partisan voters have a way of returning to their party of choice no matter how badly their party’s candidates have misbehaved.
Unfortunately, Michigan has not escaped the profligate campaign spending. Bridge Michigan reports $243 million in spending for our U.S. Senate race between Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers though the Detroit News puts the figure at $270 million with a whopping $173 million coming from sources outside the campaigns. El-Sayed has raised more directly within the campaign, but Rogers has benefited from a nearly 2 to 1 advantage in outside spending.
Second, Donald Trump will claim fraud and cheating regardless of the outcome. His Department of Justice has already filed suit preemptively in Alaska—not because there is evidence of voter fraud, but because what they claim is candidate fraud. There is an Independent named Dan J. Sullivan, Jr., on the ballot running against the incumbent Republican named Dan S. Sullivan and a Democrat, Mary Peltola. One suspects Alaskans will figure it out.
Our gubernatorial race, by comparison, is practically a bargain basement affair with a scant $50 million spent, according to the Michigan Information and Research
Raw America reports the administration plans to legally challenge every federal race Republicans lose, which will make for some busy courts. On we go.
HEAL YOURSELF: VOLUNTEER! Where Local Business
GUEST OPINION by Hannah Wescott When Melissa’s son, Jake, died by suicide just shy of his 30th birthday, she and her family needed an outlet for their grief. Witnessing their beautiful, magnetic son’s brave battle with depression and substance use disorder had changed their beliefs about addiction and the people it swallows.
Melissa volunteers once per week, always shift buddies with Denise, making hundreds of essential connections with our neighbors who need them most. Melissa is a mother down to her core, and loves nothing more than forging relationships with Jubilee guests, earning their trust, and learning their stories.
They felt empowered to reach out to others who were similarly embattled. Knowing the upcoming holiday season would be unbearable without him, the family began by serving Christmas Eve Dinner
“Some may never open up, and that’s okay,” she says. “I just want them to see me as someone who does care, and who wants to take time to listen.” When guests ask for prayers or extra love and support, she jumps at the chance to
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Meaningful interaction with other human beings, especially those in crisis, is a priceless balm for the soul. at Safe Harbor, Traverse City’s emergency overnight homeless shelter. Melissa found comfort and fulfillment in the work, and, at the end of Safe Harbor’s season, she decided to volunteer at Jubilee House. As the dropin day shelter component of Traverse City’s homeless care system, she found that Jubilee provided plenty of opportunities to focus her energy on others. That’s where she met Denise, a fellow volunteer who’d once been a Jubilee guest herself. When Denise and her now husband had moved home to Traverse City, they’d found that the housing they’d been counting on wasn’t feasible. They scrambled to find a backup option, but to no avail. They were suddenly homeless. “Yes, Jubilee House was our first stop that day,” Denise remembers. “We were covered in snow, lugging our huge suitcases and miscellaneous bags. The volunteers who greeted us were so loving, compassionate, and caring: gently brushing us off, getting us hot coffee and toast if we wanted it. So much hospitality.” Jubilee became their hangout spot and their safe haven. “Every volunteer was as kind as the next. We mattered to them! They gave me hope, kept me from giving up, and loved me until I learned to love myself. They made me want to be a better person.” Not long after they secured permanent housing, Denise began volunteering at Jubilee, eager to give back what was so freely given to her. Five years later, she’s still volunteering. “The hardest part has been watching our guests battle substance use disorder,” she says. In response, Denise became a Peer Recovery Coach, poised and ready to meet guests wherever they are in their recovery journey. “Volunteering has taught me to embrace—and even invite—change. Now I can go with the flow, and it’s helping me heal. I thought it would fill a void in my life, and it did! My life is more peaceful.”
make them feel seen, heard, and important— just as she always did for Jake. “Losing Jake was indescribably devastating. But I know God used it to draw me closer, and to have a heart for people in a way I never would have.”
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Volunteering allows her to connect with mothers all over the five-county area— women who love their children, but who can do little to save them. She knows how it feels to pray that a struggling child will find caring helpers and meaningful support. Through volunteering, she now knows how it feels to be on the operational end of such prayers.
What’s new at the Haus?
It’s easy to get lost in the tumult of our modern world. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by misery and by myriad injustices and, ultimately, to find ourselves feeling desperate and powerless in the face of it all. But volunteer opportunities like these have the power to pull us out of that desperation. Meaningful interaction with other human beings, especially those in crisis, is a priceless balm for the soul. Even the smallest things—the sharing of a funny story, the well-placed offer of a cup of coffee, the magic of commiseration—can carry immense value, and it doesn’t take any special training to step into such simple volunteer roles. Most Jubilee volunteers are retired, though some are working or enrolled in college. Many are parents, but, most importantly, they are all deeply empathetic, open-minded, and caring people. The greatest impact we can make starts locally, and we at Jubilee House can tell you, unequivocally, that there are plenty of places where the presence of regular ol’ moms and dads is sorely needed! Volunteer-based organizations like ours are always looking for help, waiting to transform your life with meaningful connection. Hannah Wescott is the Director of Jubilee House, a Ministry of Grace Episcopal Church.
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Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 7
The Fast and the Foolish Two people suspected to be connected to a street-racing investigation in Phoenix, Arizona, fled a traffic stop, led detectives on a short pursuit and smashed into a Scottsdale Airport security gate on Oct. 17, ABC 15 reported. According to the Phoenix Police Department, members of the Street Racing Taskforce were conducting surveillance when they spotted a Dodge Challenger going 37 mph in a 65 mph zone. The Challenger's driver refused to stop, leading the detectives on a pursuit. Stalled upon reaching a locked gate at Scottsdale Airport, the driver reportedly backed into a law enforcement vehicle before driving through the gate and making their way onto the runway, nearly hitting several planes before the car crashed into a hangar door. Not yet finished, the Challenger smashed into a private jet before finally coming to a stop. The suspects -- Liberty Still, 33, and Michael Wall, 24 -- face multiple felony charges. [ABC 15, 10/18/26] Four-Legged Fugitive A baby goat escaped from its yard and found its way to DiChiaro School's playground in Yonkers, New York, where it chased students on Oct. 8, Daily Voice reported. According to a social media post by the Yonkers Police Department, "Apparently, this little guy decided the grass was greener on the other side of the fence, escaped from a neighboring yard, and took himself on an unauthorized field trip to the school playground where he began chasing students!" The children, who chanted, "Let's go, cops!" during the roundup were treated to a spontaneous demonstration of the emergency service unit's equipment and vehicles after the four-legged fugitive was returned home. [Daily Voice, 10/14/26]
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8 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
Giant Gourd on the Loose A two-story-tall inflatable jack-o'lantern came loose from its tethers and went for a bit of a sightseeing amble in Cary, North Carolina, on Oct. 11, the Associated Press reported. In a video posted on social media, the giant orange pumpkin with the classic black grin is seen rolling in the background along a fence, by a church and down a road. The footage of the lantern-on-the-lam has gathered a lot of internet attention. "It's the best advertising we could ask for, said Michael Phillips, owner of Phillips Farms. "I still wake up every morning ... and have 80 to 150 notifications of people commenting on the videos." Phillips said his employees had the situation contained in less than a minute and no one was in danger. The inflatable is now safely secured with Phillips' own equipment. [AP, 10/15/26] What's in That Taco? In Austin, Texas, a customer is suing Torchy's Tacos for $250,000 after finding a cow's tooth in their taco, KVUE reported on Oct. 15. According to the lawsuit, the customer was "grossed out and sickened" after discovering the bovine tooth in the barbacoa taco they ordered. That particular taco contains meat derived from beef cheek, according to Torchy's. In a statement sent to KVUE from Torchy's Tacos, they said, "Upon receiving the guest complaint, we conducted a thorough review and identified the item as a cow tooth. This can occasionally happen when processing the meat, though it is quite rare." The lawyer for the customer said he hopes the lawsuit isn't necessary and that Torchy's takes accountability. [KVUE, 10/15/26]
Young at Heart A 99-year-old woman became the world's oldest wing walker after an employee at her assisted living facility urged her to consider trying it, SWNS reported on Oct. 16. Helga Duffy of Devizes in Wiltshire, England, was strapped to a biplane in the air for more than five minutes, earning her a Guinness World Record. Duffy also raised about $2,000 for the regional Air Ambulance charity for her feat. Duffy said, "I thought this was the last time I can do something different." The world record certificate is being displayed at the assisted living facility to remind others that age is just a number. [SWNS, 10/16/26]
Update Earlier this month, we brought you a story about Brady Rogers of Kelowna, British Columbia, who was running for city council with campaign signs adorned with slogans such as "I Barely Want To Do This." Well, voters have spoken, and Rogers has been elected. He came in fourth out of 37 candidates, with the top eight earning spots on the council. On Oct. 17, Rogers posted a video of himself on social media saying, "I guess I'm on council now." CBC reported that while Rogers' campaign run was humorous, his platform was built on serious ideas involving homelessness, transit, housing and taxation. [CBC, 10/20/26] For the Birds An emu named Eddie escaped from his home and ambled onto a mountain bike trail at Mitchell Memorial Forest in Cleves, Ohio, Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Great Parks of Hamilton County staff members spotted Eddie on the trail and safely got him home on the afternoon of Oct. 19. They said he had escaped during the weekend. [Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/20/26] CBS News reported that a large green bird attacked passengers in Chicago O'Hare Airport on Oct. 13 -- and, of course, the event was caught on video. The bird can be seen perching on the heads of travelers waiting in the Air France check-in line, sometimes landing on their luggage. Paris Elbert, an O'Hare employee, said, "You know, everybody's just like 'oh, the bird is so cute' and every time somebody got close, the bird just started attacking, going berserk. A lot of people wanted to get the bird, but every time they tried to either grab the bird or be nice to the bird, the bird chose fight, not flight." The bird is suspected of flying through an open door from the outside. Eventually, a janitor used her shirt to capture the feisty flyer and take it to a veterinarian. [CBS News, 10/16/26] That's Creative Some villagers in Fillongley, Warwickshire, England, who were tired of motorists driving too fast near a primary school, took matters into their own hands, reported SWNS on Oct. 19. Members of the Fillongley Knit and Natter group knitted mock speed cameras and mannequins after several crashes happened along a main road in their town near the school, then they propped their creations alongside the road in an attempt to slow drivers. Heather Badham, 58, a member of the group, said she hopes it helps people realize what they're doing. "Since putting these up, we’ve been chuckling as people could see the man and thought he was real -- you could see the brake lights going off," Badham said. Lorna Rosser, 66, said she really liked the new "traffic officers." [SWNS, 10/19/26]
SQUASH SEASON Inside the Ingredients
By Nora Rae Pearl We wait all summer and the first half of fall for squash season to arrive, and we must give it a proper welcome. With nearly endless varieties to choose from, we narrowed our recipes down to honeynut and carnival squash (you could also use butternut or acorn). For a starter salad, we created a kale and lentil with roasted squash that is topped with pomegranate seeds and crumbled feta. For a cozy fall meal, we have twice baked carnival squash. These meals will remind you that when one season ends, another one is just beginning.
STUFFED ACORN SQUASH Brings together perfectly roasted squash with sourdough and cornbread stuffing to create a delicious fall dinner. Ingredients • 3 large carnival squash, cut in half and deseeded • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus around 1/4 cup for brushing and drizzling • 1/2 cup chopped celery • 1/2 cup chopped white onion • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 2 cups dried sourdough bread cubes*, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces • 2 cups dried cornbread crumbles*, broken into 1/2-inch pieces • 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage, or 1/2 tsp. dried • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning • 1 cup vegetable stock • 2 eggs, beaten To make the squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the insides of the squash with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place cut side down on a rimmed, parchmentlined baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes. Flip cut side up when they come out of the oven. Keep the oven at 400 degrees. To make the stuffing: While the squash is cooking, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, celery, onion, and salt. Cook until the celery and onion have softened and are becoming translucent, about five minutes. In a large bowl, toss together the sourdough bread cubes, cornbread crumbles, sage, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Add the celery and onion mix, stock, and eggs. Mix until all of the bread pieces are moistened—taste and season as desired. (Add more vegetable stock if you feel the stuffing is too dry for your liking.) To assemble: Divide the stuffing between each squash cavity. (They will look rather full.) Drizzle or brush each top with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until the stuffing is crisp and golden brown. Enjoy immediately. *If you only have fresh bread and cornbread, you can dry it out yourself by spreading the pieces on a baking sheet and baking at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until it resembles lightly browned toast.
LENTIL, KALE, AND SQUASH SALAD This colorful salad brings together fruit, vegetables, legumes, and cheese to create a well balanced addition to any table. Ingredients • 1/2 cup Le Puy (french) lentils • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (you can use water, just add a pinch of salt) • 1 bay leaf • 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, divided • 1 honeynut squash, peeled, deseeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces • 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided • Salt and pepper • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes • 1 garlic clove, minced • 1 teaspoon honey • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard • 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar • 5 oz. baby kale • Seeds of half a large pomegranate • 4 oz. feta block, crumbled To make the lentils: In a small stockpot, combine the lentils, broth, bay leaf, and 1/4 teaspoon of thyme. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and lower to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are al dente. Set aside and cool to room temperature. To make the squash: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread cubed squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then sprinkle on 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine, then roast the squash for 25-30 minutes until soft (but not mushy) and has some color. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. To assemble: In a large bowl, combine the garlic clove, honey, and mustard. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in the vinegar. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of each salt and pepper. Whisk until emulsified. Add the lentils, followed by the kale. Toss until everything is dressed. Put on a large serving platter, add the squash on top, followed by the pomegranate seeds and feta. (You can also put it in individual bowls to serve and divide the toppings between each.) This salad is best served immediately, but will last one to two days in the fridge.
Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 9
Current Little Traverse Touring Club members at their annual steak fry in Oct. 2026.
BORN TO BE WILD (AND TO EAT WELL) Cycle club is all about adventure, companionship, and good food
By Geri Dietze Okay, so they’re not that wild, but this family-friendly motorcycle club has been sharing rides, friendship, great meals, and more since 1973, when it was originally called the Little Traverse 750 Club, a nod to the Suzuki water-cooled, two cycle (a gas and oil mix) motorcycles that they rode at the time. The Little Traverse 750 Club was formed by Bill Cole, owner of Petosky’s Road & Trail, a motorcycle and snowmobile shop. Cole’s move was a pragmatic one: He wanted someone to ride with. Eventually, when larger engines and different models and makes became popular, the club changed its name to the Little Traverse Touring Club to accommodate all styles of bikes. The 10-12 charter members were all ready for a good time and good food. Among the ranks were business people, retirees, state troopers, a professor, nurses, and cops. (One female Detroit cop worked undercover at the Masonic Temple during the annual appearance of New York’s Metropolitan Opera. She was tapped because she owned an evening gown, and her snub nose revolver fit nicely in her evening bag. So, no doubt, she can handle a bike.)
Spouses and children were welcome, and at its height, the club had 27 members. Today, active membership stands at 15-20 members, with ages ranging from 48 to 87, and they continue to rack up the miles—and the memories—via the U.S.’s open roads, trails, and destinations. Looking for Adventure (and Pie) The club, then and now, is a laid-back, no-pressure arrangement, in which all members are welcome to join a planned ride, but it’s fine if they don’t. Day trips, weather dependent, are really lunch destinations within a 100- to 125-mile radius. (During COVID, the group brown-bagged it in parks.) Current club president, Aaron Garms, has a day job, but he still gets out. “We try to throw in a few rides every month,” he explains, “[and] we stagger occasional trips to the U.P. with two-hour rides closer to home. We’ll ride to Mackinac City, Torch Lake, Onaway, Tower, and Posen.” Longer trips have included Wawa, Ontario, along Lake Superior’s stunning coastline; Daytona Bike Week, the internationally known celebration of all things cycle; the annual BMW Motorcycle Owners of America rally (taking place, this
10 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
year, in Great Falls, Montana); and the Tail of the Dragon, an 11-mile ride with 318 turns along the North Carolina and Tennessee border. There are trips to the Upper Peninsula, aka Ride for Pasties, and new in 2026 is the Wednesday night Ride for Pie. Summer rides might feature the Bug Run, during which riders put targets on the front of their bikes and the winner is the one who collects the most bugs. Or maybe a member will volunteer to map out a Mystery Ride and the group follows. Aaron Garms says that the membership “changes with the seasons, [as] people come and go,” but there is an effort to recruit younger members through social media. In the meantime, let’s get to know two of the club’s founders. Founding Member Ken Robinson, 87 Ken Robinson has been to all 50 states, he’s still enjoying the open road, and he figures he’s ridden over a million miles, some at the mercy of Mother Nature. (“Sandstorms can be miserable,” he says.) As for how it all started? “A few of us at [Road & Trail] started the club. We all drove 2-stroke Suzukis.” Robinson was employed there, and he was 53 when the club was
formed. The club had monthly meetings, and they would get together for rides, “some planned, some random.” At the time of this interview, his Honda Valkyrie had over 297,000 miles. Motorcyclist magazine once labeled the Valkyrie the “hooligan Gold Wing,” but in a good way, proving that there is, indeed, a bit of mischief in the LTTC. And, it’s plenty fast. “Well, the speedometer goes to 150,” he explains. And, he admits, at 780 pounds, “it’s big.” Robinson jokes that when he hits 300,000 miles, he’s going to get a smaller bike. On various bikes, Robinson made two memorable rides to Alaska, there and back, once in 1998 and again in 2001, with each trip taking about five weeks. Record temperatures in 1998 softened the permafrost to the point that it swallowed a Caterpillar on a nearby construction site, making the trip a bit dicey. On the last one, in 2001, while the Yukon Highway—the middle portion of the Alcan highway—was “mostly paved,” there were still “16 miles of pure hell.” In 1974, Robinson rode to Twin Falls, Idaho, to watch Evel Kneivel’s unsuccessful attempt to cross the Snake River Canyon on a steam powered rocket. (Evel didn’t make it, but his parachute made it a reasonably soft
Ken Robinson in North Dakota, en route to Alaska in 2001.
landing.) Other notable trips include Beartooth Pass from Red Lodge, Montana, to the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park; Zion and Bryce National Parks in Utah; Glacier National Park in Montana’s Rocky Mountains; and Daytona Bike Week. “I used to ride every day. Now, I’m slowing down,” says the 87-year-old, but age doesn’t stop him from pursuing the rush. “It’s so free…[to] smell the air, feel the breeze, and run.”
Howard Garms in red, and son Aaron Garms in the sidecar.
Founding Member Howard Garms, 77 Howard Garms rides a BMW but has a “couple of other bikes,” including a 1966 BMW with sidecar, in which his wife or sometimes his two boys—or even their yellow lab—would hitch a ride. For instance, it was a family affair when the Garms crew attended a Vermont rally in 1975. His wife, six months pregnant with current LTTC president Aaron at the time, was riding in the sidecar. On another trip through the Vermont mountains, Garms and a riding partner had to wait for a herd of cows to cross in front
of them. They got back up to speed only to round a curve and see that the herd had done its business right in the road, “I really couldn’t stop because we were going too fast,” Garms explains. “So I just put my feet up and went through it, making a small wake, like a boat,” while clearing a trail for the rider behind him. (It was time to head down the mountain in search of a car wash.) “[And] we spent a lot of time in the Smokies to make rallies,” he adds. Plus there was a glorious ride across the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys. And in 2024, they
made the BMW rally in Montana. Garms’ philosophy about riding is easy to understand: “It’s special; [there’s] adventure and time to be by yourself.” As for the club, “It’s been a good ride… with a lot of good people,” he adds. Follow the club Facebook page (facebook. com/groups/littletraversetouringclub) for more information. Monthly meetings are held throughout the year on the second Monday of each month at 6pm. Winter meetings are held at various local restaurants.
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Handmade holiday ornaments at Charlevoix Circle of Art.
Your Holiday Art Market Guide 20+ markets to explore this holiday season By Ross Boissoneau It’s (almost) here. The hap-hap-happiest season, filled with trees, tinsel, trimmings, and plenty of ho-ho-hos. Yes, Christmas is still almost two months away, but the holiday markets have already begun, enticing shoppers to schools, churches, halls, and other venues. They are an opportunity for local artists, makers, and creatives of all kinds to showcase their wares. For shoppers, it’s a chance to shop small, finding one-ofa-kind items that aren’t available at retail stores, from art and jewelry to clothing, candies, foodstuffs, and more. Among the many such endeavors that call the area home is the Charlevoix Circle Market. The holiday market began the same year as its parent organization, the Charlevoix Circle of Arts (CCA). “It’s been almost 20 years,” says Sarah Matye, executive director of the organization. “It’s a popular tradition around here. People look forward to it.” Matye says over 50 artists and markers are represented at the market, which runs Nov. 20 to Dec. 30, with an opening reception Nov. 20 from 5-7pm, when the CCA gallery is transformed into a “holiday wonderland.” Among the many offerings are holiday cards, jewelry, woodworking, ornaments, clothing, photography, home décor, candles, and artworks. Matye says the market is focused more on gift items than the usual displays. “The rest of the year we are focused on visual art, things you usually see in a gallery. … There are prints and art you would hang on the wall, occasionally we’ll have maple syrup, dog treats—it all depends on the vendor. There are thousands of items.” Because the market runs for more than a month, as items are sold, the artists
and artisans can restock with similar or different pieces. Thus the offerings are continually changing. Over in Manistee, the timeline is a little bit shorter. The Victorian Port City is known for its Old Christmas Weekend and Victorian Sleighbell Parade, and a longstanding part of the tradition is the annual Sleighbell Craft Bazaar, which this year takes place Dec. 5 from 9-3pm at the Wagoner Center. “The best thing is the wonderful vendors,” says Kathy Yoder, one of the event co-chairs. With the usual potpourri of offerings, from themed birdhouses to jewelry, cards to clothing, the bazaar provides yet another reason to enjoy the Old Christmas Weekend. The event is in its fifth year, and in addition to the many vendors, visitors will find raffles (“this year a charter fishing trip is the top prize,” notes Yoder) and a Christmas cookie sale. There are many more such markets throughout the region. Following is a list of some—but not all!—of the many events throughout the region featuring holiday gift sales in order of their opening date.
paintings, prints, and drawings, ceramics, pottery, wood bowls, glassware, ornaments, and jewelry. Crooked Tree Petoskey Holiday Bazaar Nov. 13-Dec. 17 | Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, 10am-4pm Saturdays The Holiday Bazaar features gifts handcrafted by local artisans, from knits, jewelry, pottery, ceramics, and prints to ornaments, artwork, and more. It kicks off Nov. 12 at 5:30pm with the Vernissage & Swirl, with appetizers, treats, wine, beer, cocktails, and live music. Crooked Tree Traverse City Merry Marketplace Nov. 13-Dec. 13 | 11am-5pm Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm Saturday Crooked Tree Arts Center in TC is transformed into a vibrant shopping destination featuring artist booths, festive décor, live holiday ambiance, and hundreds of handcrafted treasures.
Oliver Art Center Winter Market Nov. 6-Dec. 24 | Tuesday-Saturday 10am4pm, Sunday 12-4pm The Frankfort art center features handmade goods, including ornaments, jewelry, ceramics, greeting cards, wearable art, prints, paintings, and photography created or assembled by regional craftspeople and artists.
Festival of Trees & GPA Christmas Store Nov. 13-28 | Monday-Saturday 10am6:30pm, Sunday 12-3pm | Grayling Town Center Mini-Mall Dozens of uniquely decorated trees and holiday gift baskets donated by local businesses and community organizations. The Grayling Promotional Association Christmas Store opens onsite with holiday decor and gifts.
Jordan River Arts Council Holiday Gift Market Nov. 7-Dec. 19 | 12:30-4:30 daily Locally made, artisan-crafted items and original artwork, including original
Band Booster Hobby & Craft Show Nov. 14, | 9am-4pm | Fox Ford of Cadillac, 1450 N Mitchell Street in Haring Annual indoor, family-friendly craft
12 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
and hobby show featuring local artisans and handcrafted items. Donations accepted at the door to support middle and high school band programs. Grow Benzie Winter Holiday Market Nov. 14 | 11am-3pm The market at 5885 Frankfort Highway showcases gifts, handmade crafts, local growers, and festive treats from northwest Michigan artisans and small businesses. Harbor Springs Holiday Craft & Vendor Show Nov. 14-15 | 9am-3pm | Emmet County VFW Post 2051, 551 W. Conway Road Featuring local artisans, crafters, and small businesses, with handmade goods, free swag bags for early attendees, and door prize entries. Brother Dan’s Handmade Holiday Craft Show Nov. 21 | 9am-4pm | Emmet County Fairgrounds Community Building. Admission $2 or a donation of a nonperishable food item. Local vendors offer handcrafted goods and unique holiday gifts. Admission fees and concession sales directly benefit Brother Dan’s Food Pantry to help local families. Traverse City Shop and Sip Nov. 21 | 12-6pm | Grand Traverse Resort Featuring a collection of hand-selected vendors featuring exquisite home décor, fashion-forward accessories, gourmet treats, and one-of-a-kind art pieces. Plus cocktails and other beverages, local snacks, and live music.
The Glen Arbor Holiday Marketplace bustles in late November.
Hill Top Holiday Market Nov. 22 | 2-5pm Hill Top Coffee & Ice Cream in Benzonia welcomes local craft vendors, a special holiday drink menu, homemade treats, and a photo opportunity with Santa Claus at its 3rd annual outdoor holiday gathering. Holiday Market at Castle Farms Nov. 27 5-9pm | Nov. 28 11am-4pm Part of the Deck the Halls at Castle Farms weekend in Charlevoix, this curated holiday market hosts local makers, bakers, artists, small businesses, unique gifts, crafts, and festive holiday decor.
Glen Arbor Holiday Marketplace Nov. 27 6:30-8pm | Nov. 28 10am-3pm | Glen Arbor Town Hall. Features a curated variety of local artisan goods. Holly Berry Arts & Crafts Fair Nov. 28 | 9am-3pm The 32nd annual indoor holiday craft fair takes place at Frankfort High School, with handcrafted goods, ornaments, home decor, jewelry, baked goods, and a holiday raffle. Empire Artisan Marketplace Nov. 28 | 10am-4pm | Empire Township Hall Local artisans and crafters selling unique holiday gifts, art, and handmade
Whimsical Christmas ornaments from Charlevoix Circle of Arts.
Jewelry displayed at the Jordan River Arts Council Holiday Gift Market.
items. Refreshments including community favorites like homemade to-go tamales.
Holiday Craft and Vendor Show Dec. 12 | 9am-3pm | The Ellison Place in Gaylord Numerous crafts and goods from various vendors, with swag bags for first 100 attendees and door prize entries for all.
Cadillac Farmers Holiday Market Nov. 30-Dec. 1, Dec. 7-8, Dec. 14-15 | 2-6pm | 117 W Cass St. Live Christmas music, holiday gifts, kids' activities, a variety of local vendors, and food and coffee trucks. Jingle Mingle Holiday Market and Craft Show, Dec. 4 4-8pm | Dec. 5 10am-3pm | The Olde Mill Venue in Marion The 7th annual event at features local holiday vendors, craft shopping, and seasonal treats.
Sip & Shop Holiday Bazaar Dec. 12 | 5-8pm | Veterans Park Pavilion, Boyne City Offering unique holiday gifts, including artwork, crafts, and artisan foods. Local wineries onsite will serve drinks with live music.
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Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 13
Stay Young, Go Dancing The northern Michigan ballroom dance scene is on the upswing
By Eric Cox The late celebrated actor and dancer Gene Kelly summed it up perfectly: “You dance love, and you dance joy, and you dance dreams.” Aside from mere physical movement, Kelly viewed dance as a kind of transcendental activity that provides another way of expressing love and happiness. Such lofty goals aren’t shared by every dancer, but some affiliated with Petoskeybased Ballroom Dance of Northern Michigan (BDNM) believe dance offers all that and more. Ballroom dancer Judy Wojcik helped found the nonprofit in 2006, and she’s been watching individuals and couples chase their dancing dreams for more than 20 years. “Laugh, Learn, Dance” is BDNM’s motto, and Wojcik welcomes anyone with a desire to cut loose, forget about daily troubles, and learn some classic dance moves in a fun, friendly environment. “You can’t really participate in dance class and think about things you’re worrying about or dragging you down,” she says. “It’s just a way to have fun. We want people to dance, laugh, learn and have fun.” Getting Started BDNM contracts with award-winning professional dance instructor Zoe MarshallRashid, who leads students through various
classic ballroom dances, including swing, waltz, foxtrot, rumba, merengue, cha-cha, tango, west coast swing, salsa, nightclub two step, the hustle, and others. Classes ($10 each, no RSVP or partner needed) take place Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Petoskey’s Crooked Tree Arts Center and Grand Unity Event Center, respectively. The art center classes are small due to limited space, but the event center is large. Wojcik says BDNM is growing, thanks to the larger space, with classes averaging about 25 students. Though interest is currently increasing, she says ballroom dance instruction is generally very transitory in nature. “We have to always be advertising and bringing in new people.” Wojcik, who has a degree in music education, tells Northern Express. “People leave. They get injured. They get married. There are seasonal students, people who are just passing through—it’s a very transient type of group. We have a core of dancers, but not enough to sustain the hiring of [full-time] instructor and paying rent. There’s so much turnover in a small community. If there aren’t new faces, you won’t survive.” Reaping the Benefits Since it waltzed back onto the national stage with shows like Dancing with the Stars
14 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
and So You Think You Can Dance, ballroom dancing has maintained a respectable following across a range of ages. Yet, the classes we attended slightly favored the gray-headed. That’s no coincidence, as retired people seek out other hobbies to replace work. And, according to Harvard Medical School, retirees could be doing a lot worse than ballroom dancing. “Scientists gave little thought to the neurological effects of dance until relatively recently, when researchers began to investigate the complex mental coordination that dance requires,” a 2015 article by the school says. “In a 2008 article in Scientific American magazine, a Columbia University neuroscientist posited that synchronizing music and movement—dance, essentially— constitutes a ‘pleasure double play.’ Music stimulates the brain’s reward centers, while dance activates its sensory and motor circuits.” The article referenced other studies in which patients with Parkinson’s disease and dementia benefited from dance. According to the Harvard Medical School article, “...dance helps reduce stress, increases levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin, and helps develop new neural connections, especially in regions involved in executive function, long-term memory, and spatial recognition.”
Everything at Once Sixty-seven-year-old Paul Krecke of Petoskey echoed those findings. Not only did he meet his wife through dancing, but he also served on the BDNM board for 12 of the 15 years he’s been ballroom dancing. At first, Krecke was just looking for some kind of evening social pursuit he could do locally. He found the ballroom dance group and never looked back. “[Ballroom dancing] is social; it’s mental; it’s physical. It’s everything at once. It’s what I do on Tuesday nights,” he says. Also a trail runner and pickleball player, Krecke says he uses the other activities to stay in shape for dancing, instead of the other way around. “I love movement of all kinds,” he said “…and [ballroom dancing] is an example of something with movement, learning, and laughing.” Aside from the wellness aspects of dance, Krecke says his skills also have practical value. “The biggest benefit for me is that, when I’m at a wedding or social situation, I can now get out of my chair with my wife and do something about that, as opposed to just watching everyone else [dance].” In the Swing of Things As for Wojcik, she’s loved to dance since her teen years. “But, I had never done ballroom dance,” she explains. “There was a
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big void in this area. There was no place to go, and for a long time, [BDNM] was one of the area’s best kept secrets.” But, now the secret is out, and classes are ongoing each week. Instructor MarshallRashid says there are unlimited opportunities for Michiganders to learn some classic steps. She’s been teaching dance since 2011, after attending San Francisco’s Ballroom Dancing Teachers College, where she earned a teacher’s certification after an eight-month program. She then worked with a coach in a California studio and began competing in pro-am dance competitions. She and her instructor posted first-place finishes in both the San Francisco Open and the U.S. Dance Championships. Now Marshall-Rashid welcomes ballroom dance students with a smile and a gentle teaching touch. “Dancing is this great activity that
combines exercise and social interaction,” she says. “Plus, it’s great for cognitive skills because you’re learning something new and memorizing it.” Marshall-Rashid says that working with beginner students is her favorite part of the job. “I feel like ballroom partner dance and social dancing is especially good for adult beginners,” she explains. “That’s kind of my niche—working with people who are scared of dancing, and it may feel out of reach for them. This is a healthy activity, and I love welcoming new people in and showing them how accessible ballroom dancing is for everyone.” To learn more about northern Michigan dancing opportunities, visit ballroomdanceofnor thernmichigan. com or Marshall-Rashid’s website, petoskeyballroom.com.
TAKE A CLASS
BDNM has seven more classes scheduled through the end of the year focused on learning the salsa and the waltz. Meanwhile, Marshall-Rashid always offers the option to book private lessons (prices range from $40-$75). Recitals and showcases are also part of BDNM’s offerings. Students who opt in get to demonstrate their skills at public events, usually at the Grand Unity Events Center. In fact, the fall showcase will take place on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 4pm. Marshall-Rashid also offers youth dance classes. She teaches a kids (ages 5-9) salsa class, the last session of which drew seven students. She’ll also be offering a creative movement class for kids (ages 2-4) through Crooked Tree Arts Center in 2027. Private dance lessons for all ages are available.
Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 15
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16 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
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Reaching the Boiling Point
Traverse City’s International Affairs Forum welcomes author Stephen Kinzer to discuss the Russia/Ukraine war
By Art Bukowski “Unprovoked.” There was that word again. Over and over and over. It was enough to drive Stephen Kinzer nuts. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, the focus was on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s display of (as it was widely referred to) unprovoked aggression. Much of the world condemned the action at the time and still views it primarily as a war of Russian hostility. Stephen Kinzer knows better. The former New York Times foreign correspondent and historian has authored several books about American intervention in other countries, and he’ll tell you of a long and sometimes sordid history of American actions (and inactions) that ultimately “set the stage” for war in Ukraine. “What really set me off was that one word. [The invasion] was illegal under international law, but unprovoked, it certainly was not,” Kinzer says. “If you look at what happened on February 22, 2022, [you assume] that the whole war is Russia’s fault. But that one day should actually be seen as just one frame in a very long movie. And if you haven’t seen what led up to it, you don’t understand it.” Kinzer set out to explain all of this backstory in Boiling Point: How America Brought War to Ukraine, out Nov. 3 from Henry Holt and Co. He’ll be in Traverse City to discuss this book at the 33rd season of the International Affairs Forum on Nov. 12. IAF leaders are excited to have Kinzer discuss one of the most significant geopolitical events of this generation. “Our strength is bringing the most timely, relevant, expert voices and scholars and thought leaders to the community whenever we can and as often as we can,” IAF Director Alex Tank says. A History of Poking the Bear Kinzer’s book details more than seven decades of American activity in Ukraine
that ultimately led to war, starting right after World War II when the “CIA started dropping armed commandos into Ukraine with the aim of fomenting a war” followed by “all kinds of propaganda and covert action” in the decades since. All of this had the goal of keeping Russia in check, if not directly antagonizing Russia or its leaders, Kinzer says. “This book goes back 75 years and shows how the United States has been relentlessly seeking to use Ukraine as a battering ram against Russia,” Kinzer says. The real turning point came in 1991, Kinzer says, with the fall of the Soviet Union and the independence of Ukraine. Instead of agreeing that Ukraine should be neutral, the United States has tacitly (and at times explicitly) pushed for Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was formed to counter Soviet influence and aggression. “We ignored Russian protests and insisted that we were going to push NATO right into Ukraine, and that Russia would have to accept an enemy military alliance right on its border. It would be the equivalent of, say, a Chinese naval base in Mexico, which the United States of course would never accept,” Kinzer says. “There were many experts who pointed out that Russia was not always going to be prostate, and no country can accept the advance towards its border of a military alliance of which it’s not a member. But we felt we had Russia at our mercy and that there wasn’t anything they could do about it.” The result was “the liquidation of the possibility that a peaceful Ukraine could have been a bridge between East and West rather than a territory they would both fight over,” Kinzer says. “We drew on decades and generations of anti-Russia passion that could have all disappeared with the end of the Soviet Union, but it didn’t,” he adds. The United States has sent mixed messages during the recent war itself, but Kinzer argues it was glad to see someone take
up arms against Russia. “[Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy at the beginning was willing to make a peace deal, but the Americans and the British refused to accept that and sent an envoy to Kiev to tell Zelenskyy not to sign,” Kinzer says. “So right now I think Zelenskyy might be thinking to himself, ‘Trump is angry at me because I’m not making a deal, but the reason I’m not making a deal is because the Americans told me not to make a deal.’” Ultimately, Kinzer has tremendous sympathy for the Ukrainian people. He covered the Contra war in Nicaragua in the 1980s, and he sees plenty of parallels. “Poor Nicaragua just happened to be the stage on which giant outside powers fought and the country was destroyed, tens of thousands of kids were killed,” he says. “I think something similar is happening in Ukraine. I feel so sorry for Ukraine, that Ukraine by an accident of history and geography wound up being the stage on which Russia and the United States are working out their anger toward each other.” Telling the Story Very few Americans are aware of this history, Kinzer says, and he’s glad to be able to put it all out there. “All of this campaign against Ukraine over 75 years unfolded more or less in secret. Nobody’s ever put the story together the way I have in this book,” Kinzer says. That said, he wants people to come to their own conclusions. “My book is strictly a presentation of fact. It is not a polemic. It doesn’t make an argument. Every sentence or every paragraph has a footnote in the back. Everything in there is what happened,” he says. “My only goal is that when people make up their minds about how the Ukraine war started, that they at least know the facts and just don’t swallow it all in one word: Unprovoked.” Kinzer leans heavily on primary source documents in this and other works. “One theme in all of my writing has been
trying to place facts in connection with each other, to show you how one thing leads to another,” he says. “I think Americans have this idea that world crises tend to explode out of nowhere. That they just burst out mainly because people are evil, people are warlike, but this is actually not true.” While this blend of historical and political nonfiction can seem unapproachable to some readers, Kinzer prides himself in crafting a compelling read. “I am a great believer in telling stories. I like to be cinematic [and] I like to bring readers into the story,” he says. “I do not write scholarly analyses. I want a story to be fast-moving and character driven, and in this book, you’re going to meet some amazing characters.” He learned many things himself while writing and researching, which he says is “the best part of writing a book.” “One of them is that for decades, United States policy toward Russia and toward Ukraine was made by officials in Washington whose ethnic background was in Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union. These are people who grew up with impassioned hatred for Russia. It was bred into them with their mother’s milk,” he says. “There’s no other example in the history of American foreign policy of people from a region penetrating so fully into the American foreign policy establishment and shaping hostile policies towards the power that they blame for their families’ ancestral troubles.” About the Event Catch Kinzer at Traverse City’s IAF on Thursday, Nov. 12, at Milliken Auditorium (1701 E. Front St.) in Traverse City. A reception is set for 6pm and the event will start at 7pm. Signed copies of Boiling Point will be available from Artemis Books & Goods. Inperson admission is $20/person ($25 at the door), $10 for virtual admission, and free for students, educators, and IAF members. Get tickets and learn more at tciaf.com/eventnovember-12-2026.
Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 17
PHYSICAL THERAPY INSIDER How increased mobility can assist with aging
By Lourin Sprenger In your fifties and beyond, every passing day can bring new creaks, stiffness, and the urge to grab the elevator rather than take the stairs. Some of these changes are a natural part of aging, but experts say we can slow down the process with a little movement. More often than not, not being active enough is keeping us from living the lives we want. For adults 55 and older, physical therapy can be an important tool not only for recovering from an injury or surgery, but also for maintaining strength, improving balance, and addressing movement limitations before they become bigger obstacles. “The biggest threat that’s there amongst most people is a lack of mobility,” says Ben Fuson, doctor of physical therapy at Superior Physical Therapy. “They don’t realize that. They just have pain. It gets to the painful level, and it’s really that they’ve lost mobility or they’re not moving as much as they did 10 years before.” Shoulder and rotator cuff problems, balance issues, and recovery from joint replacement surgeries are among the concerns Fuson commonly sees. However, the issue that brought the patient into the office is rarely the main problem. The underlying issue is often more complicated. At Pure Form Physical Therapy and Wellness, owner Julia Otwell takes a similar whole-body approach. A painful knee, for example, may not be a knee problem alone. “While structural changes like severe arthritis many times require medical or surgical intervention, arthritis is rarely the whole story,” Otwell says. “Often, the knee is painful because the joints above or below it isn’t moving well or carrying their fair share of the load.” According to Otwell, improving mobility in the hips and ankles and strengthening the muscles that support the knee can make a big impact. The goal is to give the body the support it needs to move comfortably. Adjust Your Mindset It’s easy to attribute stiffness, reduced flexibility, or loss of balance to age. Fuson encourages people not to assume those changes are permanent. He points to everyday activities that can become unexpectedly difficult: turning to look behind you while backing out of a driveway, reaching a high shelf, or getting down on the floor and back up again. “Stiffness, not moving, and weakness are all things that can change,” Fulson explains. “The same goes for balance.” Even an arthritis diagnosis doesn’t automatically mean a person will be forced to live with pain or limited movement. While some conditions require medical intervention, physical therapy can help people improve how they move and build strength around affected joints. Another reason to seek help sooner rather than later is the body’s ability to compensate. When one area isn’t working properly, other parts of the body may pick up the slack. Over time, those adjustments can become habitual, potentially contributing to additional discomfort or limitations. “The longer you wait, the harder it is for those compensations to become undone,” Fuson says. Small Movement, Meaningful Results Maintaining mobility doesn’t necessarily require an elaborate workout routine or a gym membership. Both therapists emphasize the importance of regular movement, strength, and consistency. Otwell recommends finding activities that bring enjoyment, whether walking, joining a fitness class, or working with a
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personal trainer. Group classes can offer an added benefit: accountability and community. For people who aren’t sure where to start, a physical therapist can help establish a safe, manageable plan based on individual abilities and goals. Fuson also recommends walking, along with exercises that build strength and balance. One simple option is practicing sit-to-stands from a sturdy chair, which works many of the same muscles involved in squatting and getting up from a seated position. Balance can be incorporated into everyday routines, too. Fuson suggests what he calls “toothbrush exercises”: practicing standing on one leg while brushing your teeth, with a hand near a countertop for support. (Anyone with significant balance concerns should choose exercises appropriate to their abilities and use support to reduce the risk of falling.) Strength training is especially important as people age, Fuson says, because it supports not only movement and muscular strength but also bone health and bone density. Otwell encourages people to remember that exercise doesn’t have to be intense or done like the fitness gurus on Instagram. “An exercise plan does not have to be perfect to be effective,” she says. “Consistency will always beat out perfection.” Another habit worth changing is sitting for long, uninterrupted periods. Otwell recommends incorporating what she calls “movement snacks” throughout the day: short walks, quick stretches, or simply changing positions. “Our bodies love to move, and they thrive on variety,” she says. Get in Before It Hurts One of the biggest misconceptions about physical therapy is that a person must be injured or experiencing significant pain before making an appointment. Both therapists stress that’s not the case. Fuson compares preventative physical therapy to visiting the dentist for a routine cleaning. Rather than waiting until something hurts, people can check in to identify potential problems and address them early. “You don’t have to be in pain to come into PT,” he says. “Some of the most valuable things that PTs do is that preventative side of it.” A movement assessment may reveal stiffness, weakness, or balance concerns a person hasn’t yet recognized as a problem. Addressing those issues early can help people remain active and potentially avoid more significant setbacks. At Pure Form, Otwell begins with a 75-minute initial evaluation, allowing time to discuss a patient’s health history and goals, assess movement, provide hands-on treatment, and develop a plan. Whether someone arrives with a specific ache or simply wants to move
Fuson
better, the goal is to understand how the body functions as a whole and identify opportunities for improvement. Treatment frequency varies depending on the person’s needs. Otwell says a preventative movement checkup may take just one or two sessions, while a chronic or long-standing problem may require physical therapy once or twice a week for six to eight weeks. (People may notice improvements earlier, she adds.) Putting in the Work at Home Physical therapy also requires work outside the clinic. Fuson emphasizes that home exercises are an essential part of treatment because appointments represent only a small fraction of a person’s week. Learning why exercise matters and practicing it consistently can help patients build skills they can use long after treatment ends. The value of physical therapy isn’t measured only by reduced pain or a stronger muscle. It can also mean maintaining the ability to travel, garden, play with grandchildren, navigate stairs, or continue participating in favorite activities. For those who have become less active or feel intimidated by exercise, the first step can be modest. A short daily walk, a few minutes of stretching, or a conversation with a physical therapist can help establish a starting point. If walking or everyday activities cause pain, or if balance, strength, or mobility are noticeably declining, it’s worth discussing those changes with a health care professional rather than assuming they’re simply part of getting older. Fuson’s advice is straightforward: don’t wait too long to address a problem…and keep moving. Otwell offers a similar reminder to anyone wondering whether it’s too late to start taking better care of their body. “Trust that your body is remarkably adaptable and capable of getting stronger at any age,” she says.
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20 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
“Jonesin” Crosswords "Against the Grain"--a few special breakfast items. by Matt Jones
ACROSS 1. Component of some salads 6. An HMO may require you to have one 9. Fall blossom 14. Nomo in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame 15. "The Serpent and the Rope" novelist Raja ___ 16. Get going 17. Mischievous visages 19. Airport circlers 20. Breakfast maker's reattempt? 22. Annoying one 23. Furtive 24. Personal emanation 25. Sigourney Weaver sequel of 1986 27. AMA members 28. Pac-Man enemy 29. Archbishop Desmond 32. Montreal baseball player, once 35. Integra maker 38. Detergent brand formulated for baby clothes 40. Pursue office 41. Late 1990s toy fad 42. Blunder 43. Ripening element 45. "Come Back, Little Sheba" playwright 46. Like most toothpaste 48. Have lunch 50. British mathematician and author (and "Celebrity Traitors" player) Fry 52. Daily Planet reporter Clark 54. Principle of Eastern religion 57. "___ all possible ..." 58. Obvious pop-up observation at breakfast? 61. Pumbaa's pal 63. Classification for yttrium or ytterbium 64. Blintz relative 65. Vat contents, maybe 66. Beach 67. "Siddhartha" author Hermann 68. Little ___ (viral late 2000s pitchman for Starburst Berries and Cream) 69. Grad student job
DOWN 1. Processes food? 2. Opponent 3. Impart knowledge to 4. ___-driving vehicle 5. "Great news!" 6. Earlier in time 7. Graphic design software company based in Australia 8. Be a model 9. ___-J (indie rock band) 10. Part of a maritime breakfast? 11. April filing 12. Aquafina competitor 13. Sits for a bit 18. Upcycle, maybe 21. Cheerleader's cheer 26. Bakery purchase 27. Comment about a breakfast item being the best? 28. Not there anymore 29. QB stats 30. Decorative server 31. Pub quiz creations 33. Revealing picture 34. Pooch with a curly tail 36. Late SCOTUS member 37. Yes vote 39. Subway option 44. "Cold Mountain" star Zellweger 47. Shakespearean pronoun 49. Bear witness 50. Sudden snag 51. Blazing 52. ___ Lumpur, Malaysia 53. Messed up 54. Judgement deck? 55. Jetson family pet 56. "Everything else" category 59. Like folk traditions 60. Diamond Head's island 62. "Born," in some announcements
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lOGY
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): How long has it been since you've meandered around a library? I'm old-fashioned about books, so that experience is high on my list of pleasurable adventures. I enjoy searching for specific books but I also love browsing the shelves without a fixed destination. Both approaches are valuable, though browsing often produces happy surprises. One unexpected title leads to another, opening pathways no search engine could have predicted. With this in mind, Scorpio, I recommend that you browse freely in the coming weeks. Wander through ideas, friendships, music, bookstores, museums, forests, conversations, and neighborhoods without demanding a predetermined outcome. Serendipity is preparing a curriculum especially suited to restless brilliance. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A bird doesn't perceive reflective glass as we do. To it, the spotless glass façade of a building may look like a continuation of the outdoors, with blue sky, clouds, tree canopy, or water. But humans have the know-how to create bird-friendly patterns that interrupt this illusion by giving the glass enough visual “texture” to register as a solid obstacle. With these visual clues, birds are less likely to collide with the structure. In the coming weeks, Leo, I hope you will summon comparable thoughtfulness. Your small gestures can protect others from unnecessary confusion or pain. You'll have extra power to express subtle kindnesses that free people to navigate the world more safely and confidently. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You may be feeling so physically well right now that it seems almost implausible. Your mind may be operating so sharply that you wonder whether you can trust it. Even love may appear so straightforward and righteous that part of you suspects you have misunderstood the signs. But that's the cosmic joke: These blessings don't come with an invoice or a looming punishment. You're allowed to receive them freely. Tell your harsh inner critic that its counsel isn’t needed. Then make ample room for the release and freedom that are unfolding.
LIBRA I’m not right 100 percent of the time,
but even when I’m not completely correct, I usually get close to at least one of the key truths simmering in your story. In the oracle you’re reading now, I’m offering a concise burst of guidance that I believe is even more likely than usual to be 100 percent accurate. I’m urging you to examine the balance of give-and-take in one specific relationship. Your gift for harmony can sometimes tip into always being the one who accommodates, adjusts, and gives more, until the scales sit lopsided and you barely notice. Investigate that possibility, please. Fixing the imbalance is an act of care for a bond that's worth keeping healthy.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There's
a Welsh word, hiraeth, that refers to a longing for a home that may never have existed. It’s a homesickness for a place or a way of being you can't actually return to and aren't sure was ever fully real. I bring this up, Sagittarius, because I suspect you're feeling the tug of distant horizons lately, a restless ache for an elsewhere you can't name. Don't dismiss this longing as mere wanderlust to be scratched with a plane ticket. Sit with it. Ask what it's pointing toward. The far country you ache for may be a quality of soul you're being called to cultivate right where you are. Your true destination might be more interior than you assume.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Engineers
who design a suspension bridge know the structure must be able to sway slightly in wind and weather. A perfectly rigid structure would eventually crack under stress. In the coming weeks, I’m hoping you’ll incorporate extra doses of this paradoxical attitude. It’s crucial not just to grudgingly acknowledge but to fondly celebrate the fact that stability will thrive on generous flexibility. Some plans and convictions will grow even stronger because you’ll be willing to adjust and tinker with them.
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Astronomers sometimes revisit old telescope data using improved software. In doing so, they may discover planets or galaxies that had been hidden from them for years. The information was always there. Only the methods of perception changed. I suspect you're ripe for
22 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
NOV 02 - NOV 08 BY ROB BREZSNY
similar types of revelation, Aquarius. I invite you to return to old notebooks, abandoned ideas, neglected friendships, or forgotten ambitions. You may not have extracted all their value yet. Your present self possesses interpretive abilities that your former self lacked. Yesterday's overlooked clue may be tomorrow's breakthrough.
PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Nineteenth-
century Piscean composer and pianist Frédéric Chopin poured an almost unbearable tenderness into his nocturnes and preludes. His delicate, intimate music is among the most emotional ever created. Evoking potent, mysterious feelings was his specialty. I propose we make him your inspirational role model. Please do everything you can imagine to express your deep feelings with artistry and intelligence. Be as sensitive and impassioned as you dare.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries psychologist
Abraham Maslow coined the term "peak experiences": surging upflows of heightened clarity, awe, vitality, and love. He also identified another category, "plateau experiences." These are gentler but more enduring states, characterized less by ecstatic fireworks than by a leisurely delight in being alive. I believe you’re in a phase that favors those plateau experiences. So the semi-bad news is that you may not be besieged by a nonstop flood of spectacular epiphanies. The good news is that you'll harvest a steady stream of subtle amazements. Your gratitude may be less dramatic but more sustained. A calm, glowing contentment can teach you all you need to know right now.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A finely crafted
mechanical watch depends upon many gears moving at different speeds. Some spin rapidly, while others barely move. Yet each contributes to the overall success of timekeeping. Please remember this when you get restless about your uneven progress. Not every area of your life can or should be in dynamic motion simultaneously. One project may require vigorous action while another benefits from patient incubation. A single standard of productivity isn't right for you these days. Harmonious coordination among different rhythms serves you best.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I invite you and
urge you to ruminate about the stories you've been telling about yourself. Are they still accurate? Still empowering? Or have some become outdated myths that no longer honor your ripening identity? During the coming weeks, I predict you will be energized as you revise your personal mythology with imaginative generosity. It’s time to retire narratives that shrink you. Reinvent an old saga so it makes you more of a hero and less of a victim. Compose two fun new tales that are spacious enough to accommodate the curious beauty you're on your way to becoming.
CANCER
(June 21-July 22): Among elephants, older matriarchs lead the herd. They carry detailed memories of watering holes, migration routes, and old brushes with danger. During tough times, their accumulated experience becomes indispensable. This fact of nature reminds me that your own history contains wisdom you haven't fully appreciated. And now is an excellent phase to bring it all into your conscious awareness. Instead of dwelling on old disappointments or sad mistakes, focus intensely on what durable knowledge you've harvested from living through them. Your future and the futures of those you care for will improve in direct proportion to the respect you show your past. The point is to recognize yourself as an increasingly skillful keeper of hard-earned sagacity.
oct 31
Saturday
18TH ANNUAL ZOMBIE 5K RUN: 9am, Right Brain Brewery, TC. Proceeds benefit TART Trails. Stick around after the race for a medal ceremony, costume prizes, music, post-race refreshments & zombie socializing. $25-$35. traversetrails.org/event/zombie-run ---------------------------------MORALLY GREY 5K RUN/WALK: 9am, Magnus Park, Petoskey. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Great Start Collaborative & Family Coalition of Charlevoix, Emmet, & Northern Antrim counties. Register. $45. runsignup.com/ Race/MI/Petoskey/MorallyGrey5K ---------------------------------SKI SWAP: 9am-2pm, James Bay, lower level of Crystal Center, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Sell your skis, boots, snowboards, poles & goggles, as well as clean & lightly used ski & snowboard outerwear. Drop off at lower level of Crystal Center, Oct. 29 from 9am-3pm; & Oct. 30 from 1-7pm. 25% of the proceeds from this event benefits local high school teams & the Crystal Community Ski Club. Unsold equipment must be picked up after the sale, between 2-4pm. crystalmountain.com/events-activities/ events/event-calendar/ski-swap ---------------------------------DOWNTOWN PETOSKEY TRICK OR TREAT: Join for a trick-or-treating adventure throughout the downtown stores. Meet at Central Elementary School at 9:45am to kick off the costume parade. The parade will begin at 10am, starting from Central Elementary & marching down Howard St. to Mitchell St. petoskeydowntown.com/events/halloween-fun ---------------------------------DOWNTOWN TC HALLOWEEN WALK: 10-11:30am, downtown TC. Wear your costume & enjoy trick or treating, family friendly activities, candy & more! Held on Front St., State St., Old Town, West Front, & surrounding side streets. downtowntc.com/events/ downtown-halloween-walk.html ---------------------------------TRAVERSE CITY REPAIR CAFE: FALL EDITION: 10am, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Partners Green Door Folk School & the rockstar fixers will be back! Free. tadl.org/repaircafe2026 ---------------------------------SAY NO TO ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE & MANIPULATION OF CONGRESS: 11am, Grandview Parkway + Union St., TC. Protest Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people & manipulation of the American government. mideastjustpeace.net ---------------------------------SAFETY BOO BASH: Noon, Station 12, 2025 N. East Silver Lake Rd., TC. Join
Grand Traverse Metro Fire Dept. for a Halloween afternoon. Enjoy trick-or-treating, games, & community resources, all while learning some safety tips along the way. Enter for your chance to win a free one-night stay at Great Wolf Lodge. Free. facebook. com/share/1EtAZDz2C8 ---------------------------------HALLOWEEN AT POND HILL FARM, HARBOR SPRINGS: Halloween Kids Costume Contest at 1:15pm, followed by the Giant Pumpkin Explosion at 2pm. pondhill.com ---------------------------------HALLO-READ: 2pm, Interlochen Public Library. Show off your costume, enjoy the party, & celebrate the season with neighbors & friends. Free. InterlochenPublicLibrary.org ---------------------------------CEDAR CHAMBER TRUNK OR TREAT: 3-5pm, downtown Cedar. Free. facebook. com/share/1LZSxbCyh7 ---------------------------------ANNUAL DOWNTOWN BELLAIRE TRICK OR TREATING: 5-8pm, Bridge St., downtown Bellaire. ---------------------------------ARCADIA TRUNK OR TREAT: Arcadia Historical Museum. Parking: 4:30-5pm; Trunk or Treat: 5-7pm; Museum Flashlight Tour with Spooky Surprises: 6-7pm. Free hot dogs, brats, chips & pop. arcadiamimuseum.org/event-list ---------------------------------ELLSWORTH COMMUNITY TRUNK OR TREAT: 5-7pm, Ellsworth Community Park. Presented by Ellsworth DDA & community businesses, organizations & churches. For all ages. ---------------------------------EMPIRE TRUNK-OR-TREAT: 5-6:30pm, Front St., Empire. Sponsored by the Empire Area Community Center. Free hotdogs & chips supplied by Empire Methodist Church. Free. empireareacommunitycenter.org ---------------------------------MACKINAW CITY TRUNK OR TREAT: 5-7pm, Old School Park, Mackinaw City. ---------------------------------TRICKS, TREATS & TALES AT THE LIBRARY: 5-7pm, Bellaire Public Library. ---------------------------------“MOBY DICK: REHEARSED”: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Harvey Theatre. Experience one of the great American novels reimagined through the visionary theatrical style of Orson Welles. $19-$24. interlochen.org/concerts-and-events/allevents?search=Moby+Dick ---------------------------------DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. When her sister falls ill with a mysterious disease, Lucy & her fiance Jonathan seek out the dangerous & sexy Count Dracula. $25-$35. oldtownplayhouse.com/performances/mainstage/dracula.html
oct/nov
31-08 send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com
City Park Grill, Noggin Room, Palette Bistro, Walloon Lake Inn, Vintage Chophouse & Wine Bar… just a few stops participating in Fall 2026 Petoskey Restaurant Week, Nov. 6-15. Enjoy special menus, prices and more! See a list of Petoskey area participating restaurants: petoskeychamber.com/petoskey-restaurant-week.
nov 01
Sunday
“MOBY DICK: REHEARSED”: (See Sat., Oct. 31, except today’s time is 2pm.) --------------------CYCLES: FOUR CENTURIES. ONE MUSICAL THREAD.: 4pm, Mission Hill Church, TC. The Dido Ensemble, a new professional chamber orchestra, creates an intimate, immersive & adventurous listening experience. $20 suggested donation. ---------------------------------FORMULA 1 FREE WATCH PARTIES: MEXICO: 5pm, The Bay Community Theatre, Suttons Bay. Experience the races on the big screen! Includes Formula 1 games. thebaytheatre.org/home-page
nov 02
monday
MOBILE FOOD PANTRY: 4-6pm, The Presbyterian Church of TC, 701 Westminster Rd. All are welcome - no proof of need required. Drive through or walk up. Enter from south off Indian Trail. Food given typically includes fresh produce, shelf-stable pantry items, dairy products, & sometimes frozen meat/ produce. Held every first & third Mon. of the month. Free. tcpresby.org/2026/10/26/mobile-food-pantry ---------------------------------LET’S TALK WATER: 5-6:30pm, The Friendship Community Center, Suttons Bay. The Watershed Center invites the public to attend an engaging community panel dis-
Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 23
cussion on water quality issues & solutions in the Grand Traverse Bay watershed. Free. ---------------------------------SAFETALK SUICIDE PREVENTION: 5-6:30pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Make a connection, save a life - workshop. Free.
nov 03
tuesday
INTERLOCHEN WOMEN’S CLUB FALL BAKE SALE: Tom’s Food Markets, Interlochen. Runs from 10am until the goodies run out. Proceeds benefit the Interlochen community: local scholarships, Interlochen Public Library, EMS services, Redeemer food pantry & more. Donation only fundraiser. ---------------------------------NORTHPORT WOMEN’S CLUB: 1pm, Trinity Church Fellowship Hall, Northport. Sheen Watkins will discuss her Life in Front of the Lens. Guests are welcome to attend for the program & snacks. Call Susan McGalliard: 231-631-8084. Free. ---------------------------------SHIP YARD SERIES FOR LOCAL, EMERGING ARTISTS W/ CLAIRVØYANT & THIRTY BELOW: 5:30-8:30pm, The Alluvion, TC. Since 2022 Clairvøyant has been bringing mosh pits all over northern Michigan, playing & taking inspiration from genres such as metalcore, nu metal & doom metal. Aaron Schurg & Eli “Young Blood” Hacker make up Thirty Below. They both will bring their two acoustic/electric guitars. Suggested donation at door. thealluvion.org/tickets/alluvion-ship-yard-11-3-26 ---------------------------------“NEVER LET ME GO”: 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Set in an alternate version of England, “Never Let Me
Go” follows three friends—Kathy, Tommy, & Ruth—whose lives unfold at a secluded boarding school before they begin to discover the unsettling truth about their futures. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel. Pay what you choose. greatlakescfa.org/events/ detail/never-let-me-go
nov 04
wednesday
WHO WILL KEEP LEELANAU WORKING?: Noon, Leelanau County Government Center, Suttons Bay. A Conversation About Housing, Workers, & the Future of Our Community. Presented by The League of Women Voters of Leelanau County. Free. lwvleelanau. org/post/who-will-keep-leelanau-working ---------------------------------PETOSKEY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2026 BUSINESS EXPO: 5-7:30pm, Odawa Casino Resort, Ovation Hall, Petoskey. Includes more than 70 area businesses & organizations participating, including restaurants who will be offering a Taste of Petoskey. Bring your business cards for a chance to win prizes. $10-$15. petoskeychamber.com ---------------------------------OWL PROWL WITH BRAD VON BLON: 6pm, Seberon “Boo” Litzenburger Nature Preserve, Harbor Springs. After dark, these birds come to life! Try to call in owls & learn all about these birds! Register. landtrust.org/eventstemplate/owl-prowl-with-brad-von-blon ---------------------------------JAZZ SHOWCASE: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. Interlochen Arts Academy’s jazz students bring the sweet sounds of swing to TC. Join the Jazz Orchestra & Jazz Combo for a diverse program of standards & contempo-
rary charts. $10-$25. interlochen.org/events/ jazz-showcase-city-opera-house-2026-11-04 ---------------------------------SINGER-SONGWRITER: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Dendrinos Chapel & Recital Hall. Interlochen Arts Academy singer-songwriter students perform original songs in a variety of contemporary & traditional styles. $14-$17. interlochen.org/events/singer-songwriter-11042026-2026-11-04
nov 05
thursday
SONS OF NORWAY MEETING: 5:30pm, 203 N. Lincoln Ave., Suttons Bay. --------------------------------CASSIE & MAGGIE: The Platform @ Chalfonte Theatre, Elk Rapids. Acclaimed Nova Scotian folk duo Cassie & Maggie performs an all-ages concert celebrating contemporary & traditional Celtic music. Doors open at 6pm, with the performance beginning at 7pm. $20-$25. chalfonte.org ---------------------------------DAVID CROSS: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. This acclaimed comedian, actor, writer, & producer is best known as the co-creator & star of the influential HBO sketch series Mr. Show with Bob and David, & for his iconic role of Tobias Fünke. $20-$98. cityoperahouse.org/events/david-cross ---------------------------------CLOSE TO YOU: 7:30pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. When he returns home for his father’s birthday, a man finds that his family is struggling to accept his transition. Presented by Benzie Area Pride Network. Free. gardentheater.org/comingsoon
nov 06
friday
KALKASKA FESTIVAL OF TREES: 9am-6pm, Northland Plaza, Kalkaska, Nov. 6-14. Help feed neighbors in need. Proceeds are donated to food pantry at KAIR. Many decorated & themed Christmas trees, gift baskets, & gift cards up for raffle. Sat., Nov. 7 ONLY includes Family Day from 1-3pm with Santa, real reindeer & sweet treats. roadtrip.waoonetwork.com/ event/1201375/2026-kalkaska-festival-of-trees ---------------------------------DENNOS HOLIDAY ARTIST MARKET: 10am-4pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Featuring more than 30 talented Michigan artists. Handcrafted ornaments, holiday greeting cards, stocking stuffers & more. Free admission to Museum. shop.dennosmuseum.org ---------------------------------FESTIVAL OF TREES, TC: Nov. 6-8, Grand Traverse Mall, TC. Today runs from 10amnoon. Holiday shopping with a purpose: Emporium delites, Tall trees, Foodie Friday, Sunday crafts with Santa & more! Proceeds benefit the Zonta Club of Traverse City supporting local initiatives empowering women & families. Suggested donation: $2-$5. zontacluboftraversecity.org/festival-of-trees ---------------------------------FALL 2026 PETOSKEY RESTAURANT WEEK: Petoskey area, Nov. 6-15. Enjoy special menus & prices at participating restaurants. See web site for more info. petoskeychamber.com/petoskey-restaurant-week ---------------------------------TRAVERSE CITY BEER WEEK: Nov. 6-14. An annual celebration of the region’s craft beer & cider scene. Sign up for the official Traverse City Beer Week passport to view
Voter Guide November 3, 2026 John James * Jay DeBoyer Governor * Lt. Governor
Anthony G. Forlini Secretary of State
Doug Lloyd Attorney General
Edwin Dean 103rd District Rep. in MI State Legislature
John DaMoose 37th District MI State Senator
Terence Collins Bree Moeggenberg MI Board of Education
Mike Rogers U.S. Senator for MI NON-PARTISAN POSITIONS JUDGE of MI SUPREME COURT
Casandra Morse-Bills Michael Warren JUDGE OF MI COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT 4
Michael J. Kelly JUDGE OF CIRCUIT COURT 13TH CIRCUIT COURT
Kevin A. Elsenheimer
Leelanau County Melvin Black Road Commission Melinda Lautner Drain Commission
Jack Bergman MI 1st Dist. U.S. Rep. in Congress Lena Epstein Michael Schostak Regents of UofM Julie Maday Roger Victory Trustee of MSU Andy Anuzis Christa Murphy Governor of Wayne State
Watch your ballot flipside for... LOCAL PROPOSALS . TOWNSHIP & VILLAGE POSITIONS. SCHOOL BOARDS
Village of EMPIRE
BINGHAM Township
NEW MEN U COM ING SOO N!
TWINBIRCHGOLF.COM KALKASKA, MI
24 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
EMPIRE Township President Treasurer partial thru2028 Supervisor partial thru2028 3 Trustees 4year term Mary Ann Korson -Treasurer Clerk partial thru2028 Mark Dunphey – Trustee 1 Trustee partial thru2028 2 Trustees partial thru2028 1 Trustee partial thru2028 Sandra Grant - Trustee Casey Noonan – Trustee Village of Northport President 3 Trustees 4year term
Glen Lake School Board
Village of Suttons Bay
Paid for with regulated funds by Leelanau County Republican Party 12161 S. Coleman Rd. Empire MI 49630
**Your **Your Vote Matters! VOTE REPUBLICAN to SAVE MICHIGAN!**
3 Trustees Has 2 spots 6year Terms Suttons Bay School Board And 1 spot partial thru2028 has 3 spots 4 year Terms Leelanau Township James B. White Leland Township has several Proposals 1 Trustee partial thru2028 and 1 spot partial thru2028 Traverse City School Board Judith Ann Galla -Trustee Write-in Tim Bolin Has 4 spots 4year Terms Northport School Board Leland School Board Charmaine Lipscomb has 2 spots 6year Terms has 2 spots 4year Terms Beth E. Pack and 1 spot partial thru2028
participating locations, redeem special offers, & earn points towards an exclusive prize. traversecity.com/tcbw/beer-week-aletrail ---------------------------------FRIENDS OF TADL FALL BOOK SALE: Traverse Area District Library, TC. Members Only Pre-Sale on Fri., Nov. 6 from 5:30-8pm (membership sign-up available at door). Sat., Nov. 7: 9am-6pm, sale open to the public; members receive 50% off. Sun., Nov. 8: noon-4:30pm; all day fill a bag for $5. friendsofthetraverseareadistrictlibrary.wildapricot. org/2026-fall-book-sale ---------------------------------CRYSTAL COMMUNITY SKI CLUB PRESENTS: “WARREN MILLER’S DAYS OFF”: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. Warren Miller’s 77th annual film returns this fall with the ultimate pre-season party with ski reps, ticket deals & more. Join host Katie Burrell to explore what the world’s best do on their day off—from Deer Valley to Canada, the deep powder of Japan, the spines of Alaska, & the steeps of Chamonix. $25. cityoperahouse. org/events/warren-millers-days-off ---------------------------------ELK RAPIDS PLAYERS PRESENTS LIONEL BART’S “OLIVER!”: 7pm, Historic Elk Rapids Town Hall. Based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel “Oliver Twist.” $18-$60. herthahall.com/er-players ---------------------------------THANKS-FOR-GIVING GLOW SKATE: 7-9pm, GT County Civic Center, Howe Ice Arena, TC. Hosted by NMC Professional Communications students. Provides Thanksgiving meals to the community. Admission is $10, & skate rentals are an extra $5. blogs.nmc.edu/?p=170117 ---------------------------------THE CLAUDETTES W/ LOST SWIMMER: 7-10pm, The Alluvion, TC. Chicago’s off-kilter band The Claudettes brings their blues & R&B that are laced with punk spirit & film-noir moods. Lost Swimmer will open the night with their dreamy, layered music. $30-$35. thealluvion.org/tickets/alluvion-presents-the-claudettes ---------------------------------NEXT FALL: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. This play focuses on the five-year relationship between Adam & Luke, & then goes beyond a typical love story. Luke is devoutly religious & Adam, an atheist. Their timely & compelling story forces you to examine what it means to “believe” & what it might cost you not to. $25. oldtownplayhouse.com/performances/studio-theatre/next-fall.html ---------------------------------NORTHLAND PLAYERS PRESENTS: 1776 THE MUSICAL: 7:30pm, The Cheboygan Opera House. This insightful & witty musical follows John Adams, Benjamin Franklin & Thomas Jefferson as they attempt to
convince the members of the Second Continental Congress to vote for independence from the British. Runs Nov. 6-14. $15-$25. theoperahouse.org ---------------------------------THE THANKSGIVING PLAY: 7:30pm, The MATCH, Cherryland Center, TC. Good intentions collide with absurd assumptions in Larissa FastHorse’s wickedly funny satire, as a troupe of terminally woke teaching artists scrambles to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Turkey Day & Native American Heritage Month. Show runs Nov. 6-15. $30-$35. solsticetheatrecompany.ludus.com
nov 07
saturday
ICEMAN COMETH CHALLENGE: 30 MILE RACE FOR 19+ & TANDEM, PLUS SNO CONE & POP-CYCLE ARE FULL: This mountain bike race starts at the Kalkaska Airport & finishes 30 miles later at Timber Ridge, TC. The course consists primarily of dirt roads, two-tracks, abandoned railroad beds & the Vasa Nordic ski trail. It crosses only one paved road as it winds through the terrain of the Pere Marquette State Forest in northern lower Michigan. Described as a half-frozen version of the Iceman, The Meijer Slush Cup course follows the Vasa 10K trail out around & back. The Meijer Sno-Cone is for ages 10 & under, with a half mile flat loop around Timber Ridge. The Pop-Cycle is a 1.5-mile kids’ bike race. Prices range from free - $140. Register. See web site for various starting times & fees. registericeman.com ---------------------------------ART & CRAFT SHOW: 9am-3pm, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, TC. Featuring more than 50 artists & crafters with handmade creations. This is a fundraiser for Bethlehem Lutheran Church & the Grand Traverse Baby Pantry. ---------------------------------FRIENDS OF TADL FALL BOOK SALE: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------KALKASKA FESTIVAL OF TREES: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------TOY TOWN TROT 5K: 9am; starts behind Toy Town at Lake St., Cadillac. Hosted by Toy Town of Cadillac & the Salvation Army of Cadillac. This event will raise money for Toys for Tots of Wexford & Missaukee counties. $30-$35. toytowncadillac.com/events ---------------------------------43RD ANNUAL HOLIDAY GIFT FAIR: 10am3pm, Bellaire Middle School. Featuring dozens of local vendors. Includes a Soup Cook-Off;
tickets available. Free admission. bellairechamber.org/2026/11/7/370109/43rd-annualholiday-gift-fair ---------------------------------ANNUAL TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH SCANDINAVIAN BAZAAR & BAKE SALE: 10am-2pm, Trinity Lutheran Church, Frankfort. Locally handmade crafts. Featuring Scandinavian gnomes made by crafty church elves & hand-crafted items not found elsewhere. Enjoy Scandinavian baked goods along with numerous tasty confections to jump start your holiday baking. trinityfrankfort.org ---------------------------------DENNOS HOLIDAY ARTIST MARKET: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------FESTIVAL OF TREES, TC: Nov. 6-8, Grand Traverse Mall, TC. Today runs from 10am6pm. Holiday shopping with a purpose: Emporium delites, Tall trees, Foodie Friday, Sunday crafts with Santa & more! Proceeds benefit the Zonta Club of Traverse City supporting local initiatives empowering women & families. Suggested donation: $2-$5. zontacluboftraversecity.org/festival-of-trees ---------------------------------SHOP YOUR COMMUNITY DAY: Downtown TC. Shop small, give big! 15% of every purchase at participating stores will be donated to one of 30 local nonprofit organizations. You choose which organization benefits from your purchase. downtowntc.com/ events/shop-your-community-day.html ---------------------------------TRAVERSE CITY CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL: 10am-2pm, City Opera House, TC. Book fair featuring 30+ award-winning children’s & YA book authors. Live performance by the OTP Young Company. Free kids’ activities & crafts. Free. cityoperahouse.org/events/traverse-city-childrens-book-festival ---------------------------------FALL 2026 PETOSKEY RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------WILD TURKEY TROT 5K: 11am, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire. Run or walk the designated course on race day with other participants, or run your own 5K at your own convenience & submit your time later if you can’t make the race day! grassriver.org ---------------------------------TRAVERSE CITY BEER WEEK: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY YOUTH ORCHESTRA & WIND SYMPHONY: 2pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. A shared concert exploring the color, energy, & expressive range of the symphonic tradition. $10-$25. interlochen.org/events/youthorchestra-and-wind-symphony-2026-11-07 ----------------------------------
ELK RAPIDS PLAYERS PRESENTS LIONEL BART’S “OLIVER!”: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------LIVE AT THE BAY: JACK M. SENFF & THE HEARTLAND MISSION WITH SLOW SPELL: 7pm, The Bay Community Theatre, Suttons Bay. $30-$35. thebaytheatre. org/movie/live-at-the-bay-jack-m-senff-theheartland-mission-with-slow-spell ---------------------------------MOTOWN DANCE REVIVAL: 7pm, Willowbrook Mill, Northport. Presented by Northport Promise. Spinning the tunes is DJ by NEWLEONARD. Dessert auction. Wear your best Motown. Snacks provided, cash bar. $30-$40. northportpromise.com ---------------------------------BLISSFEST TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY DANCE: 7:30-10pm, Alanson/Littlefield Community Hall. Music provided by John & Mike from the Lansing area with Larry Dyer calling. All dances taught (circles, contras, squares & more). No need to bring a partner. $15-$20; 12 & under, free. blissfest.org ---------------------------------NEXT FALL: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------NORTHLAND PLAYERS PRESENTS: 1776 THE MUSICAL: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------THE THANKSGIVING PLAY: (See Fri., Nov. 6)
nov 08
sunday
KALKASKA FESTIVAL OF TREES: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------FALL 2026 PETOSKEY RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------FESTIVAL OF TREES: Grand Traverse Mall, TC, Nov. 6-8. Today’s hours are noon-4pm. Holiday shopping with a purpose: Emporium delites, Tall trees, Foodie Friday, Sunday crafts with Santa & more! Proceeds benefit the Zonta Club of Traverse City supporting local initiatives empowering women & families. Suggested donation: $2-$5. zontacluboftraversecity. org/festival-of-trees ---------------------------------FRIENDS OF TADL FALL BOOK SALE: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------GRAND WEDDING EXPO: Noon, Castle Farms, Charlevoix. Featuring wedding vendors, food samples, prizes, & inspiration for your dream wedding. Plus, one lucky couple will win a Grand Giveaway Wedding with a complete wedding package provided by participating vendors. Free. castlefarms.
Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 25
PETOSKEY RESTAURANT WEEK
YES, PLEASE.
FRIDAY, NOV. 6 - SUNDAY, NOV. 15 Special Menus & Pricing
petoskeychamber.com
For Traverse City area news and events, visit TraverseTicker.com
com/event/grand-wedding-expo-2026-attendees-2 ---------------------------------TRAVERSE CITY BEER WEEK: (See Fri., Nov. 6) ---------------------------------STORIES OF LAKE MICHIGAN: 1:30pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Join composer Hannah Mufuka for an interactive afternoon of music, storytelling & connection. For this special performance, audience members will be seated on the stage floor with the artist, creating an immersive setting in which to experience traditional & contemporary mbira music from Zimbabwe, plus more. Mufuka will share stories about the mbira’s intimate relationship with water & invite audience members to share their own experiences with water & the Great Lakes. Free; tickets required. greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/ hannah-mufuka ---------------------------------NEXT FALL: (See Fri., Nov. 6, except today’s time is 2pm.) ---------------------------------NORTHLAND PLAYERS PRESENTS: 1776 THE MUSICAL: (See Fri., Nov. 6, except today’s time is 2pm.) ---------------------------------SONGS OF THE AMERICAN RAIL: 2pm, Helena Twp. Community Center, Alden. Folk musician & music historian Ben Traverse will be discussing the role trains play in American music & performing authentic historical music from the golden age of rail. 231-3314318. Free. ---------------------------------THE THANKSGIVING PLAY: (See Fri., Nov. 6, except today’s time is 2pm.) ---------------------------------ELK RAPIDS PLAYERS PRESENTS LIONEL BART’S “OLIVER!”: (See Fri., Nov. 6, except today’s time is 3pm.) ---------------------------------GREAT LAKES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA SUNDAY SERIES: NANCY STAGNITTA JAZZ TRIO: 4pm, First Presbyterian Church, Boyne City. 231-487-0010. Free. glcorchestra.org/sundayseries
helping hands
BUY ONE, GIVE ONE SOCK CAMPAIGN: East Jordan sock company, Socks Kick, teams up with Project Feed the Kids in TC for a Buy One, Give One sock campaign. For $10, customers get a pair of high-quality wool socks in a mystery color & design. For every pair purchased, Socks Kick donates another pair to Project Feed the Kids. Purchase at website: sockskick.com/products/givingsocks-buy-1-donate-1.
ongoing
THE DEAD ENDS ON SPRUCE: Oct. 1-31, Spruce St., TC. An ordinary home is transformed into a spooky & immersive haunted attraction. The display features elaborate Halloween decorations, eerie scenes, animatronics, special effects, & interactive elements for visitors of all ages. Find ‘The Dead Ends on Spruce’ on Facebook. ---------------------------------PETOSKEY BUDDHIST BOOK STUDY SANGHA: Tuesdays, 10am-noon through Dec. 8. First Presbyterian Church, Petoskey. Meditate, read together a current Buddhistfocused book, meet with Zen teacher. For more info contact: juliafogarty.jf@gmail.com or skiprenker@gmail.com.
26 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
art
INSIDE CROOKED TREE II: Crooked Tree Arts Center, Galleries, TC. Take a peek inside Crooked Tree, with an exhibition that celebrates the talented artists & creatives who make up the Crooked Tree Arts Center community. Featuring artwork by staff from both Crooked Tree locations, along with instructors & volunteers. Runs through Nov. 7. See web site for hours. crookedtree. org/events-and-exhibitions/exhibits/insidecrooked-tree-ii.html ---------------------------------THE LONG MOMENT: POLAROIDS & SOLARGRAPHS BY RACHEL WINSLOW: Leelanau Twp. Library, Northport. Rachel uses analog processes (light sensitive film & paper, vintage & pinhole cameras, etc.) to create atmospheric images of otherworldly proportions. Her exhibition, “The Long Moment,” brings together a selection of Polaroids & Solargraphs that portray life’s colors & tones at the crossroads between the imagined & real. The exhibition runs through Feb. 15. Closed on Sundays. See web site for hours. Free. leelanautownshiplibrary.org/team-1 ---------------------------------SHAPE, FORM & LIGHT 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY MEMBER EXHIBIT: Village Arts Building, Northport. Presented by the Northport Arts Association, this exhibit runs through Oct., Tues. through Sun., noon-4pm. Free. northportartsassociation.org/eventsexhibits ---------------------------------“HEART OF A TREE, SOUL OF A STORM”: Charlevoix Circle of Arts. A juried art exhibition featuring creative works rooted in a fallen tree & shaped by the 2025 ice storm that changed the landscape. Runs through Oct. See web site for hours. charlevoixcircle.org ---------------------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - ECHOES: REVISITING MEMORY: Held in Gilbert Gallery. Environments, places & landscapes shape our memories & experiences. “Echoes” explores how memories lose their clarity & change as we revisit them. The works on view reflect these varied reminiscences of environments that stay with us & reverberate in our minds over time. Runs through Oct. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/events-and-exhibitions/exhibits/echoes-revisiting-memory.html - “MODERN MOVEMENT: MARTHA GRAHAM & BARBARA MORGAN”: Held in Bonfield Gallery. Featuring original Barbara Morgan photographs of Graham & her company in the 1930s & 40s. Runs through Oct. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/events-and-exhibitions/exhibits/modern-movement.html ---------------------------------DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - DARRYL BROWN: “BUBBLES OF LOVE”: A dreamscape of both primitive & modern juxtaposed color & a whimsical journey that blends Atavistic Animism with a pure discovery in the moment & from different angles. Runs through March 28, 2027. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. Closed Mondays & major holidays. dennosmuseum.org/ art/upcoming-exhibitions - DRAWING TO MOTION: CONTEMPORARY INUIT ART FROM THE DENNOS MUSEUM: From spiritual & physical transformations to modes of transportation & scenes of daily life, this exhibition provides an intimate view into the hand-drawn & animated-byhand world of Inuit artists from the late 20th & early 21st centuries. Runs through May 30, 2027. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. Closed Mondays & major holidays. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions - MATERIAL WORLD: TEN WOMEN: An
invitational exhibition organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art, featuring women artists working with non-traditional materials or using traditional materials in non-traditional ways. Many of the works use found objects common to the everyday household, or bring elements from nature into inside spaces. Runs through Jan. 3, 2027. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. Closed on Mondays & major holidays. dennosmuseum.org/ art/upcoming-exhibitions - “FULL CIRCLE: WASTE PLASTIC TRANSFORMATIONS”: TC raised artist Simon Anton returns to the area with a body of sculpture & design objects built over the last 12 years at his Detroit Studio for his solo exhibit. Anton uses plastic sourced from Detroit neighborhoods, factory waste & the automotive industry. Runs through Aug. 8, 2027. Dennos Museum Center is open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm; closed Mondays. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions - REFLECTIONS ON COMMUNITY: 75 YEARS OF STUDENT VOICES: This exhibition celebrates NMC’s 75th Anniversary by exploring the college’s history through the eyes of those who experienced it firsthand – students. Runs through Jan. 3. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view/75-years-studentvoices.html ---------------------------------GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER: - “AT LEAST A DOZEN FRIENDS”: Held in Lobby Gallery. Margo Burian is known as a painter of quiet, atmospheric landscapes, waterscapes, farmsteads, & rowboats hitched to old docks. Over the years she has been developing a body of work based on collage, image transfer, & mixed media. Her exhibit runs through Dec. 17. See web site for hours. glenarborart.org/product/exhibitat-least-a-dozen-friends - SMALL WORKS HOLIDAY EXHIBIT: An annual showcase of 2D + 3D work, $150 or less, running Nov. 5 - Dec. 17. Featuring more than 100 works of art, 12 x 12 or smaller, by 25 artists working in glass, mixed media, collage, needlework, paper, paint, clay, & photography. See web site for hours. glenarborart.org ---------------------------------OLIVER ART CENTER: - ALL MEDIA JURIED EXHIBITION: Runs through Nov. 13. This exhibition showcases the best work of regional artists in all media. Open Tues.-Sat., 10am-4pm; Sun., noon4pm. oliverart.org - WINTER MARKET: Held in Fisher Room, Nov. 6 - Dec. 24. Featuring a collection of handmade gift items from a wide range of Michigan-based artists. Hours: Tues.-Sat.: 10am-4pm; Sun.: noon-4pm; closed Mon. oliverart.org
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LIAM WIERZBA (Senior - Traverse City West) Senior TC West Liam Wierzba Liam is a tri-athlete competing in cross country, track and cross country skiing. His success is due to his tremendous work ethic and determination. Liam is currently the top distance runner in northern Michigan
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Grand Traverse & Kalkaska CHATEAU GRAND TRAVERSE, TC 10/31 -- Barley Priest, 5-8 11/7 -- DJ Marco, 4-6 KILKENNY'S IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE, TC 10/30-31 – Timberline, 9:30 Mon. -- DJ Trivia, 7-9 Tues. -- The Will Harris Trio, 8-12 Weds. -- The Pocket Band, 8-12 Thurs. -- DJ Leo, 9:30-1:30 11/6-7 – Peril, 9:30 KINGSLEY LOCAL BREWING 11/3 -- Open Mic Night, 6-9 11/5 -- Trivia Night w/ Marcus, 6:30-9 LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC BARREL ROOM: 11/2 -- Open Mic w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9 LIL BO BAR & RESTAURANT, TC 8: 10/31 -- DJ Emcee Beats & Boos Dance Party 11/1 -- Scare-aoke 11/3 -- Trivia Night MARI VINEYARDS, TC 11/6 -- Jesse Jefferson, 4-6 MIDDLECOAST BREWING CO., TC 11/4 -- Trivia Night w/ Steveo, 7-9 11/5 -- Open Mic w/ Joe Domanick, 7-9 11/6 -- Rhett DeCouer, 6-9
NOCTURNAL BLOOM BREWING, TC 6-8: 11/2 -- TC Celtic 11/5 -- Trivia Night
THE HAYLOFT INN, TC 10/30-31 -- Cody Stewart & the Traverse City Troubadours, 7:30-11 11/4 -- Family Karaoke Night w/ Shooting Star, 6-10 11/6 -- Highway North, 7:30-11 11/7 -- Split Decision, 7:30-11
NORTH BAR, TC 11/4 -- Jim Hawley, 6-10 OLD MISSION DISTILLING, TC SEVEN HILLS: 10/31 -- Brady Corcoran, 6:308:30 11/6 -- Twilight Tunes - Dueling Pianos, 6 11/7 -- Jesse Jefferson, 6:30
nitelife
oct 31 - nov 08 Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com
THE LITTLE FLEET, TC 10/31 -- A Very Famous Halloween Party w/ DJ, 8
TC’s Blinker Fluid blends rock, folk, reggae and funk at The Workshop Brewing Co., TC, Sat., Nov. 7 from 7-9pm.
THE PUB, TC 10/31 & 11/7 -- DJ Producer AJ, 10 11/2 -- Karaoke, 8-11 11/4 -- Zeke Clemons, 7-10 11/6 -- DJ Vai, 10
RIGHT BRAIN BREWERY, TC 11/6-7 -- Kamikaze Comedy: Jay Hunter, 8
THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 10/31 -- Split Decision, 7-9 11/1 -- Stretch Stand-up Comedy Contest, 7-9 11/2 -- USS Comedy: Open Mic, 8-9:30 11/3 -- Open Mic w/ Zak Bunce, 6-10 11/4 -- Jazz Jam w/ Ron Getz, 6-9 11/5 -- DJ Trivia, 7-9 11/6 -- Red Thyme, 7-9 11/7 -- Blinker Fluid, 7-9 11/8 -- Full Tilt Comedy Presents: Comedy Lab, 6-8
SILVER SPRUCE BREWING, TC 11/6 -- Jim Hawley, 6-9 TC WHISKEY CO. - THE STILLHOUSE 10/31 -- Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Party w/ DJ, 7-10 THE ALLUVION, TC 10/31 -- The Rodney Whitaker Sextet, 7 11/2 -- Big Fun + DJ Ras Marco, 7-8:30 11/3 -- Ship Yard Series for Local, Emerging Artists w/ Clairvøyant & Thirty Below, 5:30-8:30 11/5 -- The Jeff Haas Trio feat. Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, 5:30-8 11/6 -- The Claudettes w/ Lost Swimmer, 7-10
TURTLE CREEK CASINO, WILLIAMSBURG WATERFALL, 6-10: 10/30-31 – 404 Delux 11/6-7 -- Avalon
Emmet & Cheboygan BOB'S PLACE, ALANSON 11/5 -- Singo, 6 BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY 2-6: 10/31 -- Michelle Chenard 11/7 -- Derek Boik BRANDY'S HARBORTOWN, BAY HARBOR 10/31 -- Derek Boik, 5 11/5 -- Adam Sandler Movie Trivia, 6 11/6 -- Brian Thomas, 5 11/7 -- Nelson Olstrom, 5-8
11/6 -- Karaoke, 9:30
11/3 -- Trivia, 6:30 11/6 -- Pete Kehoe, 5:30-8:30
GYPSY SPIRITS, PETOSKEY 10/31 -- Halloween Night w/ DJ Jawdy, 8
ODAWA CASINO RESORT, PETOSKEY VICTORIES: 11/7 -- DJ ODZ, 9
INDIAN RIVER GOLF CLUB BIRDIES: 11/7 -- Mike Ridley, 6-9
THE LARK LOUNGE, CHEBOYGAN 5:30-7:30: 11/5 -- Sam Schneider 11/6 -- Amanda Jane
INN BETWEEN, INDIAN RIVER 10/31 -- Camp Inn Between Halloween Party w/ DJ Brevin, 8
THE LARK THEATER, CHEBOYGAN 11/7 -- Magic Bus Unplugged, 6; 7:30 show SOLD OUT
NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY 10/31 -- Brett Hartfert, 7-9 11/6 -- Donald Benjamin, 7-10 11/7 -- Todd Aldrich, 7-10
THE WIGWAM, INDIAN RIVER 11/5 -- Dominic Fortuna, 7:309:30 11/6 -- Karaoke, 8-11
NORTHERN LIGHTS RECREATION, HARBOR SPRINGS
NoVEmBEr
CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 10/31 -- Halloween Bash w/ DJ Bill Da Cat, 9 11/3 -- Trivia Night, 7-9
Leelanau & Benzie BEL LAGO VINEYARD, WINERY & CIDERY, CEDAR 10/31 -- Hallo-Wine with Dominic Fortuna, 4-6 BIGLITTLE WINES, SUTTONS BAY 11/6 -- Bill Sears w/ Special Guests, 3-6 11/7 -- Randy Reszka, 2:30-5:30 CEDAR TAVERN 10/31 -- Jim Hawley, 1-4 CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE CRYSTAL CENTER, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES: 10/31 -- Dueling Pianos Hosted by Crystal Scholarship Foundation, 7-9 FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARD, CEDAR
11/6 -- Simple Machines, 4-7 IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE 5:30-7:30: 11/6 -- Matt Gabriel 11/7 -- Blair Miller LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 10/31 -- Daydrinkers Series w/ Anders Palarz, 3-6; The Dune Brothers, 6:30-9:30 11/4 -- Open Mic Night Hosted by Johnathon North, 6:30-9:30 11/5 -- Trivia Night, 7-9 11/6 -- Blue Footed Booby, 6:309:30 11/7 -- Wink Solo, 6:30-9:30 LEGENDS AND SPIRITS BAR & GRILL, BEULAH 11/6 -- Karaoke, 10
NORTHERN LATITUDES DISTILLERY, LAKE LEELANAU 11/6 -- Dominic Fortuna, 4:45-6:45 SHADY LANE CELLARS, SUTTONS BAY 11/6 -- Friday Night Live w/ John Piatek, 4-7 ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 5-8: 10/31 -- Luke Woltanski 11/6 -- Jeff Bihlman 11/7 -- John Piatek STORMCLOUD BREWING FRANKFORT 11/4 -- Trivia Night, 7
NoV. 4
BiLL SEaRS TRiO
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28 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
NoV. 11
JoE wILsON TRiO with watercolorist Lisa Flahive
107 E nAGoNAbA sT, NOrTHpORt, mI 49670
NoV. 18
RoN gETz TrIO
CO.,
nitelife
Continued...
Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee BOWRIGHT WHISKEY, LAKE CITY TASTING ROOM: 11/5 -- Open Acoustic Jam Session, 6-9 11/6 -- Conrad Green & Gene Zwolak, 7-9 11/7 -- Logan Moore, 7-9
LITTLE RIVER CASINO RESORT, MANISTEE 10/31 -- Onager, 8 NORTHERN NATURAL CIDER HOUSE & WINERY, KALEVA 7: 11/6 -- Chief Jam-Open Mic Hosted by BeeJay Reffitt
11/7 -- Tali Snowden THE GREENHOUSE - WILLOW/ PRIMOS, CADILLAC 11/4 -- Trivia & Music Bingo, 6-9
Antrim & Charlevoix FIRESIDE LOUNGE, BELLAIRE 10/31 -- Haunted 1920s Speakeasy w/ DJ Mark, 7
10/31 -- Halloween Party: Karaoke, Costume Contest, DJ T-Bone 11/4 -- Karaoke Night
11/4 -- Open Mic Night, 6-8; The Fresh Pints of Bellaire, 8-9 11/5 -- DJ Trivia, 6-8
MUSKRAT CITY 8:
SHORT'S PUB, BELLAIRE 10/31 -- Halloween Party w/ GLO the Party Band, 8:30
TOWN CLUB, ELK RAPIDS 11/3-4 -- Mike Ridley, 6-9
DISTILLING, BOYNE
Otsego, Crawford & Central ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD 10/31 -- Matt Orlandi, 6-8 11/6 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6
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NORTHERN EXPRESS
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Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 29
30 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly
Mike Annelin Enthusiastic & Experienced
231-499-4249 | 231-929-7900
123’ FRONTAGE
00000 Bluff Rd/Center Rd Parcel $895,000 | MLS 1950216 • • • • •
COMMERCIAL
4.22 acres on Old Mission Peninsula 123’ of private East Grand Traverse Bay frontage Two contiguous parcels with Center and Bluff Road access Elevated ridge with panoramic water views Multiple potential building sites, including Bluff Road
5168-5200 US 31 N $2,200,000 | MLS 1947502 • • • • •
IN TOWN
2.25 acres with mixed-use development potential Prime US-31 location in Acme with East Bay views Convenient access to the TART Trail Remodeled office building with six tenant spaces Detached storage garage and ample parking
812 Webster Street $165,000 | MLS 1949041 • • • • •
COMMERCIAL
Premium 0.15-acre lot in downtown Traverse City Steps from beaches, dining, shopping and festivals Ideal for custom home or investment build City utilities already on site Prime location with strong property values
1133 Carver Street $800,000 | MLS 1947148 • • • • •
RESIDENTIAL | COMMERCIAL | VACANT LAND
0.722-acre industrial-zoned vacant corner lot Flexible industrial or residential development potential Former building relocated, site cleared High-visibility Carver & Hastings location Exceptional opportunity
MIKEANNELIN.COM Northern Express Weekly • november 02, 2026 • 31
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32 • november 02, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly