As northern Michigan continues to experience a very snowy and cold winter, the Empire Area Community Center (EACC) plans to embrace the elements with the annual Empire Winterfest. Events will be hosted throughout the village of Empire on Saturday, Feb. 21, including the long-standing tradition of a polar plunge in South Bar Lake.
The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail has announced the launch of its newest winter event, Snow on The Vines, taking place Feb. 20–22. This inaugural winter celebration invites wine lovers to experience the charm of Northern Michigan’s wine country wrapped in a cozy, snow-kissed setting.
Glen Arbor hosts its winterfest the Saturday of President’s Day weekend, which this year falls on Feb. 14. The event includes a chili cook-off on the deck of Boonedocks restaurant from noon-3 pm and an ice fishing contest on the Glen Lakes from 7 am-1 pm.
It’s a community party. It’s a mystery. And it’s a delicious farce. Welcome to the next Cocktails, Canapés, and Comedy theater production, courtesy of the Northport Performing Arts Center. The two-act play Unnecessary Farce involves two cops, three crooks, eight doors and plenty of laughter. The plot revolves around a corrupt mayor who is meeting with his female accountant in a motel, while in the room next door, two undercover cops wait to catch the meeting on video. There’s some confusion as to who’s in which room, who’s being videotaped, who has the money, who hired a hitman and why. Plus, why does the accountant keep taking off her clothes?
The Lively NeighborFood Market continues its focus on supporting small local farms by inviting area chefs and neighbors to come together around a Farm-to-Table Dinner Series that celebrates the bounty of our region—even in the winter months. On Mondays in January and February the NeighborFood Market is hosting multi-course meals for 26 guests with reservations seated at a beautiful candlelit community table. The guest chefs come from a wide range of backgrounds, but all have strong connections to western Leelanau County.
Join The Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 7 pm as the Winter/Spring “Live at The Bay” season gets off to a remarkable start with Canadian folk singer, instrumentalist, (and author) Garnet Rogers taking the stage. Given his extensive performance history at North America’s most prestigious venues, the Bay is thrilled to to host this great artist here in Suttons Bay.
The Leelanau Historical Society, in partnership with Here:Say Storytelling, will present Meet Me at the Loaf: A Celebration of Sugar Loaf in Stories. The Jan. 29 event at Solon Township Hall near Cedar will feature memories and voices connected to one of Leelanau County’s most beloved landmarks: Sugar Loaf Mountain. Doors open at 5:30 pm, offering guests the chance to reconnect with old friends, neighbors, and fellow “Sugar Loafers.” The storytelling program begins at 6:30.
The Front Porch, a locally owned kitchen, gift & gourmet shop in downtown Suttons Bay is proud to host a special community giveback event in support of the Leelanau Laundry Project, a grassroots initiative providing free access to clean laundry for local families in need. From Thursday, Jan. 22, through Sunday, Jan. 25, customers who bring in laundry supplies of any kind—detergent, bleach, stain remover, laundry pods, and more—or make a monetary donation to the Leelanau Laundry Project will receive 20% OFF their entire purchase at The Front Porch that day.
The public is invited to join Leelanau Indivisible on Saturday, Jan. 17 (MLK Weekend) for a demonstration against the Trump regime’s policies, from 11 am until noon in downtown Suttons Bay. Join demonstrators after the march for an Afterglow Gathering at Hop Lot Brewing Company.
Old Man Winter arrived early this year, and Ullr is pleased. Mark Lentini, the new mountain manager at The Homestead, says the snow and cold temperatures have helped make the conditions better than ever at this point of the year. The resort is also offering special pricing to kick off the season. The popular four-season resort is opening for ski season the day after Christmas, as long as Mother Nature continues to cooperate.