The Bay Community Theatre is launching a new live entertainment series in downtown Suttons Bay called “Live at the Bay,” with the inaugural Fall 2024 season featuring artists from across Michigan and the United States, including renowned a cappella, comedy, live film accompaniment, and jazz/blues performances.

The League of Women Voters of Leelanau County will hold four evenings of candidate forums featuring candidates for Leelanau County Board of Commissioners, starting tonight, Sept. 12, from 7-9 pm at the Leland Township Library. Citizens can also attend via Zoom. Visit the Leelanau League’s homepage for information to register.

Coffee With the Authors is a live, conversational interview with local and regional authors about the craft and process of writing. On Sept. 14 Traverse City poet and teacher Teresa Scallon talks about To Embroider The Ground With Prayer, a collection of poems considering her father’s illness, death, and the Michigan farming community in which she was raised. Sarah Bearup-Neal, GAAC gallery manager, leads the conversation. The interview begins at 1 pm.

Waffles on a stick? A social club without alcohol? All based around a small-town coffee shop? Welcome to Hive, the Suttons Bay coffee shop that’s long on service, special events and community. And coffee, of course. After all, that’s what enticed Landon McDaid to open the Suttons Bay business at the location previously occupied by Mundos Roasters. It still serves Mundos coffee, with specialties including blueberry lemon latte, flavored espresso tonic and other specialty drinks.

Leland Township Public Library will host Nikki Rothwell, Ph.D, on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 10 am as the final installment of its Leland Library Summinars series. Agriculture is a challenging occupation, and climate change has made this job even more difficult. Attend to hear about how the variable climate is impacting local farmers and how research and outreach programming are trying to address this key factor that is influencing how we grow fruit in northwest Michigan.

We chatted with the experts, the bookworms, and bookstore owners, and here’s our roundup of local books, or books written by local authors, that were published this year. Find them at Leelanau County’s locally-owned, independent bookstores: Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor, Bay Books in Suttons Bay, Dog Ears Books in Northport, and Leelanau Books in Leland; or at your local library. Happy reading!

French Valley Vineyard hosted a free Family Fun Day at the North Barn on Aug. 18 featuring mindful music with Miriam Pico. Photo by Sarah Peschel

One Friday afternoon last July, Tim Mulherin’s wife, Janet, suggested they go down to Good Harbor Bay Beach CR 651 (Good Harbor Trail) for a few blissful hours of relaxation. That favorite Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore location is conveniently located about two miles from our home in Cedar. Janet had the right idea: It was a glorious northern Michigan summer day, the kind that makes you want to drop what you’re doing and report to the nearest Lake Michigan beach. “Sounds good,” Tim said, “with one exception: It’s July and the beach will be packed.” Mulherin, a self-described curmudgeon, writes here about accepting “packed beaches” at the height of summer.

Empire writer Anne-Marie Oomen has received the 2024 Michigan Author Award, an award given by the State Library of Michigan to a Michigan author for lifetime achievement. In celebration of this honor, the Empire Area Community Center and Glen Lake Community Library Friends of the Library will hold a reception in honor of her award and to celebrate her books on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 4-7 pm at the Empire Town Hall. Oomen is author of eight nonfiction books, editor of two anthologies, and co-author of two tales of fiction for young people. She has won numerous awards over the years. The Michigan Author Award is given through a nomination process from librarians and others, and David Diller of the Glen Lake Community Library was one of the nominators this year. “I’m so grateful to the librarians I’ve worked with over the years, but our local library has become particularly special to me,” said Oomen.

Self-taught local artist Michelle White is set to showcase her collection in a highly anticipated solo art show. The installation, titled “The Many Faces We Wear,” will be held at the Northport Arts Association from Sept. 6-9. “I have been drawing and painting minimal or wild faces since 2017 and have over 300,” said White. “I’ve never seen them all out together and felt urgently inspired to make a space for them and do a solo show. It’s a personal quest and an invitation to join me for an interactive experience of ‘The Many Faces We Wear’.” The opening reception will be held on Sept. 6 from 6-8 pm at the Northport Arts Association.