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Bee Joyful spreads cheer in Country Christmas’ former home
Business Feature, Local Personality’Tis the season to be joyful. For Austin and Bethany Jo Bowers, that’s always the case. They opened their Bee Joyful retail storefront late last year on M-72 just west of Traverse City, at the former Country Christmas location. Bethany started the company as a youngster. She started making natural beeswax skin products for her family and friends at her family farm, where her father was a beekeeper. At 14, she officially started her own company, Bee Joyful, selling her soaps and balms at a local farmers market and shops.
Re-arboring Glen Arbor
Upcoming EventThe Glen Arbor Beautification committee planted 20 seedlings on Nov. 6 on the back property of The River Club with Mike Sheldon, the owner’s approval and support. This is the first official planting by GAB, according to the group’s co-founder Chris Sack. Cherry Republic plans to do a planting in Spring 2026 to support GAB’s initiative. Rebecca Benedict, GAB co-founder, provided the trees: 20 x Blue & White Spruce that she obtained from Leelanau Conservation District. Kait Springsdorf, the other GAB co-founder, was at the planting as well as many members of The River Club’s managerial team.
Afghans assimilate and contribute in Leelanau County
Historical Feature, Investigative Article, Local PersonalityOne man returns home in his pickup truck from his job managing a fruit processing plant near Empire to greet his children as they step off the yellow school bus. Another shares a homemade dinner with his wife and kids, then naps before working the nightshift in the radiology unit at Munson Medical Center. A third man retreats upstairs and uses a hand-me-down sewing machine to mend a customer’s torn Christmas stocking—his side gig to make extra money for his family after he works daytime hours at Spectrum. These could be the stories of any hard-working men in Leelanau County. In fact, they represent the everyday rituals of three Afghan refugees who worked with the U.S. military and then fled for their safety after the Taliban took Kabul and seized power four years ago.
Leelanau Holiday reads: 2025 books by local authors
Local Personality, Poetry/EssayWe 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 in 2025. All make great holiday gifts! 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!
Fishtown Preservation presents “Fishtown in Lights”
Upcoming EventThis holiday season Fishtown Preservation Society is lighting the rooftops of Leland’s Historic Fishtown with strings of white lights. FPS has scheduled a lighting event on Friday, December 12, starting at 5 p.m. in Fishtown, Leland, with the rooftop lights being turned on for the first time that night at 5:30. The light display will continue nightly from Dec. 12 through Jan. 5, 5-10 p.m. The lights will also be on every morning from 5-8 a.m. for those who enjoy an early morning winter stroll.
Cherry Republic’s December giving campaign focuses on need for housing
Business FeatureEach December, Cherry Republic launches a “31 Days of Giving” campaign, which in the past has supported farmers, environmental and renewable energy initiatives, and land preservation. During the first week of December 2025, the Glen Arbor-based company reported in a blog post that it is giving to organizations working to reduce the tremendous shortage of housing in Northern Michigan. The problem is particularly acute, especially here in Leelanau. “We are proud to have housing as a priority in our giving this December,” the company reported in a blog post.
Northport Trinity Church’s Rag Bee members recycle discarded clothing into rugs
Local Personality, Upcoming EventAs we travel across this country, we pass giant mounds of landfill—unpleasant evidence of how much we throw away. A group of dedicated neighbors in Northport have been trying for approximately 50 years to reverse that trend by recycling unwanted clothing into rugs. On Tuesday mornings, the members of Rag Bee gather around a table at Trinity Church to accomplish their mission. The next opportunity to purchase rugs is during the Women’s Club bake sale at Trinity Church on Dec. 6.
Making Room for Gratitude: Thanksgiving the Day After
Poetry/Essay“Gratitude doesn’t always arrive on schedule; sometimes it’s a day late. Somewhere between the boiling pots on the stove, embarrassing memories being dished out, and laughter echoing off the living room walls, my family and I find our own rhythm of Thanksgiving,” writes Isabelle Plamondon. “My mom is a [Leelanau County] dispatcher who often has to work holidays since she’s a single parent. She’s worked on Thanksgiving almost every year, helping people whose holidays may not be going as planned. She, and other first-responders like her, see the dark side to every holiday before celebrating their own.”
Glen Arbor hosts tree lighting, holiday marketplace
News, Upcoming EventGlen Arbor (and nearby Empire) will host special holiday events in the hours and days after Thanksgiving. On Friday, Nov. 28, Glen Arbor businesses host a PJ Party from 6-9 am the morning after turkey day. Following that is the town’s Bed Parade from 9-9:30 am. Later that morning in Empire, the Glen Lake Library hosts a Community Blood Drive from 11-3:30. Glen Arbor’s Tree Lighting, Caroling + Marketplace Preview Party at the Township Hall start at 6:15 pm. The Town Hall hosts the Holiday Market from 6:30-8 pm.
Black Star Farms continues run of awards
Business Feature, NewsBest wine hotel. Best American Riesling. Business of the year. The accolades continue to roll in for Black Star Farms. Managing owner Sherri Fenton says they are a testament to the staff at the Suttons Bay business fulfilling the vision of her father Kerm. “It’s exciting,” says Fenton. “It plays into the original vision of my father (for) world class customer service.” Earlier this year, The Inn at Black Star Farms was named the Best Wine Country Hotel in the country by USA Today Reader’s Choice Awards. Black Star Farms was first nominated for the award in 2020, when it was named to the top spot. Every year since it has been in the top three, and won the award again this year.