Residents and visitors to the county have not one, not two, but three chances to catch one of the region’s favorite bands this coming week. The little big band Tundra Tones, f.k.a. Jazz North, will be performing Aug. 28 at Leland, Aug. 29 at Music in the Park in Northport, and Aug. 31 at Little Traverse Inn.
Candy Schein—the protagonist of Ann Goethals’s debut novel, The Doublewide—has always stayed quiet and kept her head down. Now age 28 and living in a modest apartment above a pizza parlor, Candy has spent years saving for a dream most people take for granted: a place to call her own. When she finds a “mystic blue” doublewide manufactured house, it sparks something bigger than a dream home—a journey towards self-acceptance and courage that forces her to leave behind the comfort of invisibility. This novel speaks to anyone who has ever felt overlooked, underestimated, or uncomfortable in their own skin. Goethals will hold a reading and Q&A on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 3 p.m. at the Glen Lake Community Library in Empire.
The Cedar Polka Fest is an annual festival celebrating the town’s rich Polish history. The celebration lasts four days and nights, and attracts nearly 10,000 people for family fun in the heart of Leelanau County. Come to Cedar and eat, drink, and dance the nights away. With live Polka music from the best polka bands in the nation, this festival is a real treat for Polka fans. Food vendors offer beer, polish food, ribs, hotdogs, popcorn and more. Kids will enjoy games, while adults can indulge in the unique atmosphere that Polka Fest creates.
Guitarist Joe Taylor has received many accolades over the course of his career, from praise by his peers to consideration for a Grammy award. Perhaps none mean more to him than being called “a funky mix of Jeff Beck and Chet Atkins” by The Mississippi Press. “That’s very flattering,” says Taylor from his South Carolina home. “Both Chet Atkins and Jeff Beck, not being singers, played guitar as a vocalist. Like me, it became a way to express (music) in a vocal fashion.” Taylor will perform Aug. 21 at The Homestead as part of its Music on the Mountain Series. He will be bringing the core players from the new album with him: pianist Jeff Franzel, drummer Ray Marchica and bassist Paul Adamy. They came to the recording session with specific instructions from Taylor: they could bring riffs and ideas, but the songs would be written in the studio by the quartet.
Farmers today face a number of challenges. Climate change, increasing costs for land, seeds, insurance and staffing, and development pressure all weigh on an endeavor that has always operated on thin margins. Any advantage they can accrue will help. Enter the annual Small Farm Conference, taking place Aug. 18-19 at the Leelanau School. Christina Marbury, community engagement specialist for Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology, says the conference will be beneficial for most anyone connected with the land, from small-scale growers to those interested in sustainable practices or ways in which they can diversity their offerings to make a profit. “It’s great for farmers, of course,” says Marbury. “Also people interested in farming, (those) growing at home—there’s a nice variety of business focus.”
Leelanau Christian Neighbors (LCN) will host an open house for the public at their location at 7322 E. Duck Lake Rd. in Lake Leelanau on Thursday, Aug. 14, from 4:30-6:30 pm. No RSVP required. Join staff for a special self-guided tour of their facilities, meet the team behind LCN, and see the impact their programs are making in Leelanau County. Refreshments will be provided. The event will feature a major reveal. LCN will unveil something new that marks an exciting chapter for the organization. Come see what’s next for LCN.
In an effort to restore dignity and fight the growing crisis of food insecurity, a local nonprofit is employing a radical yet compassionate approach: No Questions Asked. At the heart of their mission is the simple, irrefutable idea that everyone deserves to eat, without judgment or bureaucracy. By easing those barriers and societal stigma, 5Loaves2Fish hopes to not only nourish bodies but also challenge long-held perceptions of the homeless and food insecure populations, reminding the community that humanity begins with empathy. Founders Michelle and Bill White meet people in need where they are, both literally and figuratively, through 5Loaves2Fish’s uniquely mobile food outreach organization. On Aug. 12, the nonprofit is hosting its fourth annual Big Change Equals Big Change Fundraiser, an evening promising inspiration and impact. Set at the bucolic Dune Bird Winery in Northport, this event draws community members together in support of an objective that goes beyond food: a reminder that no one is invisible.
Step back in time at the Port Oneida Fair on Friday and Saturday, August 8-9. The fair runs each day from 10 am to 4 pm and includes more than 60 demonstrators of traditional skills and crafts at four historic sites. This year’s sites are all concentrated at Port Oneida Road and Harbor Highway (M-22), four miles northeast of Glen Arbor, and include Dechow Farm, Kelderhouse Farm, Olsen Farm, and Port Oneida Schoolhouse.
Three diverse musical acts are among those on the horizon across the county in the coming weeks: upbeat reggae and country from the Sun Dogs, Cajun and zydeco from K Jones and the Benzie Playboys, and bracing brass traversing the musical spectrum, courtesy Bourbon & Brass Company.
The Glen Lake Library will host lecturer Dr. Robert Van Dellen on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 7 pm. Van Dellen will explore how Ernest Hemingway’s tempestuous personal life, especially his experiences in Key West and Cuba, helped shaped The Old Man and the Sea, considered to be one of his greatest novels.