Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail supporters, car enthusiasts and renewable energy advocates will have an opportunity to test drive a GM Chevy Volt on Tuesday, July 31, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor. General Motors, a strong supporter of the Heritage Trail, will make the trip to Glen Arbor with three Chevy Volts to test drive.
Enjoy a unique art experience this weekend at Sleeping Bear Gallery: glass blowing. Michigan Hot Glass, featuring artist Albert Young, will offer free glass blowing demonstrations all day Saturday and Sunday, July 21 and 22. Bring a chair, sit and relax on the back lawn, and witness how glass is blown at the Sleeping Bear Gallery in downtown Empire.
This year’s Cottage Antique Market is certain to be as fabulous as last year’s event. It will be held at the Cottage Book Shop, at 5989 Lake Street in Glen Arbor on Wednesday, July 18, the same day as the Glen Arbor Art Fair. Midwest dealers from Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa will sell their antique and vintage goods including antique, vintage, rustic, hand painted and shabby chic furniture; vintage jewelry and jewelry fashioned from old pieces; fishing and hunting decoys and collectibles; home and garden pieces; pottery and china; and unique items for cottage and home décor.
TART Trails and Cherry Republic have partnered to sponsor the “Charge Up the Dunes” raffle to raise money for the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail campaign. The bearer of the winning ticket will drive away in a brand new Chevy Volt. The raffle has been limited to 1,200 tickets being sold at $100 each or three for $250. The Volt was purchased from General Motors at a significant discount, and it’s a chance to win a $45,000 car for $100.
Glen Arbor jeweler Becky Thatcher’s Tuesday Tea & Talk series — now in its 17th or 18th year (even Thatcher herself is no longer sure how long it has run) — is a creative enough idea, but its origin is a story all of its own.
In its bucolic setting about two miles west of Maple City, the Blue Oxer Farm and Riding Academy offers a variety of horse training, rider instruction for both children and adults, boarding and sales. Set on the 120-acre Cold Spring Farm, owned by Alton and Kathy Smith of Raleigh, NC, Blue Oxer was established in 2008 — the dream come true for horse lover, competitor, trainer, instructor and owner Emily King Brinkman.
Glen Arbor and Empire farmers’ markets offer much more than you might imagine. For starters, each sells the best berry ever to top a shortcake. And that’s just on opening day. Glowing beneath market canopies during my visit in mid-June are plump, sweet strawberries. Quarts and quarts of them in their cute, cardboard suits.
The lunch counter/ice cream shop south of the Glen Lake Narrows has a new owner once again. But this summer her caretakers may have the mojo, and the business strategy, to make the business succeed.
The views and trails are timeless, but the tools to help you get there are cutting edge. Check out Jane and Joy’s smart phone application, “Sleeping Bear Trails: Aunt Jane’s Trail Guide to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore” by visiting iTunes.
When a line forms in front of the window at Cedar’s corner ice cream stand, summer isn’t far behind. (Let’s hope it orders a Blue Moon, not a Flurry.) It’s mid-June, and the shelves and kitchen cupboards of local businesses hold some surprises. The Sun caught up with some owners and managers and asked them to share what’s new. Their replies might whet your appetite and kickstart your summer shopping.