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.
The second annual Dune Dash to benefit the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail will be held on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. The 4-mile run/walk starts and finishes at the base of the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb and follows the flat, paved segment of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail to Glen Haven and back.
This is a unique opportunity to meet more than 20 local authors at one time in one location, in the Pine Patch at the Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor (rain location across the street at Bethlehem Lutheran Church). On Friday, Aug. 2 between 2 and 4 p.m. the best of mystery, history, essay writers and artists will gather.
Glen Arbor’s weekly summer farmers markets are the quintessential way to enjoy an early morning stroll. But what about the people that spend hours preparing, gathering the freshest ingredients, mixing and tasting, and toiling in the kitchen to make delicious products to sell during those brief morning hours? Meet Stathis Stamatakis, who hails from Crete, and knows a thing or two about decadent Greek pastries.
The Glen Arbor Art Association’s Manitou Music Festival, which is celebrating its 23rd season of jazz, classical, blues, folk, country, celtic, bluegrass and world music on the Leelanau Peninsula, hosts a wealth of summer concerts in the coming weeks. On Sunday, July 28 at 8 p.m. the bluegrass/country singer Nora Jane Struthers will perform with her quartet outdoors at Studio Stage, located at Lake Street Studios in Glen Arbor; on Wednesday, July 31 at 8 p.m. the Michigan born country/folk singer-songwriter Drew Nelson will perform with his Highway 2 Band; on Sunday, Aug. 4 at 8 p.m. the Folk band Peter, Paul & Mary Remembered will perform at Studio Stage, and on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. the Celtic band Full Set will perform at Studio Stage. The rain location for all concerts is the Glen Arbor Town Hall, with the exception of Full Set, whose rain location is the Empire Town Hall.)
Ohio artist Joe Stewart’s love of Leelanau goes public in an exhibition of new work, “Painting the Leelanau Peninsula.” This show opens with a reception on July 26 at 6 p.m. at Center Gallery, 6023 S. Lake St. in Glen Arbor. Maple City artist Carol Spaulding’s “Garden Palette” will color Center Gallery at Lake Street Studios next. The exhibition of floral still lifes opens Aug. 2 with a 6 p.m. reception.
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.
If you are a local or a frequent visitor to one of Glen Arbor’s premiere dining spots, you probably call this restaurant the WAG. The popular Western Avenue Grill is located in the middle of town on M-22 and adorns the streetscape with its handsome stone- and wood-clad building. The dining room has white birch bark beams and boasts a fisherman’s theme. The WAG has both indoor and summer-outdoor seating. Inside you will find a cozy bar separated from an inviting dining area with small tables and booths. The back of the restaurant includes an additional space for private dining parties.
From a northern Michigan village, best-selling author Priscilla Cogan launches her latest novel, Clinging To The Moon and engages in a whirlwind book tour from Maine to Minnesota and states in between. The novel tells an unexpected love story and centers on the theme “that accidents can happen to anyone,” says Cogan. “Clinging To The Moon is a book about there being no guarantees in life, which is why my motto is to live intensely, love fiercely, and to always have two Shelties.”
At nearly three decades old, the Glen Lake Artists Gallery is among the area’s longest-running galleries. Now, after 24 years in the same building, it has moved to a new location between Lake Street Studios and the Glen Arbor Art Association.