The Northport Arts Association (NAA) is honored to continue its annual Plein Air event originated by Gene Rantz in 2013. Gene’s original “Paint Out & Wet Paint Sale” started out small and has grown each year to where it now hosts up to 50 artists to paint throughout the tip of Leelanau Peninsula. With the permission of Gene’s family, the event is named in honor of Gene. Join the NAA on July 19 from 6-9 pm at the opening reception.
Parenting Communities is excited to welcome families to its fourth annual Street Fair on Saturday, July 19, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Leelanau Montessori Public School Academy campus in Lake Leelanau (7401 E. Duck Lake Rd.). In the event of rain, the celebration will be moved indoors to the VFW Hall. This free, family-friendly event is packed with fun for little ones and their grownups alike—face painting, balloon animals, a mobile museum, bubbles, crafts, live music and movement activities, and so much more. It’s a great chance to enjoy the day together, meet other local families, and connect with Parenting Communities staff and resources.
The Glen Arbor Arts Center is celebrating Youth Plein Air Month this July with a month-long initiative to inspire young artists and honor Glen Arbor’s rich history of plein air painting. Free Youth Plein Air Art Kits are available all month long at the Glen Arbor Arts Center. Each kit includes everything a young artist needs to head outside and start painting. Over 30 kits have already been checked out by young artists eager to explore plein air painting. Kits are free and available all month at the Glen Arbor Arts Center. Learn more at GlenArborArt.org or 231-334-6112.
You may have seen Severin Brotschul or his girlfriend Jessica He working summer days at the River Club Glen Arbor. Now you can watch them ply their trade on stage during an upcoming Traverse City Dance Project performance. The project is a realization of professional dancer and choreographer Brent Whitney’s dream to bring top-tier dance back to his hometown of Traverse City and to “ensure that the vibrant community of northern Michigan can readily access and afford opportunities to experience the art of dance at its finest.” Traverse City Dance Project launched in 2012. This is Severin and Jessica’s first year with Whitney’s company.
Enjoy Empire Anchor Days, which will be held Friday and Saturday, July 18-19. Events include a showing of the film “The Search For Anna and Levi” on Friday at 7 pm at Empire Township Hall. The Anchor Day Parade will be held ay noon on Saturday on Front St., Line up at 11:30 at Johnson Park. A Pop Up Book Sale will be held from 11 am-3 pm on Saturday at the Glen Lake Community Library. Join the community for the Lions Club BBQ Chicken Dinner at Johnson Park from 1-7 pm on Saturday. The menu will include Grilled Chicken, BBs, Coleslaw, Potatoes and Shortcake. Stop by for a treat and a bonfire at Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate. Enjoy free hot dogs and s’mores from 6-8 pm. On Saturday from 9-11 pm enjoy street Dancing with music by The Luke Woltanski Band in front of Glen Lake Community Library Front Plaza and Street. Bring your own beverage, chair and dancing shoes. (In case of rain, the dance will be in Empire Township Hall).
The 53rd annual Glen Lake Woman’s Club Art Fair will be held on Wednesday, July 16, at the Glen Arbor Township Hall. The Art Fair features artists carefully selected to represent a wide variety of one-of-a-kind art pieces for sale 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. Some go to their favorite artists’ booths to add to a collection, while others like to peruse vendors new to the Art Fair for a special purchase.
Day or night, sunny or cloudy, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore provides opportunities for family fun. Whether it’s self-directed hikes or drives, ranger-led programs or events coordinated by partners such as Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes or Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear, the area offers plenty of ways to explore, engage and maybe even get a little exercise. You may want to start early if you’re planning on some of the more popular attractions. On its website, the National Park Service recommends hitting the following before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. to allow for easier parking, lower temperatures and fewer fellow outdoor enthusiasts.
The Leland Township Public Library will once again hold its Summinars speaker series that brings together leading thinkers, authors, and educators for a season of free, thought-provoking lectures on history, policy, culture, science, and more. Held in the Munnecke Room at the Leland Township Library, the Leelanau Summinars are now in their 14th year of engaging the community through intellectually stimulating programming. Next up, on Tuesday, July 8, at 4 pm, Molly Michelmore will speak on the evolution of the income tax and democracy.
Karen Mulvahill has always been a reader. After her sister taught her to read at age four, she regularly checked out the maximum number of books allowed by her local library. With the publication of her novel, “The Lost Woman,” she has transitioned from spiral notebooks to a computer keyboard. The Friends of the Leelanau Township Library in Northport will hold a celebration of the book launch at the Willowbrook Mill on July 8. Leelanau County has been and remains an environment where writers and artists can thrive.
This summer, the sounds of blues, bluegrass, pop, reggae, rock and jazz will once again fill the air at The Homestead. The popular Music on the Mountain series is returning for the first time since before the pandemic. The shows will take place at 7 p.m. on alternate Thursdays, beginning July 10 with the Luke Winslow-King duo. They will take place at the top of Bay Mountain, the resort’s ski hill. Patrons can ride the ski lift to the top. The backdrop, with the sun setting behind the sparkling waters of Sleeping Bear Bay, is like no other in the area.