Fishtown Preservation presents “Fishtown in Lights”

This 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.

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Cherry Republic’s December giving campaign focuses on need for housing

Each 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.

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Northport Trinity Church’s Rag Bee members recycle discarded clothing into rugs

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As 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.

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Making Room for Gratitude: Thanksgiving the Day After

“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.”

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Glen Arbor hosts tree lighting, holiday marketplace

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Glen 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.

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Black Star Farms continues run of awards

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Best 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.

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Copying and Reexploring the Constitution, Word for Word

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On Saturday, Nov. 22, at 10 am, the Glen Lake Community Library in Empire invites the public to explore the U.S. Constitution, the foundational document of our democracy. In partnership with Michigan Writers, author and Empire Township resident Anne-Marie Oomen will lead this hands-on workshop, with participants copying the entire Constitution, section by section, then reading aloud and discussing their compiled work. This exercise will help refresh and refine our understanding of this core framework of democracy. Contact the library to register in advance. The Sun interviewed Oomen about her inspiration for initiating this event.

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Chronicling a history of Glen Arbor Township

When reading anything historical, while fascinating, it can be hard to connect to the information as it is not personally relevant or the idea that the historical event happened a long time ago creates a divide. The hurdle for the historian is how to bridge the reader to the past and make the information relevant? The newest release from the Leelanau Press, “Glen Arbor Township: A History to 1920” beautifully bridges the past for the contemporary reader.

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Harvest with Heart Deer Donation Program feeds Empire Food Pantry

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A collaboration between Buntings Cedar Market, local deer hunters, the Empire Area Community Center (EACC), and the Empire Area Community Food Pantry is supplying high-quality protein to families experiencing food insecurity during this hunting season, which runs the second half of November. A total of 14 deer (and counting) have been donated by local hunters to the Harvest with Heart Deer Donation Program, just a couple day into this year’s rifle hunting season. The initiative is financially supported locally by donations through EACC and its new Basic Needs Initiative Fund, which launched during the federal government shutdown and pause in SNAP benefits. Venison processed at Buntings will be donated to the Empire Food Pantry, which is run out of the Glen Lake Church in Burdickville.

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Devouring Jim Harrison: National Writers Series features biographer

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Jim Harrison returns to northern Michigan on Dec. 8. The longtime Leelanau County resident, widely considered one of the finest literary voices of his generation, died in 2016 after penning 21 books of fiction and 14 books of poetry, which influenced a generation of writers. Todd Goddard’s biography of Harrison, titled “Devouring Time: Jim Harrison, a Writer’s Life,” published on Nov. 4. He will appear at the National Writers Series at the Traverse City Opera House on Dec. 8. The Glen Arbor Sun interviewed Goddard in late October about researching and writing the book. Read and watch the interview here.

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