Cherry Republic and Friends of Sleeping Bear report the first annual Sleepy Bear Twilight Ride, at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, to support maintenance of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. All funds raised will go toward trail operations, which include keeping the trail clear for riders during the spring, summer and fall, and grooming in the winter for cross-country skiing. Annual maintenance of the trail costs about $1,000 per mile.
On Tuesday, July 23, the Glen Arbor Women’s Club (GAWC) hosts the seventh annual “Running Bear 5K Run/Walk and ½ Mile Kids’ Run. This event has become popular with locals and tourists alike. Last year, 700 adults and children took part. The 5K event is open to everyone. You can run or walk, so young people as well as seniors can participate in the 5K. The younger children are not forgotten and can participate in a ½ Mile “Kids’ Run”. They run/walk the half mile and each child will receive a ribbon and an ice cream cone from Riverfront Pizza & Specialties. Bring the whole family and join the fun this year.
Check out this great video from Detroit Public Television’s traveling “Under the Radar” series. You can stream the owners of Cherry Republic and Art’s Tavern, the Deputy Superintendent of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Glen Arbor artists Becky Thatcher and Beth Bricker into your homes, thus satisfying your wanderlust.
The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail carries on a great holiday tradition in Northern Michigan with the 2013 Toast the Season wine tour either of the first two weekends of November. Choose your weekend to tour the wineries of Leelanau — either Nov. 3-4 or 10-11. The tour is self guided and participants may visit member wineries each day in any order desired, between the hours of 11am to 5pm Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Cherry Republic will host a fall celebration at its Glen Arbor location on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 2-5 p.m., as it hosts acoustic folk rock guitarist Eric Nassau and The Lord of the Gourd carving colorful pumpkins and gourds. Children’s activities will include pumpkin and cookie decorating, spit the pit into the giant pumpkin, pumpkin ping pong ball toss, donuts on a string etc.
Bill Janis, CEO of Traverse City-based Century Inc., won the Chevy Volt raffle on Saturday at Cherry Republic. The raffle was held in support of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, a multi-use and bike trail which connects the Dune Climb with Glen Arbor and will one day stretch 27 miles, from the Leelanau-Benzie County Line to Good Harbor. 1,200 tickets were sold, each costing $100, which generated $120,000 for the next portion of the Heritage Trail — the Dune Climb to Empire leg — which advocates hope will be complete by next summer.
Does Glen Arbor truly embrace bikers? These citizens on two wheels represent a growing share of our tourism pie, as northern Michigan appeals to both recreational and athletic bikers. They represent an active lifestyle that fits our outdoor attractions like a glove; they don’t clog roads or parking lots; they don’t consume fossil fuels and pollute our air, and their leisurely pace makes them ideal targets to visit and financially support our shops, galleries and eateries.
The 11th annual Harvest Stompede Vineyard Run & Walk and Wine Tour is a great way to experience the beauty of the Leelanau Wine Trail at harvest time, with local food pairings and wine from the exceptional 2011 vintage. The event takes place the weekend of Sept. 8-9 and is considered one of the most scenic running & wine touring events in the Midwest.
The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail fundraising committee is conducting a raffle of a lovely Crystal Red Chevy Volt that can be seen at various ticket vendors around Glen Arbor. Ticket sales are limited to 1,200 of the $100 tickets, and should net $100,000. This, in turn, will be used to help pay a $400,000 fee due in September. With the fee paid, the Heritage Trail will be able to commence with the next segment of construction, a path leading south from the Dune Climb along M-109, which will connect Empire to the Dunes. The Heritage Trail will one day stretch 27 miles, from the Leelanau-Benzie County Line, north to Good Harbor.
Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail supporters, car enthusiasts and renewable energy advocates will have an opportunity to test drive a GM Chevy Volt on Tuesday, July 31, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor. General Motors, a strong supporter of the Heritage Trail, will make the trip to Glen Arbor with three Chevy Volts to test drive.