Northport’s hosts seventh Leelanau UnCaged

From staff reports

Leelanau UnCaged unfolds on Saturday, Sept. 28, filling the village streets with song, dance, food and art — plus fun directed specifically at kids. Entrance is free.

Starting at noon, visitors will encounter non-stop music until 10 pm on five separate stages. There will be dancing in three different styles, orchestral music from full ensemble to ukeleles, vocalists from crooners to classical, hot jazz, cool jazz, gypsy jazz, rock’n’roll, bluegrass, newgrass, old-timey folk, millennial alt-folk, country swing, reggae, ska, samba, contemporary Mexican, Russian L.A. surf rock, and more.

Also on the streets at UnCaged will be 75 artists and 17 unique food vendors. Northport’s popular restaurants and bars will stay open late.

Kids UnCaged will have its own tent, as always, open from noon until 4 p.m. There will be a live mermaid, stilt-walkers and face-painters, plus other art activities.

While UnCaged officially starts at noon, visitors are welcome to come early to watch amazing street decorations being erected. At 11 a.m. at the marina there will be a water blessing, followed immediately by a parade led by the Deep Blue Water Samba School band of Traverse City, which will have drums to share — unless you care to bring your own.

Leelanau UnCaged began in downtown Northport in 2013 as a way to celebrate the tastes and talents of Northern Michigan. It has become the region’s longest and most popular free street fest. It is named in tribute to avant garde composer John Cage who famously said, “Get yourself out of whatever cage you find yourself in.”

Check out LeelanauUnCaged.com for more details.