Meet Me at the Loaf: Leelanau Historical Society celebrates Sugar Loaf stories
From staff reports
The Leelanau Historical Society (LHS), 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.
Tickets are $20 per person and are available online at LeelanauHistory.org, or in the Historical Society museum gift shop. Guests will enjoy snacks, drinks, historical displays curated by LHS, and exciting door prizes generously provided by Boyne Mountain, Crystal Mountain, and additional community partners.
This designed image features families enjoying Sugar Loaf under the care of the Leelanau Conservancy. The property may open to the public later this year.
Meet Me at the Loaf’s scheduled storytellers will include: Chad Jordan, who built the first snowboard park at Sugar Loaf and now manages infrastructure for the Leelanau Conservancy, which acquired Sugar Loaf last year and will preserve it in the future; Al Jankowski, a member of the Funky Uncle band, who grew up down the road from Sugar Loaf and later became a working musician at the resort, and Glen Arbor Sun editor Jacob Wheeler, who will share stories about reporting on Sugar Loaf’s colorful cast of previous owners. The event will also feature video reflections from Martha Teichner, a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and daughter of the late Hans “Peppi” Teichner, who popularized downhill skiing in northern Michigan and helped turn Sugar Loaf into a ski hill. Tom Nelson, executive director of the Leelanau Conservancy, was originally scheduled to speak but can no longer attend.
All stories are connected to Sugar Loaf and explore themes of keeping secrets, finding community, growing up on the hill, and navigating the twists and turns of the hill’s history. Collectively, these stories capture the wild, warm, and unforgettable spirit of a place that shaped lives on and off the slopes.
“Sugar Loaf has been many things to many people over the decades—adventure, livelihood, memory, or simply home,” said LHS director Kim Kelderhouse. “This event brings all of this together, letting the community celebrate its shared history.”
Whether you’re a former employee, longtime local, weekend skier, or someone newly curious about the mountain’s legacy and future, this event invites everyone to relive cherished memories, discover new perspectives, and celebrate a place woven deeply into the identity of Leelanau County.
