Sun seekers tanning their hides on Empire beach were suddenly transported back in history on the afternoon of Sunday, July 31, when the Saginaw Voyageurs arrived in a birch bark replica canoe. The Voyageurs wore costumes to resemble the pre-American Revolution French fur traders, who opened up trade routes between Great Lakes Native American communities and Montreal. They were concluding the first day of a weeklong journey that began in Frankfort and ended on Aug. 6 in Traverse City.
After half a decade of planning, some debate, and the solidification of enthusiastic support across a broad spectrum of the public, the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail will officially launch with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Dune Climb on Friday, August 12 at 11 a.m. When completed, the 27-mile trail will run from the southern edge of Leelanau County, through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to Good Harbor Bay.
Dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth’s Aunt Helen Westie Wetterholt, a frequent contributor to the Glen Arbor Sun, and an Empire mainstay who passed away in May, at 93 years old. Read her obituary below.
At the close of its second decade, the Dunegrass Music Festival now has a new home. The popular northern Michigan folk and bluegrass festival is leaving Leelanau County, where it was born to the late Mike Vanderberg in Empire in 1993 and exploded last decade to feature nationally known acts.
Duane Campbell, a civil engineer turned brat entrepreneur, serves up these delicacies at the Foothills Café in Burdickville on Thursday through Saturday evenings. “I try to make inspired brats. Anyone can go to the store and buy a package of Johnsonville Brats,” he says. “Compare those to a handcrafted raspberry chipotle brat, or one with turkey, feta, tomato and fresh basil.” Duane often uses local ingredients, and always a better grade of meat than run-of-the-mill bratwursts.
Join Park Rangers for another Families United with Nature (FUN) day at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and this time discover how to reuse and recycle in a creative, playful and artistic way. Meet at the Platte River Picnic Area on M-22 south of Empire on Saturday, July 23 at 2 p.m.
Empire boasts a thriving public beach and two unique local festivals — Asparagus Festival in May and Anchor Day (this year on Saturday, July 16). But too often the cozy village fails to sustain crowds, and commerce. Business is booming at the colorful Miser’s Hoard and at hip Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak, but what should be done about the vacancies at the hardware store, or the old Taghon’s garage and schoolhouse on the corner of M-22 and M-72.
When Frank and Beryl Skrocki packed up their three tiny kids to start an unknown life up north, they never imagined their family would own and operate one of the only surf shops in Michigan just a few years later.
One of the most popular farmsteads in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will get a major facelift. Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear (PHSB) will focus its mainland project this summer on the Treat Farmhouse. PHSB will spend $5,000 to contract out scraping and priming the exterior of the house to be followed by two volunteer projects.
Empire businesses including The Secret Garden, The Miser’s Hoard, Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate, Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak and Deerings Market will promote a series of Musical Evenings through the summer on alternate Thursday evenings. The first one, on Thursday, July 14, will begin at 7 p.m. and feature music by Bo Bossa, a local four-piece ensemble that plays swing, jazz, blues, Latin, fusion and whatever else they feel like playing. The stores involved will provide refreshments and stay open late.