An idea born in Suttons Bay has spread across the state. In just 10 years, Kara Gregory’s PoWeR! Book Bags program has grown from concept to some 130 sites in more than one third of Michigan’s counties. It has distributed more than 750,000 books and 120,000 PoWeR! Literacy Bags.
The Bay’s popular Made in Michigan series highlights great films made in the state and provides unique opportunities for audiences to connect directly with the filmmakers and/or special guests through post-screening Q&As. Made in Michigan continues on Sunday, March 29 at 4 pm with All Too Clear. This festival award winner and groundbreaking documentary explores the most significant ecological shift in the Great Lakes since the last ice age. Utilizing cutting-edge, custom-built underwater drones, filmmakers Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert—who will attend the screening—spent over 150 days capturing footage of a world that is becoming “all too clear” due to an army of quadrillions of invasive quagga mussels. This event is presented in partnership with Inland Seas Education Association.
Join The Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 7 pm as the Winter/Spring “Live at The Bay” season gets off to a remarkable start with Canadian folk singer, instrumentalist, (and author) Garnet Rogers taking the stage. Given his extensive performance history at North America’s most prestigious venues, the Bay is thrilled to to host this great artist here in Suttons Bay.
The Front Porch, a locally owned kitchen, gift & gourmet shop in downtown Suttons Bay is proud to host a special community giveback event in support of the Leelanau Laundry Project, a grassroots initiative providing free access to clean laundry for local families in need. From Thursday, Jan. 22, through Sunday, Jan. 25, customers who bring in laundry supplies of any kind—detergent, bleach, stain remover, laundry pods, and more—or make a monetary donation to the Leelanau Laundry Project will receive 20% OFF their entire purchase at The Front Porch that day.
The public is invited to join Leelanau Indivisible on Saturday, Jan. 17 (MLK Weekend) for a demonstration against the Trump regime’s policies, from 11 am until noon in downtown Suttons Bay. Join demonstrators after the march for an Afterglow Gathering at Hop Lot Brewing Company.
The Bay Community Theatre in Suttons Bay kicks off its Fall 2025 live series on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 7 pm with a special solo evening with May Erlewine. One of the Midwest’s most prolific and passionate songwriters, Erlewine has a gift for writing songs of substance that feel both fresh and soulfully familiar. Her ability to emotionally engage with an audience has earned her a dedicated following far beyond her Michigan roots, touching people all over the world.
When Tom Kelly, John Elder and Peter Doren founded the Inland Seas Education Association in 1989, they were no doubt pleased it served over 1,100 students on the chartered schooner Malabar that first year. In the three decades since, the organization’s popularity has soared. According to the history timeline on its website, the ISEA has impacted 150,000 individuals since its founding. “It’s the story of our growth, the result of 36 years of doing the work,” says ISEA Executive Director Fred Sitkins. Today, the demand for its programs has outpaced its capacity. Rather than scaling back its mission, the ISEA is pushing forward with the Campaign for the Future of Great Lakes Education, an $11 million initiative to expand its campus, capacity and capabilities to meet the needs of tens of thousands of underserved urban and rural youths around the Great Lakes states.
The Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce invites the public to sip, shop, and stroll during the much-anticipated Artisan & Wine Walk: A Toast to Suttons Bay, happening Friday, June 20, from 5-8 pm in beautiful downtown Suttons Bay.
Made in Michigan, a popular film series hosted by The Bay Community Theatre in Suttons Bay highlighting great films made in the state of Michigan, concludes on Sunday, April 13, at 4 pm with a special screening of filmmaker Keith Famie’s Detroit: The City of Chefs, an inspiring documentary that celebrates the rich heritage of Detroit’s culinary scene. The Made in Michigan 2025 series is proudly presented by French Valley Vineyard and Hendryx House.
It’s a movie house. It’s a venue for concerts. It’s a gathering place for members of the community. It’s a working non-profit. The Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay is all of those. “This building has so much history,” says Graham Powers, executive director of the Bay Community Theatre Organization. Built in 1920, it originally served as a livery stable and fire station. It wasn’t until 1946 that it was transformed into a movie theatre. “There’s a great need for keeping these spaces alive,” says Powers. Alive and live, as in the theatre’s “Live at the Bay” series. On March 16, the Bay welcomes Kennedy’s Kitchen for its annual St. Patrick’s Day show. “It’s the fifth year for Kennedy’s Kitchen. It’s become one of our annual favorites. It’s a fun show,” Powers says.