The Empire Area Museum invites you to check out its new exhibits this year, including Ted Pelky’s model school bus collection, Russell Van Houzen’s woodcarvings and Helen Witt’s decorated eggs. Pelky started drawing buses at age 5 and building them at age 10. He works off school bus brochures and photographs.
Chef Jeff Colby tries to run out of fresh ingredients he prepares each day and serves from his food counter inside Horizons ‘n Sunsets, a new destination in Empire for food, gifts and fresh produce. “An all natural food experience,” is how Colby describes the business he owns and runs with Dick Colbath and Susan Mekula, and which opened July 1.
This month’s Empire Area Community Emergency Fund event, at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, at the Empire Town Hall, is sponsored by Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate and will kick off with a potluck retirement party, honoring founder Mimi Wheeler.
From staff reports The Kelly Miller Circus returns to the Empire Eagles Meadow on Tuesday, August 20, with showtimes in the big tent at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Come ride the elephants, watch the fire twirlers and eat popcorn. Tickets are available at the Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor, Gemma’s in Empire, the Foothills […]
Thoughtful public input on the first draft of a Transportation Plan for the Village of Empire is enthusiastically requested of all Empire area residents, visitors and village, township and regional stake-holders this Thursday, Aug. 1, at the Township Hall in the Village of Empire.
The next Empire Area Community Emergency Fund Concert will be held on Sunday, July 28 from 4-6 p.m. at the Empire Township Hall. This event will pay tribute to the “Wanderer” the late hobo poet Clive W. Haswell, and will feature a performance by the Beach Bards with musical guests Norm Wheeler, Chris Skellenger, Patrick Niemisto and friends.
The Glen Lake Library will host a performance by Song of the Lakes on Thursday, July 25, at 7 p.m. The concert is based on the classic children’s book Paddle to the Sea, written by Holling C. Holling, originally published in 1941. This concert will feature original music performed by the band, along with narration by Norm Wheeler. Children and adults are invited to this free performance, which will be held at the Empire Township Hall. For more information, call the library at (231) 326-5361, or check its website at Glenlakelibrary.net.
Oil Painter Jeff Ripple will demonstrate his craft at Empire’s Sleeping Bear Gallery on Saturday, July 27, from 1-3 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Ripple may be “a Florida boy at heart,” but he also embraces the idyllic rolling hills and gentle landscape that characterizes Leelanau County. Even though Ripple is colorblind, he has “always been into art.”
Thirty-six years ago this month, Doug Manning and Michelle Stryker discovered an anchor in 18 feet of water while canoeing off the coast of Empire. Ever since then, the village has celebrated Anchor Days on the third Saturday of July. The quirky impetus for the party fits this unique town. After all, Empire is best known for dressing up and honoring the asparagus stalk in May.
As Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate celebrates 10 years in Leelanau County, it also fetes the new ownership of the business under Jody Dotson and D.c. Hayden of Traverse City, who acquired it from Mimi Wheeler on April 1. The ingredients of a successful business in Leelanau County would seem to include: a unique, high-quality product, community-minded entrepreneurial spirit, the ability to identify trends, a strong network of employees, like-minded business owners and customers, and a pinch of good luck.