You could say that the famed AuSable River runs through the veins of Lindy Kellogg, a Cedar resident who works at the Leelanau Conservancy. The AuSable River Canoe Marathon, which held its 75th race on July 29, runs from Grayling to Oscoda, a distance of 120 miles. This year, Lindy joined the marathon for the first time together with Kolee.

Tim Ward is eager for more people to know about the Chance for Life (CFL) organization. That’s why he recently completed a remarkable 22-day journey to build awareness and raise funds for the groundbreaking program that successfully trains individuals incarcerated in prisons as they return to communities. Ward stopped in Glen Arbor as part of the 2,400-mile Trace Michigan tour. He and his wife, Mary, are part-time Glen Arbor residents after buying a home here in 2015, just before the Aug. 2 megastorm. Family, friends, and colleagues gathered at Rinco Bros, the coffee roastery next to Lake Street Studios on Saturday, July 29, to encourage Ward as he began another day on the road.

Eaters of corn we are in this August golden heat. Lined up at picnic tables, our teeth move horizontally, carving a path across long corn ears—like a prolific typewriter always moving the paper right to left as the keys punch out letters, words, subliminal messages.

History will come alive Friday and Saturday, August 11-12, at the Port Oneida Fair in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore with demonstrations, food, and family activities at six different sites within the Port Oneida Rural Historic District.

Just about every big-name national newspaper has written rave reviews about Ann Patchett’s newest novel, Tom Lake. That means that northern Michigan is in the national spotlight again, as the book takes place on a cherry farm in Traverse City. Patchett will visit Traverse City to present her new book at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12 at the City Opera House (and livestreamed) in front of a live audience, hosted by the National Writers Series. Here is the Glen Arbor Sun’s Q&A with Patchett.

This summer means now. A sign reading “Opening this Summer” inside the window at Millie’s, the new pizza and ice cream restaurant on the footprint of the famed Riverfront Pizza, has been replaced by a new sign that reads “Grand Opening” and “Thursday to Sunday 12 pm to 8 pm.” Millie’s holds its grand opening on Thursday, Aug. 10, and features made-from-scratch “Roman Pizza al Taglio,” known for its semi-thick, light and fluffy interior and crispy exterior. Pizza slices, which cost $5 or $6 each, offer cheese, pepperoni, sausage and onion, or mushroom and roasted garlic. For dessert, Millie’s features ice cream in two flavors—cinnamon toast and dark cherry—crafted from a rich, custard base that uses cream, whole milk, sugar, salt and egg yolks. The restaurant is managed by Fernhaus Studio hospitality group, whose team also runs The Mill, another time-honored Glen Arbor landmark on the Crystal River, The Riverside in Leland, and Brew in Traverse City.

“Wow, this is good! I did this?” exclaims Michelle Leask, after writing a poem as part of the Consenses art project, a multi-genre game of telephone hatched by the Old Art Building in Leland. Starting with the purple glass Infinity Disk in front of the OAB, artists were invited to take inspiration from and respond to the creation of only the previous artist in the series, resulting in multiple expressions in a linear creative conversation. The show opened in July, and viewers can walk from work to work to see the multi-media series as it was created, one art form at a time. Michelle’s poem is her response to “a nice soft watercolor of flowers in a vase. The poem is called Beauty in Brokenness, because I saw so many contrasts of old and new.”

“In wine, there is truth.” Overquoted? Maybe. But in the case of the early winery owners and their family members of the Leelanau Peninsula, the expression holds true. Writing for the Glen Arbor Sun, Rebecca Carlson set out to understand the origins of the current successful wine industry in Leelanau. Through years of experimenting, working and taming the soil and vines, “In Vino Veritas” is in the lifeblood of these early Leelanau Peninsula vintners.

Nestled amid the picturesque landscapes of Leelanau County, artist Kristin MacKenzie Hussey has made a name for herself with her charming watercolor paintings that capture the whimsical and nostalgic essence of this beautiful region. A gifted designer and co-owner of The Warren Collective in Leland, Hussey’s art has blossomed in popularity, captivating locals and visitors alike. One of the most awe-inspiring experiences for Hussey was her participation in the Consenses Walks project in Leland. “Participating in the Consenses project was such a beautiful experience. I was so honored to be asked to join a handful of incredible local artists to play a game of Art Telephone, so to speak,” she said.

Mark your calendars. 5 Loaves 2 Fish will host its second annual “Big Change Equals Big Change” fundraiser on Tuesday, Aug. 22. The fun starts at 6 p.m. at Main Street Gallery’s magical spot along the Leland River, and attendees will be treated to music by Geno and the Big Change Band; hotdogs and brats (featuring authentic Detroit Coney Sauce) courtesy of Franklin’s Wiener Wagon; fresh and inventive salads; Janiecake’s cupcakes; complimentary beer and wine; and our signature Big Change cocktail for $5.