The newest section of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail (SBHT) from Fisher Road to Port Oneida Road opened today, Friday May 22 at 3 p.m., ahead of schedule and just in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The news came in the form of a press release from TART Trails outreach and program director Brian Beauchamp.
It is apple season and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will host an Antique Apples Special Program on October 18 from noon to 3 p.m. in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. Park Rangers and volunteer experts will be on hand for this apple bonanza. Apples played a big role in Port Oneida during its peak and the apple pickers of today still realize their value. Some of the topics that will be presented at this program include: 1) identifying varieties of apples in the park, 2) understanding why early Port Oneida settlers planted them and how they were used, and 3) discussing and demonstrating grafting techniques being used in the park to ensure rare and antique apple varieties remain in the park for years to come.
History comes alive at six historic sites during the annual Port Oneida Fair at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Friday and Saturday, August 8-9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to the many popular demonstrations, animals and exhibits, the fair will feature a chicken dinner on Friday, and end with solar viewing and an astronomy party on Saturday night. This two-day special event is free. Participants need only purchase the Park Entrance Pass or have an Annual Pass displayed in their vehicle to join in the fun.
Run for the farms and for historic preservation at Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear’s 5K run/walk in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The fifth annual event supports preservation and interpretation of the Park’s historic resources—farmsteads, log cabins, inns and maritime buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s on the mainland and Manitou Islands.
Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear (PHSB), a partner organization of the National Park, has many opportunities coming up for visitors and residents to learn about, and help preserve, the heritage of the Sleeping Bear Dunes area this summer.
The Port Oneida Community Alliance was formed with the purpose to adaptively reuse the Port Oneida School and Kelderhouse Homestead as a community center and a teaching farm. The vision is to provide hands on opportunities for education, recreation and celebration of historical knowledge, environmental stewardship and sustainable agriculture in order to honor and perpetuate the legacy and community spirit of the resilient and loyal subsistence farmers who called Port Oneida their home.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will host its annual pruning workshop on May 2 in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. The workshop will be held at the Thoreson Farmstead, which is located on Thoreson Road, four miles north of Glen Arbor on M-22. Just follow the signs.
The Leelanau County Snowshoe Stampede will tromp through the snow for a second time on Saturday, Feb. 15. The grounds for the stampede are at the Leelanau Outdoor Center on Port Oneida Rd, 4 miles north of Glen Arbor. Adults can stretch out their winter blues on the 5K trail while kids 12 and under take on the 1-mile Snowflake Race. It all starts at 10:30 a.m.
Before the end of this year, Congress may approve “wilderness” legislation for the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore that — despite the implication of the word — would forever guarantee public access to the Park’s pristine beaches along county roads, to historic manmade structures, and continue to allow hunting and fishing within the Lakeshore.
History comes alive at six historic sites during the annual Port Oneida Fair at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Port Oneida Fair will be held Aug. 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to the many popular demonstrations, animals and exhibits, the fair will be a zero-waste event, will feature a chicken dinner on Friday, and will end with an astronomy party on Saturday night.