Visit the Glen Lake Community Library in Empire on Feb. 23 at 7 pm to learn about the environmental health of our Great Lakes in a presentation by the Inland Seas Education Association. ISEA staff will describe the various monitoring activities they perform during their excursions on Grand Traverse Bay, and demonstrate some of the specialized equipment they use in this work. You can also learn about the various volunteer opportunities available with this dynamic local organization.
On Feb. 23, at 1:30 p.m. the Omena Historical Society and Leelanau Historical Society Museum will host Mark Smith for a discussion of the Grove Hill School—one of the first residential schools for Native Americans in the country. The event takes place at the Leelanau Historical Society’s Munnecke Room at 203 E. Cedar St. in Leland.
Explore Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore at night on a candlelit winter hike on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 6-8 p.m. at the Dune Climb. Join park rangers and volunteers to explore the park after dark. Arrive anytime between 6-7:30 p.m. to enjoy the full experience. Hike one mile on flat terrain along a candlelit trail. The self-guided hike should take roughly 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring your sense of adventure, enjoy a trail lit by luminaries, and engage with our knowledgeable rangers and volunteers. The event is free with a park pass.
The Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the 2023 Yeti Fest dubbed “The Best Yeti Fest This Side of the Himalayas.” The event takes place on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm featuring a chili cook-off and fun for the whole family.
Glen Arbor’s Winterfest, the anticipated mid-winter event, takes place annually the Saturday of President’s Day weekend. This year’s perch fishing contest has been canceled due to a lack of ice on the Glen Lakes. But the chili cook off will be held on the deck of Boonedocks restaurant in Glen Arbor on Saturday, Feb. 18, from noon-3 pm.
After three years of delighting historians and patrons, sparking curiosity, and sharing long forgotten information about this beloved area, the Leelanau Historical Society’s “You Are Here: Maps & Roads of Leelanau” exhibit will retire on Jan. 27.
Submission deadlines for two artist opportunities at the Glen Arbor Arts Center are near. Swimming, an exhibition about a familiar activity, takes a metaphoric look at what it means to move through water—both literally and symbolically. The deadline for online submissions is Feb. 1. This juried exhibition runs March 31-June 1. A second creative, artist opportunity is the GAAC’s Artist-in-Residence program, a juried competition.
The Crystal River Outfitters Recreation District on Glen Arbor’s east end, which includes the M22 and Coastal retail stores, is attracting customers to its Strolling Lights Festival, which continues through New Year’s Day. According to Katy Wiesen, who owns the three businesses together with her husband Matt, the year ahead will yield a new building across M-22 in the vacant lot which previously housed Riverfront Pizza & Deli.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is bringing back their free ranger-led snowshoe hikes this winter. Whether you are an experienced snowshoer or have never tried snowshoeing, the National Lakeshore invites you to join a ranger-led snowshoe hike to explore the park. The park is kicking off the winter season with two holiday hikes at 1 p.m. on Dec. 29 and Dec. 31 for all experience levels.
Andrew Dost, the Frankfort native and Grammy Award-winning member of the indie rock band Fun., whose hit single “We Are Young” topped the charts for six straight weeks in 2012, will headline a sold-out Christmas Variety Show at the Old Art Building in Leland on Friday, Dec. 23. Read our full interview with Dost, who talked about why he returned to northern Michigan, therapy dogs and his beloved Pitbull named Carly, his love for cooking and foraging, his support for LGBTQ activism, and what he envisions for future Christmas variety shows at the Old Art Building. Spoiler: Dost wants fun, silly pet tricks including rats dressed in basketball jerseys all going after a meatball.