The Traverse City Dance Project returns as part of the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s (GAAC) 2023 Manitou Music lineup. The performance is July 29 at 7 pm at Nash Road Red Barn, located at 9805 Nash Road near Maple City. Sponsored by the GAAC and Interlochen Public Radio, and hosted by Pine Street Studios, the Traverse City Dance Project’s performance will feature original choreography, live music, and professional dancers from around the country.
TART Trails and Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes will host two summer open houses at the intersection of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail and Glen Haven Road —on Thursday, July 27, from 11 am-1 pm, and Thursday, August 10, from 11 am-1 pm. Community members, visitors, trail users and those interested in learning more about the trail and its Pathway to Good Harbor extension are invited to stop by to talk trails.
You never know when a good idea will come to fruition. That’s Paul Hamelin’s take on the upcoming July 27 performance by students from Interlochen Arts Camp and the Aug. 13 performance by Livingston Taylor at the Ridge at Verterra. A longtime supporter of various charitable organizations, Hamelin and his wife Marty pondered what else they could do. The classical music enthusiasts considered the idea of music at their Verterra Winery, but not the typical singer/songwriter performers popular at many such locales. “I’m a fan of symphonic music,” Paul says, noting shows he’s seen at Ravinia and Meadowbrook, the summer homes of the Chicago Symphony and Detroit Symphony Orchestra, respectively.
Glen Arbor’s annual Running Bear Run, a popular late July family dash which the Glen Arbor Women’s Club will hold for the 16th year on July 25, is now a chip-timed race. The Running Bear 5K Run/Walk & ½ Mile Kids’ Run features 16 age categories for males and females from ages 10 and under to 80 and older. Winners will receive medals and prizes from Cherry Republic and Crystal River Outfitters and The Cyclery. Youngsters running the ½ Mile Kids’ Run get to run with the Bear and take home a ribbon and a coupon for a free ice cream cone from Cherry Republic.
Nedra Glover Tawwab wants people to know that positive changes in relationships are possible, even if those around you don’t want to revise their behavior. That’s what her new book, Drama Free: A Guide to Managing Unhealthy Family Relationships is about. The National Writers Series will host her at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 21 the City Opera House and via livestream. Her first book, Set Boundaries, Find Peace became an instant New York Times bestseller.
The Congregational Summer Assembly (CSA) will host its annual Arts and Crafts Fair on Wednesday, July 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine, on the Assembly Ball Field, M-22 at Crystal Lake.
The Northport Arts Association (NAA) will continue its annual Plein Air event originated by Gene Rantz in 2013. Rantz gathered artists to Northport each year through 2021. What started out small has grown each year and now includes 49 artists coming to paint. With permission of Rantz’s family, the event is named “Gene Rantz Memorial Plein Air Paint Out”. Join the NAA on the weekend of July 22 and help honor Rantz’s legacy.
The Glen Lake Community Library in Empire will host Michael Brennan, author of the limited edition chapbook River Sacred: Uncovering the Crystal on Thursday, July 20 at 7 pm. His book is the result of a decades-long connection with the Crystal River, and explores the delicate natural balance and beauty of this unique ecosystem. Then on Wednesday, July 26, at 6 pm the library will host Katherine Reay, author of the newly published A Shadow in Moscow.
The Friends of the Leelanau Township Library Summer Writers’ Series this year examines the theme, “Social Justice: Past, Present, and Future.” All events are held at 7 pm at the beautiful Willowbrook Mill in Northport. The series’ second event on July 18 will feature Glen Arbor Sun editor and author Jacob Wheeler whose book, “Angel of the Garbage Dump: How Hanley Denning Changed the World, One Child at a Time,” is required reading for anyone who feels the call to serve humanity through social justice.
This year marks the 51st annual Glen Lake Woman’s Club Art Fair, a juried Art Fair with artists carefully selected to represent a wide variety of one-of-a-kind art pieces for sale at the Glen Arbor Township Hall. The Art Fair—to be held at the Glen Arbor Township Hall on Wednesday, July 19, from 10 am to 4 pm—features artisans in many mediums including pottery, painting, textiles, woodworking, and jewelry. Each year, thousands of people shop for that unique piece of art, either for themselves or for a special gift.