Entries by editor

Celebrating songs of Leelanau: André Villoch’s “Cedar”

Our story series celebrating songs inspired by Leelanau County and the Sleeping Bear Dunes continues with André Villoch’s “Cedar.” “This song was written around 1996,” said Villoch. “I was in college at the time working summers as a dishwasher in the kitchen at a summer camp in Leelanau County. We had a cook’s assistant named Marcus who was quite adventurous—like a big brother who was great about encouraging us out of our comfort zones. A couple of us in the kitchen played guitar and without television or internet, we spent a lot of our evenings teaching each other songs outside our bunkhouse or down on the beach.

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Glen Arbor holds trick or treating Sunday, Oct. 26

The Sunday before Halloween, come out and enjoy family-friendly, daytime trick-or-treating in Glen Arbor on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 12–3 pm (or until the treats run out). Be festive, dress in costume and invite your friends, family and neighbors to trick-or-treat at participating businesses. This is open to the public and free to attend. The Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce encourages you to “shop small and eat local,” too. SHOPtober runs the month of October.

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Northport Arts Association seeks mural designs

The Northport Arts Association invites artists and designers to submit original mural concepts for five tile installations, each to be prominently displayed in public buildings throughout the Village of Northport. Submissions must be received by October 30. Click here for more information.

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Northern Latitudes Distillery holds grand opening, Oct. 24

The wait is over in Lake Leelanau. Northern Latitudes Distillery will hold its long-awaited grand opening at its new location on M-204, just east of the village of Lake Leelanau, on Friday, Oct. 24, from 12-7 pm. Northern Latitudes staff invite the public to “come raise a glass in our beautiful new space—built for friends, community, and great spirits.” “We’re elated. It’s so much fun to be able to finally share this place with everybody,” said co-owner Mandy Moseler. “We’ve been working so hard for so long.”

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Friends of Sleeping Bear step up during government shutdown, keep trails safe, port-a-johns at Dune Climb

Three weeks into the federal government shutdown, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore visitors center in Empire remains closed, as are museum spaces and interpretive programs. However, popular destinations such as the Dune Climb and Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive are open. Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, a nonprofit partner of the Park, has raised approximately $2,500 in donations and used that to cover the cost of two porta-johns at the Dune Climb. Porta john rentals cost about $250 per month, said Friends’ executive director Laura Ann Johnson. With the National Lakeshore officially closed, and only rangers working to ensure visitor safety, the Friends have stepped up in other ways. Read more here.

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Leland Gal moves into new home

After 13 seasons in her own location (previously Fishtown and then Main Street Leland), Maggie Mielczarek of Leland Gal is making a transition to move inside The Leland Harbor House. As the owners of the Leland Harbor House business, Maggie and her husband Greg Mielczarek had been pondering this idea since they first acquired the business in 2023, and the timing now makes sense. The Leland Harbor House is a 100-year-old storied building that has been a mainstay of Leland for decades, and will continue to offer apparel from top name brands as well as their own branded lifestyle apparel.

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Stephanie Mills takes us home

The Glen Lake Library will host author and environmentalist Stephanie Mills on Wednesday, Oct. 22, from 6-8 pm. She’ll lead a participatory workshop to depict your knowledge of and raise questions about the nature of your home territory. Using Peter Berg’s classic workbook, Mills will facilitate graphic descriptions and revelations of our whereabouts. Space for the workshop is limited, so please contact the library to register in advance.

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Fishtown Preservation lands headquarters in Leland’s Van Raalte House

The Fishtown Preservation Society has announced the successful purchase of the John and Janice Van Raalte House and surrounding property at 101 South Lake Street, adjacent to Historic Fishtown in Leland. This landmark addition preserves a vital piece of the Leland riverfront and provides FPS with its long-sought permanent home to sustain and grow its preservation mission. Fishtown Preservation invites everyone who treasures Fishtown to join in support of this project and to share in this encompassing vision for Fishtown’s future. The goal is to complete fundraising by the end of October and begin renovation work before the end of this year, and for FPS to move into its new home by late in 2026.

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Vintage Views series offers connection to local history

From the first “Gazetteer of the State of Michigan,” 1838, author John T. Blois explains his goal of “disabusing the public mind…of the gross misconceptions” about the state of Michigan, “[A] State, as fair and rich by nature, as her population are high-minded, enterprising, and intelligent”. Christine Byron and Thomas R. Wilson, creators and authors of the “Vintage Views” series of books, picked up Blois’ baton continuing his endeavors in sharing the stories, histories, and culture that make Michigan the “Peninsulam Amoenam.” Each Byron and Wilson work offers a fascinating journey through Michigan’s tourism history.

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Greg Miesch looks back, forward at The Homestead

Chef Greg Miesch knew he had a lot to learn. Despite decades in the hospitality industry, taking the reins of the culinary department as senior manager of Food & Beverage at The Homestead was different than anything he’d done before. It was a challenge he was eager to take on, but he wanted to make sure he understood what worked and what didn’t before he made any big changes. “I didn’t know how a resort of this size truly functioned,” he says. “I didn’t think it was good to go in (and make changes) when I didn’t know what worked.” Now, after a summer spent studying the ins and outs of the resort, he’s looking ahead. That look ahead actually started last month, when he was able to open Nonna’s Ristorante, which features classically-inspired contemporary Italian cuisine.

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