Come join the fun at the 2013 Leelanau Peninsula Birding Festival, May 29-June 2. It’s nesting season in Leelanau where our fields and forests are full of bird songs and activity. For 2013 the festival is adding a bus trip to see Kirtland’s warbler with noted Kirtland’s specialist Jerry Weinrich. Jerry will lead guests to a special access site on Kirtland’s nesting grounds. As a bonus, Birdfest is arranging for the bus to journey just a short way north of the Kirtland’s warbler location to Hartwick Pines State Park for evening grosbeaks, and red-shouldered hawks. Check out the schedule of events for nine other popular field trips including Birding-By-Tall-Ship aboard the schooner Inland Seas and Birding-By-Ear at a new location, Teichner Preserve.
Beginning on Wednesday, June 12, more than 300 cyclists participating in the 2013 NorthWest Biking “The Bear” Tour will begin the annual five-day tour of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Traverse City, Leelanau County and Frankfort areas. Each day, cyclists will ride a looped route that starts from their base camp at Indigo Bluffs RV Park south of the Glen Lakes. They will visit the following areasto enjoy the scenery, restaurants and tourist attractions of northwest Michigan.
On May 24-25, Wool & Honey in Cedar will be full of amazing talent from Michigan artists. Hand-dyed yarn and fibers from Yarn Hollow and hand-crafted paper jewelry and art by Quilling Maven. Also, all weekend long there will be demonstrations on how to use JUL Designs Closures to enhance your knitwear. The store will kickoff the fun on Friday evening from 6-9 p.m. and continue the gathering on Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Years ago, when Paul Skinner traveled around Michigan to acquire antiques for his Empire-based business Miser’s Hoard, he was routinely asked, “Where in the world Empire?” But now, as the annual third-weekend-in-May festival celebrates its tenth birthday, Empire is known far and wide for its eclectic celebration of the green stalk. In fact, four years ago MSN.com named the Empire Asparagus Festival among “the World’s Weirdest Festivals” along with South Korea’s Boryeong Mud Festival and Thailand’s Monkey Buffet Festival.
The Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre (LST) will transform Oliver Art Center into the House of Capulet for An Evening in Verona — a 10th anniversary season fundraising event for northern Michigan’s own professional Shakespeare Company. In an effort to build community and highlight their 2013 Season, LST will treat guests to the music of wandering minstrels, local food, and wine — but the focus will be interactive scenes performed by the company.
Endurance Evolution and On The Ground have teamed up to raise funds to build a library in a remote village in Ethiopia. Area runners are invited to run The Solstice Run, which will travel from the northern tip of the Leelanau Peninsula to the beaches of West Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City. Runners can choose the a full 40 miles, 20 miles, or a four-person relay (roughly 10 miles per runner).
Writer Elizabeth McBride from Grand Ledge, Mich., will be the artist-in-residence at the Glen Arbor Art Association (GAAA) from May 19 to June 1, with a presentation on May 30. She plans to continue to revise and work on a collection of poems to be published and to develop a portfolio of nature poems of place and discovery.
Park Ranger-led programs will be featured at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Visit the National Lakeshore on Memorial Day Weekend and tour the Glen Haven Maritime Museum, watch a blacksmith, take some photos, and learn more about lighthouses, owls and other birds.