News

French Valley Vineyard announces partnership with Leelanau Conservancy to benefit Sugar Loaf

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French Valley Vineyard, part of the Harmony Estate Wineries of Leelanau portfolio, announced the release of two new wines: Sugar Loaf Red and Sugar Loaf White. Created in partnership with the Leelanau Conservancy, the wines support the long-term stewardship of Sugar Loaf, the iconic Leelanau County landmark recently protected from development for generations to come. French Valley Vineyard invites the community to celebrate the launch with a release party on Friday, July 31, from 7-9 pm at French Valley.

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Flow Water Advocates launch Great Lakes Passport

Flow Water Advocates, based in Traverse City, is proud to announce the release of the Great Lakes Passport, a free educational guide that invites Michiganders and visitors alike to explore the Great Lakes while learning about the rights, history, and legal protections that safeguard these shared waters. Designed for families, educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and all friends of the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Passport combines travel inspiration with practical knowledge about public access to one of the region’s most important natural resources.

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Leelanau residents, workers encouraged to take housing survey

The Leelanau County Housing Collaborative, an effort of the Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation, and its partner organizations are inviting residents, workers, employers, and community members to participate in the Leelanau County Attainable Housing Survey. The survey is designed to gather public input on housing needs and community priorities to help inform future housing solutions across the county.

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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to conduct high-visibility traffic safety enforcement

The National Park Service will conduct a series of high-visibility traffic enforcement operations throughout the summer at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to promote safe driving behaviors and reduce serious traffic crashes. These operations will be conducted in coordination with local and state law enforcement partners.

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Smoked out: Friday events canceled in Leelanau

The catastrophic wildfires in Minnesota and Canada, and resulting poor air quality over Michigan, has prompted local businesses and organizations to cancel the following events in Leelanau County today. Those cancelations include: Tour de Tart, Empire Anchor Day’s Friday night movie, Beach Bards bonfire, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore ranger programs, Lake Street Studios today, Glen Arbor Arts Center at Thoreson Farm Studio, and Leelanau Conservancy outdoor events. We’ll update this list throughout the day and the weekend.

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Public Health Alert: wildfire smoke affects air quality in Benzie and Leelanau. Some events canceled

The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department is urging residents to take precautions as wildfire smoke continues to impact air quality across northern Michigan. Some local events have been canceled, and businesses closed, due to the wildfire smoke and air quality. The Glen Arbor Arts Center has closed its Thoreson Farm studio in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District today, July 16. However, the Arts Center’s air-conditioned classroom in Glen Arbor is open this afternoon from 1:30-3 pm. The Leelanau Historical Society has canceled its showing of the Frontier to Freedom documentary tonight at the Leelanau School auditorium. Last night’s benefit concert at the Leelanau County Poor Farm Barn near Maple City was also postponed. Tonight’s Music in the Air concert at the Leland Old Art Building is moving indoors (to an air-conditioned space). Stay tuned for further updates. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has issued an air quality alert for Thursday, July 16. Air quality levels in Benzie and Leelanau counties have reached the Unhealthy for Everyone category due to elevated fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) from ongoing Canadian and Minnesota wildfires.

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Air quality alerts issued for northern Michigan as wildfire smoke blankets region

Northern Michigan is enveloped in a thick blanket of brown smoke from wildfires in Minnesota and Canada. Among the outdoor events canceled due to the smoke are tonight’s fundraiser concert at the Leelanau County Poor Farm Barn near Maple City. The story is the same throughout the region. “We currently can’t see across (Lake Charelvoix),” said Jenny Clasman, executive director of the Boyne Area Chamber of Commerce, which canceled an outdoor concert set for Wednesday night. “I can see across the street, but it’s definitely foggy, cloudy. There is ash on our cars right now and it smells like burning tires.” Clasman, who has asthma, said she was having a hard time breathing and was wearing an N-95 mask outdoors.

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Video spotlight: Reading the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July

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Every year on the Fourth of July at 10 am, groups gather to read the Declaration of Independence at each Post Office in Leelanau County. These videos feature readings of the Declaration at Post Offices in Glen Arbor and Empire on July 4, 2026—the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary of the nation’s birth.

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St. Wenceslaus Parish concludes weekend masses

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Whether directly or indirectly connected to the Gill’s Pier Catholic Church, the termination of full-service masses at “the church in the orchard,” St. Wenceslaus, and moving to limited use, is a historic and cultural loss, a communal and civic loss, and ultimately a loss of vital Leelanau County history. Honored as a Michigan Historical Site both for the church and cemetery, St. Wenceslaus has witnessed almost 136 years of Leelanau County History. It stands as a testament to the births, baptisms, confirmations, weddings, deaths, and many celebrations of this interwoven farming community. By changing to “limited use,” this means a loss of social services, a loss of spiritual education, and ultimately loss of a place of prayer.

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Glen Lake Association seeks help catching giant invasive koi

If you ask any fishing enthusiast what they hope to catch in Glen Lake, most will likely tell you they are seeking perch or bass or perhaps even a pike. However, this summer may be prime time to instead aim for bright orange koi fish, as the invasive species presence is confirmed in the lake for the third summer in a row. Koi, an invasive species known for their bright coloring, are a domesticated form of carp native to eastern Asia. They resemble oversized goldfish, and hold distinct and striking color patterns of orange, black, white and yellow. Their beautiful appearance makes them extremely popular as pets and in ornamental ponds worldwide. It is believed that the koi likely started off as pets, and made their way into the lake through being purposefully released. A single female can lay up to 400,000 eggs per breeding cycle, allowing for the population of koi to easily proliferate. 

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