You may have read The New York Times late May story on how to spend 36 Hours in Traverse City and Leelanau County. Oh, but 36 hours is so painfully short! We asked our Glen Arbor Sun writers how they would spend 36 DAYS in our beautiful peninsula—with an emphasis on slowing down, breathing, observing, and reflecting on this special place. Click here for our recommendations.
Connor Ciolek considers it an honor to wear Cherry Republic’s “Boomer” bear costume in the Glen Arbor Fourth of July parade, which gathers in Glen Haven in the morning and departs for downtown around noon. The company’s mascot has been a mainstay in his life; he has a vivid memory of Boomer showing up at his older brother Jackson’s fifth birthday. This is the second year in a row Connor has volunteered to dress as Boomer for the parade. The job has its trials, though. “It’s very hot. The black costume soaks up all the sun,” said Connor, who has worked at Cherry Republic for eight years. “I wear an ice pack vest on my chest, especially when the parade (temperature) is in the mid-80s like it was last year.”
Join community members of all ages in celebrating the founding of our nation in a joyous and patriotic ceremony. The traditional raising of the flag will be followed by a singalong of well-loved and familiar patriotic songs. Eric Carlson, the featured speaker, is best known in Leelanau County for his 25-year career as a reporter and columnist for the Leelanau Enterprise. He will share his views on the importance of a free press to our nation, especially in times of war and domestic conflict.
Watching the Fourth of July parade with her husband, Greg, in front of their home on South Main Street in Leland carries extra special sentiment for Mary Kuntz. Not only is it her favorite part of the celebrations, but it reminds her of how she won the jackpot living in Leland. “It was always my dream to live here,” she shared, but Greg wasn’t initially that fond of Leland. His vacations here were always a steady stream of rain, with the exception of his first visit, when the couple stayed in a rental on Main Street and loved every bit of it. Besides the parade, they sometimes also watch Leland’s fireworks from the end of Pine Street near Main, a grand display that takes place at dusk on July 3 from Hancock Field. With fellow Leland resident Cheryl VanZee (Shorty) as a catalyst and Mary with quick resources, the two set about to save Leland’s fireworks this year.
The Glen Lake Community Library in Empire will host author David Roll in conversation with Mel Laracey on Tuesday, July 2, at 7 pm. Roll, the author of Ascent to Power: How Truman Emerged from Roosevelt’s Shadow and Remade the World, will be in town to discuss his new book with Laracey, PhD., professor of history at University of Texas, San Antonio, and a summer resident in Empire.
Come celebrate Michigan’s Log Cabin Day with National Park partner Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear on Sunday, June 30, from 11 am to 4 pm. The event this year will take place exclusively at the Boekeloo Cabin located in Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore and Benzie County. Descendant Stuart Boekeloo will provide the interpretive history of the unique cabin situated on a cranberry bog at the end of a quiet two-track. The late 1800s log cabin location also has a walking path to Lake Michigan. Bill Herd, Preserve board member and retired interpretive ranger for Sleeping Bear Dunes, will also be on-site to highlight Preserve’s extensive preservation work on the cabin.
If it seems like Miriam Pico has been performing around the area for a few years, you’re right. But you may be surprised to learn it’s been nearly two decades. Pico is at least. “Next year is the 20th anniversary … of my first album,” she says, almost wonderingly. “It’s a big deal. That’s when I considered myself to be a professional, with no other job.” That may not be entirely accurate, as she’s worked in numerous settings or jobs over the past two decades. But they’ve all had music at the forefront. From a longstanding duo with pianist David Chown to current work with her husband, guitarist Ryan Younce, her child-focused “Mindful + Musical with Miriam Pico” and solo shows, she’s made music her life. “I’ve been able to make a living. I’m thankful. It’s not easy,” she says.
Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak, the beloved shop in Empire, will celebrate its 20th birthday this weekend, June 28-30, with “Beryl Days”—an homage to co-founder Beryl Skrocki, who passed away in October 2022 at age 61. The business is run by her husband Frank and their children, Ella, Reiss and Annabel. Click here for the full Beryl Days lineup. And read family friend Jim Lively’s reflections on Beryl, which the Sun published in 2022.
The photos and cell phone videos suggested a typical northern Michigan summer wedding. But the ceremony held between Daniel Carboni and Cristina Fernandez on Sunday, June 16, at the Lodge at Hickory Hills—Traverse City’s municipal-owned ski hill—was anything but typical. The nuptials were the culmination of a four-day “Spiritual Life Summit” held by the Twin Flames Universe, a new age relationship cult run by Suttons Bay residents Jeff and Shaleia Ayan. They are accused of charging their cult members thousands of dollars while pressing them into toxic relationships and manipulating their emotional and mental health struggles. To avoid detection, the summit’s organizers used alias names when they booked Traverse City venues. Even so, an informal group of concerned individuals who call themselves Citizens for the Prevention of Predatory Commerce have worked behind the scenes, contacting many venues in the Traverse City region and Leelanau County and encouraging them to exercise due diligence if contacted by Twin Flames Universe. In February, the National Writers Series hosted author Janja Lalich—an authority on cults—and Twin Flames survivor Keely Griffin to the Traverse City Opera House for an event packed with drama, emotion and education about the nature of cults, then and now.
Pathways to Sleeping Bear will host several events this summer, including happy hours and open houses, to share information about the Pathway to Good Harbor—the northernmost segment of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. Community members, visitors, trail users, and anyone interested in learning more about the trail are invited to attend these events. Open houses will meet at the intersection of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail and Glen Haven Rd. The next one is scheduled for Thursday, June 27, from 10 am-noon.