The Empire Area Museum will conduct a series of fun-filled history lessons over four Fridays in May and June at the Empire Township Hall.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet with summer friends, munch some free popcorn and learn about this area’s wonderful heritage,” said museum spokesperson Dave Taghon. “We encourage all newcomers, as well as the old natives, to come out and share their thoughts after each presentation.”
The first program on May 18, during the village’s annual Asparagus Festival, will be “The History of the Sleeping Bear Dunesmobiles.” Presenters wish to extend a special welcome to all past Dunesmobile drivers, many of whom spent summers working for area entrepreneur Louis Warnes at what is now known as the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a showing of “Empire,” a five-minute promotional DVD produced by the Empire Chamber of Commerce to highlight the beautiful features of the village.
Other lively historical programs in the series begin at 7 p.m. and include:
May 25 “The Wreck of the J.H. Hartzell,” by Brauer Productions
June 1 “Lunds Scenic Gardens,” by Jay Yager Production and Empire Fair Days
June 8 “Many Faces of Old Glory,” Vane Scott’s history of the American flag
A freewill offering will be accepted at the door. For more information, look for posters of scheduled events or call Dave Taghon at (231) 326-5519.
Don’t miss this weekend’s ninth annual Empire Asparagus Festival, which celebrates the arrival of spring and precedes the official opening of Northern Michigan’s tourism season a week later.
This intimate celebration in the eclectic village has been dubbed one of the world’s weirdest festivals by MSN.com, and it brings out the local yokels after months of near hibernation.
The Empire Asparagus Festival kicks off Friday with a screening of The History of the Sleeping Bear Dune Rides at 6:30 p.m. at the Township Hall. A dance and pig roast (music by the Benzie Playboys, pork supplied by Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor) follows from 7-10 p.m. Wash down that pork, and find the courage to dance by drinking beer from Right Brain Brewery.
Saturday features at 5K Kick Ass-paragus Fun Run/Walk at 10 a.m. at the Lake Michigan Beach, an Asparagus recipe contest Asparagas cook-off at 11 a.m. at the Town Hall, the Ode to Asparagus poetry contest at 12:20 (check out last year’s winners), and Asparagus Eats, Wine and Beer Tasting under the tent downtown from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors of delicious (asparagus) foods include Scalawags Fish & Chips, Stone House Bread, Norconks Asparagus, Empire Village Inn, Gemmas Coffee Shop & Baked Goods, Joe’s Friendly Tavern, Phils On Front, Art’s Tavern, Deerings Market, BLU, Trattoria Stella, Black Star Farms and Right Brain Brewery. Bo Bossa Swing & Jazz band will provide entertainment.
As you digest your food, enjoy the “GREEN” Parade, Empire’s non-motorized Asparagus Parade, which rolls through town at 3:30 p.m. All are welcome to participate (Walk, Pedal, March, Dance or come on Horse Back), but you MUST salute asparagus. Then at 7 p.m., enjoy the Asparagus Fiesta with local fare provided by Joe’s Friendly Tavern and live music by the Mittenauts.
Polish off the weekend on Sunday morning with the Empire Eagles breakfast from 8-noon at the Town Hall.
The Leelanau Peninsula BirdFest is in its second year. It is a ‘standard’ birdwatching festival in that it is a combination of scheduled, guided field trips and evening keynote addresses. Field trips go to various habitat locations to observe as great a variety of birds possible. Field trips are led by top flight birders who in most cases are capable of identifying birds by sight and sound. Birdwatching festivals generally feature a specific bird or birds, or field trips offering a special experience.
Our BirdFest has all of that. Nine different guided trips offered at various times over a four-day schedule. Birding by Tall Ship is our extra special, and I believe unique, field trip. That is a journey aboard the Inland Seas to Gull Island to observe Caspian terns and a variety of gulls. The trip leader is Dr. Bill Scharf renowned expert on Great Lakes gulls and terns. Among others we also offer pontoon boat birding going up Victoria Creek in the Cedar River Natural Area off south Lake Leelanau, plus a bus trip to the prairie development in Benzie County.
And of course our ‘big money’, big attraction bird (and our brand icon) is the Piping Plover. One of our most popular field trips offers a full education session on plovers conducted by Sleeping Bear National Lake Shore staff and then guided trips to see plovers on the nest on the SBDNLS beaches.
Our keynote presentations are top flight … Friday night Jerry Weinrich … godfather of Kirtland’s warbler restoration; Saturday night Greg Butcher, former Director of Bird Conservation for the National Audubon Society, now Migratory Species Coordinator for US Forest Service International Programs.
We have a Bird and Bug Safari offering for young children on Saturday morning in Suttons Bay and several more offerings that do not require full registration. Our web site, www.mibirdfest.com Complete field trip information and electronic registration are available there.
Registration is $35. That covers most of the field trips and the Friday night keynote. Several field trips cost an additional fee (covering boat rental fees and bus charges,only) … and the dinner and Saturday night keynote are additional as well.
Demonstration/participation classes focused on easy, balanced meals incorporating local foods
From staff reports
Miranda Monroe, a Registered Dietitian and principal of Grand Traverse Nutrition, will share tips for easy and healthy meal preparation using local foods available to everyone in Leelanau County.
Featuring MyPlate meal planning, Miranda will demonstrate, with a little class participation, how to quickly and easily prepare balanced meals — with local foods. Recipes, nutrition and simple cooking tips, with yummy food sampling included.
A series of four, hour-long classes, will be held at the Glen Arbor Athletic Club every other Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Free introductory class offered Wednesday May 16 at 5:30 p.m.
The prepayment rate of $12 per class; series cost of $48, reserves your spot. Walk-in rate is $15 per class. Sign up for walk-in must be completed by noon the day prior (Tuesday)
Grand Traverse Nutrition and the Glen Arbor Athletic Club are offering a FREE Introductory Class for the community to learn more about how easy it is to quickly prepare balanced meals featuring local foods. Scheduled at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16 at the Glen Arbor Athletic Club, 6363 Western Avenue (M22), nutritionist Miranda Monroe will provide a preview of her EAT HEALTHY, EAT LOCAL series of four classes. Miranda Monroe is a Registered Dietitian and principal of Grand Traverse Nutrition.
The series consists of four, one-hour classes, held every other Wednesday at the Athletic Club in Glen Arbor. Each class focuses on a nutrition topic and local food. Miranda will demonstrate, with a little class participation, how to quickly and easily prepare a balanced meal incorporating fresh, local ingredients, such as asparagus, strawberries, and more.
For more information about the series of classes and to register for the FREE Introductory Class, call the Glen Arbor Athletic Club at (231) 334-7007.
May 30 Liven Up Your Meals with Veggies featuring fresh, local asparagus June 13 Protein Power: variety is the key. A focus is on lean protein! June 27 Focus on Fruits, featuring fresh, local strawberries July 11 Seasoning without Salt using locally grown Herbs & Spices
This GlenArbor.com story was sponsored by the Foothills Motel, a year-round motel and cafe on the east side of Big Glen Lake.
In this video below, Leelanau Peninsula Vintners spokesperson Andy McFarlane and Dan Matthies of Chateau Fontaine promote the annual Sip & Savor event, which encourages tasters to visit all wineries in beautiful Leelanau County during the May 5-6 event.
This GlenArbor.com story was sponsored by Cedar Rustic Inn and Longview Winery, blending an artist’s vision, a chef’s craft, and an entrepreneur’s spirit.
The Glen Arbor Art Association’s (GAAA) second Artist-in-Residence, Rachel Drelles of Muskegon, Mich., is a printmaker and woodblock artist. The public is invited to her presentation on Thursday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the GAAA’s building, 6031 S. Lake Street, across from Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor. Drelles is a graduate of Kendall College of Art and Design and has been student teaching in addition to furthering her own artistic life in printmaking, intaglio, collograph and woodblock prints.
At the 83rd Muskegon Art Museum show last spring Drelles’ work incorporated her prints in a 3D sculptural form of hand stitched papers. She plans on showing the audience her process of carving and printing woodblocks, which she has been doing by hand with a wooden spoon and a simple Japanese baren.
During her residency Drelles says she will be “focused on developing my visual narrative and the initial carving of my woodblocks.” Her reference material comes from “sketches, photographs and notes of the local setting.” As a child, Drelles spent many happy vacations in northern Michigan’s landscape. These visual memories play a large part in her artistic narrative.
The presentation is free and refreshments will be served.
This GlenArbor.com story was sponsored by Crystal River Outfitters, where you can experience the beauty of the Crystal River.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will be hosting a kickoff meeting for Adopt-A-Beach volunteers on Thursday, May 24 from 1-3 p.m. at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center on M-72 in Empire.
If you are looking for a way to help keep Lake Michigan beaches beautiful while enjoying a relaxing walk on the beach once a month, you’ll want to learn more about the Adopt-A-Beach Patrol. Many of the volunteers are families or groups of friends who enjoy hiking beaches together.
The Adopt-A-Beach program is sponsored by the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Volunteers select one of the Lake Michigan beaches in the National Lakeshore and commit to patrolling their beach at least once each month during the spring, summer, and fall. They keep a record of the type and amount of trash they pick up during their patrol. They also do a beach health assessment by taking water quality samples and weather data during their visit. This data is collected by the Alliance for the Great Lakes and is used to track sources of pollution, influence changes in laws and practices, and provide information to research studies of the Great Lakes. The Alliance for the Great Lakes has over 10,000 volunteers and groups involved in beach clean-up and monitoring in the five Great Lakes.
The Adopt-A-Beach program has been in operation for five years at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. During that time, their volunteers have picked up hundreds of pounds of trash that washed up on the park’s Lake Michigan beaches to keep beaches clean and safe. They even found an industrial ice machine washed up on a remote section of the Sleeping Bear Point shoreline and worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to identify the owner of the machine prior to arranging for its removal.
Those who wish to join will make a difference by helping keep the beaches beautiful and safe, and getting a little exercise; all while enjoying the great outdoors. Jamie Cross from the Alliance for the Great Lakes will present results from 2011 and lead the training session. Kerry Kelly from the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes and Park Rangers from the National Lakeshore will help participants select a beach and provide equipment and materials for patrols. Volunteers receive an annual pass to the National Lakeshore.
If you would like to Adopt-A-Beach, but are unable to attend the training meeting, contact Kerry Kelly, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, at PR@friendsofsleepingbear.org, or call (231) 631-4244.
For more in-depth information, please contact the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134 or visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe. Also, check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sbdnl and Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/SleepingBearNPS.
This GlenArbor.com story was sponsored by Deering’s Market, serving downtown Empire.
Imagine, 800 kayaks lying side by side, end to end in rows on the bank of Little Glen Lake in Glen Arbor. A few yards away, picture 800 bikes hanging in organized racks just off of M-22. Beyond the bikes and across M-22, envision 800 athletes ranging from 14 to 71 years old and hailing from 15 states and countries as far as Switzerland running up the Sleeping Bear Dunes Climb. What you are picturing is the fourth annual M-22 Challenge — which will take place this year on June 9 — and if you’re unfamiliar with where it’s taking place, just know that the athletes will tread on what was named the “Most Beautiful Place in America” by Good Morning America last year.
The M-22 Challenge is a multi-discipline event that combines running, cycling, and paddling in to a 22- mile race across some of the most breathtaking land and water in America. Started four years ago by the founders of the popular Michigan brand “M-22”, Matt and Keegan Myers, and headed up by their father, Matt Myers Sr., the event has taken off again and doubled in size every year. According to Matt Myers, the growing popularity of the race parallels the growing attraction of Northern Michigan.
“People are drawn to the vibe and atmosphere of the event,” he adds. The event survey last year revealed that, participants were struck overwhelmingly with the high quality organization of the event and camaraderie of participants as well the scenery.
There are a few great changes taking place this year starting with the first time introduction of a title sponsor, Oneupweb. “We’ve chosen to partner with M-22 in bringing this Challenge to life because we share the vision of an adamant and authentic participation in life and a love for our region” says Lisa Wehr, Oneupweb CEO.
M-22 has also partnered up with Carter’s Kids to host the M-22 Kid’s Challenge which will take place immediately after the M-22 Challenge. The Kid’s Challenge is still open and participants can sign up at online at www.m22challenge.com. Proceeds will benefit Carter Oosterhouse’s non-profit which constructs playgrounds around the country.
This GlenArbor.com story was sponsored by Duneswood Motel, offering peaceful, relaxing, affordable vacations in the National Lakeshore.
The Glen Lake Library in Empire is hosting the “Ode to Asparagus” poetry contest as part of the upcoming 2012 Empire Asparagus Festival, to be held the weekend before Memorial Day weekend. Poems will be judged in adult and youth categories, with prizes awarded in each group. A reading of all poems entered in the contest will take place at the library on Saturday, May 19, at 12:30 pm. The deadline for submitting poems is Saturday, May 12. Entries may be mailed to the Glen Lake Community Library, PO Box 33, Empire, MI 49630, or may be sent via email to info@glenlakelibrary.net. For more information, call (231) 326-5361, or visit www.glenlakelibrary.net.
The Leelanau Farmers Markets will host their annual Kick-Off Meeting on Wednesday, May 2 at 7 p.m. at the Leelanau County Government Center. Come and meet the Board and Market Masters, discuss 2011 survey results and review the new rules and updates for the upcoming 2012 season. But mostly, join us for desserts and camaraderie.
This GlenArbor.com story was sponsored by PegTown Station in Maple City.
