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Run faster than the bear at Glen Arbor’s Running Bear Run
Upcoming EventPlease join the Glen Arbor Women’s Club at the Running Bear 5K Run/Walk & ½ Mile Kids’ Run on Tuesday, July 28. Come out and take the challenge as the run takes off for its 19th year. What makes a beautiful summer day even better? Spending it with family and friends who take the challenge. You can run or walk the 5K. As a chip timed event, the Women’s Club has 16 categories from 10 & under to 80+ as well as an Overall Best Award for our top male and female runner. Winners will receive medals and prizes from Cherry Republic and Crystal River Outfitters and The Cyclery. Ninety percent of all proceeds go for college scholarships for Glen Lake students with the balance going for community projects.
Flow Water Advocates launch Great Lakes Passport
NewsFlow Water Advocates, based in Traverse City, is proud to announce the release of the Great Lakes Passport, a free educational guide that invites Michiganders and visitors alike to explore the Great Lakes while learning about the rights, history, and legal protections that safeguard these shared waters. Designed for families, educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and all friends of the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Passport combines travel inspiration with practical knowledge about public access to one of the region’s most important natural resources.
Foothills Café and Motel seeks the ‘right buyer’ to carry on its legacy
Business Feature, Local PersonalityYou know the overused adage, “All good things must come to an end”? Though admittedly cliché, it’s with that very sentiment Shari Bernstein, the owner of The Foothills Café and Motel in Maple City, concludes her 16-year journey at the property she calls “magic.” “There’s an old oak tree, an old maple tree,” Bernstein smiled. “It feels… It’s got a vibe.” But, alas, “We are all ready for our next chapters, filled with new opportunities, growth and experiences, where we can slow the pace and be present,” Bernstein wrote last fall in a Facebook post. “That’s why we are selling.” She and her family listed the “double whammy” that is the motel and cafe in December. And because winter is famously quiet in these parts, Bernstein “didn’t expect interest until people started coming up for the season.” So far this summer, there’s been “a lot of interest.”
Poor Farm Barn hosts fundraising concerts
Upcoming EventLeelanau County’s historic Poor Farm Barn will host some of the area’s finest musicians at a string of three fund-raising concerts beginning on Wednesday, July 29, with subsequent concerts scheduled for Aug. 12 and Aug. 26. These Picnic Concerts are being organized by the Leelanau County Historic Preservation Society to help fund the last big item needed to open the barn to wider community use—a set of bathrooms.
Glen Arbor Arts Center celebrates Harvey Gordon
Upcoming EventJoin the Glen Arbor Arts Center on Sunday, July 26, from 6-7 pm for a special musical performance celebrating local artist Harvey Gordon, whose acrylic paintings and inventive glazing techniques have captivated audiences for decades. The program features a musical tribute by his son, tenor David Gordon, with pianist Susan Snyder, performing songs and arias by Bernstein, Sondheim, Mozart, Beach, Berg, and more.
A quest to visit 250 historic sites
Dispatch from Afar, Historical FeatureCelebrating a national anniversary is kind of similar to looking ahead at a milestone birthday, with good, bad, and sometimes ugly aspects. Linda Engelhard writes that she is still breathing but not everything in her past is cause for a party. She and her husband John escaped snowmageddon last winter and were heading toward the coast of Georgia, surrounded by Civil War history on the way. Without snow to shovel, they began to contemplate what a genuine celebration of the Declaration of Independence might look like for us. “We love this country. That said, we also love justice, honesty, kindness, generosity—the values we grew up with that seem to be less embraced by our country in 2026. We settled on a quest to celebrate by learning more history and visiting 250 historic sites by the end of the year.”
Of Stars and Flowers: Alyssa Smith’s Meditations on the Earthly and the Infinite
Business Feature, Local Personality, Upcoming EventWhen writer Katie Dunn stepped into Alyssa Smith’s Traverse City studio in for a preview of her upcoming exhibition, “Of Stars and Flowers” at V Gallery in Omena, she entered a space that felt both serene and animated. Perched high above the world outside, the studio carried the steady cadence of creation: paintings leaning against walls, ceramic pieces resting nearby, and carefully arranged collections of plants, dried flowers, and gathered objects. The windows were flung open, allowing birdsong to drift through the room—something Smith spoke of with affection, describing the sounds of nature as a constant presence and source of inspiration from her elevated vantage point.
Leelanau residents, workers encouraged to take housing survey
NewsThe Leelanau County Housing Collaborative, an effort of the Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation, and its partner organizations are inviting residents, workers, employers, and community members to participate in the Leelanau County Attainable Housing Survey. The survey is designed to gather public input on housing needs and community priorities to help inform future housing solutions across the county.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to conduct high-visibility traffic safety enforcement
NewsThe National Park Service will conduct a series of high-visibility traffic enforcement operations throughout the summer at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to promote safe driving behaviors and reduce serious traffic crashes. These operations will be conducted in coordination with local and state law enforcement partners.
Sleeping Bear Surf updates look, holds same dedication to the water
Business Feature, Local PersonalityWhen Sleeping Bear Surf opened its doors in Empire in 2004, it was billed as the state’s first surf shop. Today it still stakes its claim as the state’s only full-service surf shop, serving as a hub for Great Lakes surfing and general water merriment, with sales, rentals and classes. And with a 20-plus year history, manager Ella Skrocki decided it was time for a reset. “As I choose the state of evolution, it felt like I needed some new energy,” she says.