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As expected, the 20-year anniversary celebration of Maple City’s Pegtown Station was nothing short of a resounding affirmation of owners Mary and Dave MacDonald’s tireless work and dedication over the past two decades. There was a palpable sense of joy in the air that evening. The MacDonalds’ recent celebratory event was an open house, fittingly held right on the premises. It was a most festive evening, complete with refreshments and live music by Elizabeth Landry, the legendary Leelanau County songwriter-musician. The gathering was the MacDonalds’ heartfelt way of expressing gratitude to the folks of the Leelanau County area, as well as to the many summer residents and tourists who have supported them over the years. “Being able to celebrate 20 years with this wonderful community of ours is something that Dave and I appreciate greatly. It means the world to us to know how loyal our customers have been throughout the years,” Mary shared.

The verdant rolling terrain and sparkling blue waters of Leelanau County beckon full-time and seasonal residents alike to lace up their running shoes and hiking boots, clip into their road bikes, dust off their clubs and racquets, and hoist their kayaks in search of exercise and recreation. So why, with all the resplendent natural beauty and enviable outdoor temperatures of this area, would anyone dedicate three hours a week indoors in a gym? The answer comes as a question posed by fitness expert and personal trainer, Stacy Jago, owner of Sleeping Bear Bay Club in Maple City. “Well…how do you want to be when you’re 80? How about 90?” An avid outdoors woman herself, Jago elaborates, “So we can hike and bike here, we get outside and that’s great. But if you don’t have the strength and mobility, which are two different things, you may not be able to continue those pastimes as long as you’d like.”

The metamorphosis continues as Meg Paxton readies the Blue Maple for its debut. The one-time garage in the middle of Maple City was home to Gabe’s Country Market for decades before Paxton moved in. She bought the 100-year-old, 5,000 square foot building in 2019 and immediately began deconstructing, then reconstructing it to fit her vision for the Teenie Weenie store, a retail shop focused on small dogs such as her own and their humans. In addition to a retail site, it will serve as a workshop for her and her sister Emily’s sewing and embroidery endeavors.

Tucked away in the hilly heart of Leelanau County are two under-the-radar, off-the-beaten path towns that need to be moved up on your list of destinations. Maple City and Cedar are especially great Leelanau hubs if you’re a family with younger children looking for a more relaxed vibe, but still plenty to do.

To all soccer aficionados, on Thursday, August 15, at 1 pm at Myles Kimmerly Park near Maple City there will be a NCAA division 1 exhibition soccer match. University of Virginia (UVA) v. Illinois.

The prospect of a Dollar General moving into the tiny Leelanau County community of Maple City drew swift, near unanimous, opposition from local citizens when the news surfaced in early April.

A new sport has come to sports-loving Leelanau County this spring, and this one could increase nostalgia for winter, even as summer’s warmth returns to the land. It could also help revive a once vibrant space in quiet Maple City. The Leelanau Curling Club opened on May 22 in a custom-made facility next to the restaurant Broomstack Kitchen & Taphouse.

A Plow Day groundbreaking ceremony and celebration of National Historic Preservation Month will take place at the Leelanau County Poor Farm Barn in Myles Kimmerly Park near Maple City on Saturday, May 25, from 10 am until noon.

Maple City and Lake Ann residents brace for potential battle with hungry national chain. Dollar stores are expanding in rural, and often economically depressed, towns throughout the United States. “Small box” dollar stores specialize in selling cheap commodities and pre-packaged food that undercut locally-owned grocery stores.

The Poor Farm Barn near Maple City, saved by the Leelanau County Historical Preservation Society, gets help from community partners including Buckets of Rain.