The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and surrounding communities are suffering growing pains as we’ve become a prime destination for tourists from all over the world. Conscious of these growing pains, a new group called the Sleeping Bear Gateways Council is stepping forward to facilitate dialogue between the National Lakeshore, local business leaders and civic leaders.
Nancy and Larry Bordine plan to build an indoor rock climbing facility called MI Summit in Long Lake Township just west of Traverse City.
Aspiring filmmakers and those with photography and film interests are invited to come to Frankfort from June 21–23 to create a 3- to 5-minute film celebrating the beauty and unique character of northern Michigan.
The inaugural Frankfort Elberta Restaurant Week, June 4-10, highlights the dynamic and growing culinary offerings along scenic highway M-22 and historic Betsie Bay.
Jeff Hessler began lobbying way back in 1976 for a skatepark in Frankfort. The co-owner of Betsie Bay Furniture, next to Stormcloud Brewery, has skated these streets since he was 14 years old. “I’ve been skating since the polyurethane wheel came out,” he says. Nearly 40 years later, he and his 14-year-old daughter Annie may soon get their wish.
This spring, Northern Michigan natives Jordan Bates and Jacob Wheeler (founding editor and publisher of the Glen Arbor Sun newspaper in Leelanau County) will relaunch the Betsie Current a community newspaper that will cover the dynamic, tight-knit communities of Benzie County. The Betsie Current will be your go-to source for local news and events, and coverage of arts, culture and entertainment, particularly in the vibrant communities surrounding Crystal Lake — Frankfort, Beulah and Benzonia.
Stormcloud Brewing Company and The Garden Theater, neighboring businesses in downtown Frankfort, are pleased to announce the inaugural Dark & Stormcloudy Film Series celebrating the best of dark comedies paired with a hand crafted dark beer brewed specially for the movie selection. The series commences on Thursday, Feb. 20 and runs for five weeks ending on March 20 with a weekly tapping of the new beer at 4 p.m. the day of the program.
The Congregational Summer Assembly (CSA) will host its 35th annual Arts and Crafts Fair on Wednesday, July 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Assembly ball field on Crystal Lake. The fair will feature more than 100 artists from all over Michigan and beyond. Fair goers will find: jewelry of all kinds, from adornment made with old silverware to those made with semi-precious stones; decorative art, from pottery wall hangings to oil paintings, watercolors and fine photography of local landscapes; wooden objects of art – vases, bowls, birdhouses; children’s delights — American Girl doll clothes, books and handmade toddler outfits; handcrafted herbal soaps, paper goods, baskets and furniture; wearable art and more.
The Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre (LST) will transform Oliver Art Center into the House of Capulet for An Evening in Verona — a 10th anniversary season fundraising event for northern Michigan’s own professional Shakespeare Company. In an effort to build community and highlight their 2013 Season, LST will treat guests to the music of wandering minstrels, local food, and wine — but the focus will be interactive scenes performed by the company.
On Thursday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m., Frankfort’s Garden Theatre will show The People and the Olive, a documentary created by Aaron Dennis and Glen Arbor Sun editor Jacob Wheeler, as well as music by Joshua Davis from his forthcoming album “A Miracle of Birds”. The film follows this year’s Run Across Palestine — a five-day ultra-marathon across the West Bank of Palestine to illuminate the struggles of fair-trade olive farmers. Davis’ album is inspired by the run, and his experiences as a Jewish-American in Palestine. Learn more about the film here.