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On Saturday, Feb. 17, Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay will open its doors to the community and beyond with a complimentary property-wide showcase. Its 106 acres encompass everything from a vineyard and tasting room to a boutique inn, restaurant and hiking trails. The venues will be showcased as much as the food and beverages. Members of the Black Star team will be on hand to guide guests through various offerings at the sprawling property.

It is time to kick off summer with a special event combining the love for wine, dogs, and music to support a great cause. Join Black Star Farms as they celebrate 25 years with a dog-themed party, Pours for Pups, benefiting the Great Lakes Humane Society, a local non-profit Leelanau County organization dedicated to animal welfare. The event will be held on Saturday, June 10, from 5 to 8 pm at the tasting room patio and front lawn at this picturesque farm-winery in Suttons Bay.

The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail is where stunning landscape and natural splendor meets exquisite wine making. “Experience Leelanau” is the Wine Trail’s new signature event, May 19-21—a celebration honoring ‘Michigan Wine Month’ and everything that makes our region special. Click here for information and to get your tickets.

Nestled in the wooded hills just south of Suttons Bay, Black Star Farms has become an iconic and unique part of Leelanau County’s most memorable landscape. The lovely paddocks with horses quietly grazing in their pastures reminds one of blue-blooded horse country in Kentucky right here in northern Michigan. It is a splendid sight even when just passing by on M-22 at Shady Lane.

Willowbrook Mill in Northport will host a Beaujolais Nouveau Day Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 6-9 p.m. The five-course French meal includes wine pairings created by guest chef Guillaume Hazael-Massieux of La Becasse restaurant. Limited seating is available, and going fast. Tickets cost $129 per person and are available online at MyNorthTickets.com.

Fast Tourism, a global digital tourism company, has launched a new app that guides visitors on an efficient, if not frenetic, one-hour tour of the Sleeping Bear Dunes region and Leelanau County. Users are encouraged to maximize their “up north” experience by visiting as many destinations as possible in a short amount of time.

Sand in your sandwich is not a nuisance, but welcomed nostalgia. If you’re ready to pack your beach bags with too much food and drink, and slap down your territorial towel flags, here’s a breakdown of some of the best places to get stocked up for your next beach picnic in “the County.”

Twenty years ago, Kerm and Sallie Campbell learned about the listing of a gorgeous 120-acre farm near Suttons Bay, complete with plantation style home, Centennial barn and indoor and outdoor equestrian facility. Rounding up three partners and a young winemaker, Sport Valley Farm was purchased and Black Star Farms began. The first crush was celebrated that fall, and the home was turned into a luxurious inn. Now a 160-acre winery estate producing 45,000 cases and consistently rated the top winery in the state, the Campbell family are the sole owners and remain the majority supplier of grapes to the winery.

Just before Christmas, Ian Olmsted and a team from Peninsula Solar completed the installation of 70 rooftop solar panels above the Art’s Annex, the former gas station turned t-shirt shop next to the popular tavern in downtown Glen Arbor. The solar array will generate 30,000 kilowatt hours annually —satisfying 15-20 percent of Art’s energy load.

The Zonta Club of Leelanau County will present “Through the Vines — a Walk to Benefit Women” at Black Star Farms on Sunday, Aug. 2 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Walkers will stroll through the scenic vineyards, sipping wine and sampling food at stations along the way. A gala ice cream social will provide a delicious finish to the day.