GT Scene

Growing pumpkins in northern Michigan is no small feat, and so much goes into it that the general public doesn’t see.

In the forest grove behind Glen Arbor Arts Center (GAAC), an evening of stories, poetry and music about flags was enjoyed by the Beach Bards, Leelanau County's hometown wordsmiths who have celebrated the written and spoken word around campfires for more than 30 years.

A family connection to Northern Michigan, and an equestrian background, led Glitz & Spurs’ owner Katie Grossnickle to join the Front Street neighborhood.

Summer is winding down but gathering outdoors to enjoy a meal or drink doesn’t have to end, especially as fall colors begin to bloom.

What’s better than a beachside picnic with live music? Locals and visitors alike visited Marina Park in Northport to enjoy Music in the Park, which features a variety of free live music from regional bands through the first week of September.

As they reclined at table in the Village of Cana, celebrating the wedding of some friends of the fam, Mary, Jesus, and the first disciples were tipping a few back when the dreaded words drifted like the angel of death through the crowd: “We’re out of wine!”

More than 17,000 people live in Benzie County, and that number grows as visitors make their way to northwest Michigan during the fall months.

There’s something romantic and adventuresome about gliding across Lake Michigan swells with only a paddleboard between you and the moody deep. As summer fades, autumn unfolds a new backdrop for mastering northern waters and joining the community of standup paddleboard enthusiasts ensues.

In northern Michigan fall colors and a river paddle go together like ice cream and a waffle cone. Each one is good, but put them together and they create an exquisite combination. Rivers enhance fall colors.

Northern Michigan towns celebrate the autumn season in a variety of ways, and Harbor Springs and Bay Harbor visitors can enjoy fall leaves — whether on a farm or near Little Traverse Bay.

Every year, Mackinac State Historic Parks hosts its “biggest event” of the year in Mackinaw City, boasting a haunted house, spooky stories around a campfire and lantern-guided werewolf walks — to name a few.

For Kathleen Bittner Koch, owner and operator of Cedar’s Polish Art Center, an eye for design and quality goods is truly in her blood.

Mackinac Island officially opens for its summer tourist season in May. Reoccurring events like the Lilac Festival in June and Fudge Festival in August allow people to experience some of the island’s traditions.

Call it the “COVID-19 effect,” but over the last couple of years the number of beginning golfers hit record levels.

The pandemic was a wild time for many, but it allowed Cindy Gale to make her longtime dream of running a coffee shop a reality.

Sometimes you just don’t have space for a garden. Or maybe you do, but you like the idea of having a pot of herbs ready on your porch or deck to pluck fresh as you cook.

Festival. Fes·ti·val (feh-stuh-vl): A day or period of celebration; an organized series of concerts, plays, or movies typically held annually in the same place.

Staying healthy and fit on vacation is easy at one-stop resorts with pools and spas, tennis courts and golf courses.

A remarkable COVID-era social media trend birthed a global sea shanty resurgence. Shanties have many definitions, but in this case they are sailing songs of yore.

When I think of summertime in northern Michigan, I immediately hear the song “Michigan and Again” by the beloved Traverse City band The Accidentals.

Matt Morrissey stops short of calling COVID-19 a good thing for Traverse City Horse Shows.

The Cut

Not many siblings follow the same career path, but when they do, the history of time spent together seems to pay off. The following stories of two sets of brothers are good cases in point.

Name: Alice Tighe. Restaurant: Good Harbor Coffee + Bakery, going on 30 years in downtown Traverse City.

At F & M Park in Traverse City, participants of the National Cherry Festival’s Kids Club play Cherry Jenga, draw with colored chalk, go bowling, and engage with a variety of other activities for children ages 2-12.

Everyone has a happy place where they go to escape the bludgeoning of life from work, illnesses, the news, family responsibilities (via relatives by marriage?), etc. Sometimes, it’s a physical, special spot where life makes the most sense, which in turn leads to mental happiness when we close our eyes and remember.

Summers in Northport wouldn’t be complete without Music in the Park on Friday nights. Taking place at the Marina Park, attendees set up their fold-up chairs and blankets on the lawn and enjoy a variety of free live music from regional bands.

"Timeless: Inside Mackinac Island’s Historic Cottages," By Moira Croghan, Photography by Mark Bearss

M-22 travels about 116 miles. The southern point of the state highway begins in Manistee and follows the Lake Michigan shoreline north to Northport. Drivers can also take M-22 along West Grand Traverse Bay from Traverse City to Northport.

His storied legacy is rooted in the woods and the water of northern Michigan.

Something happens to a certain type of person when they traverse the beaches of northern Michigan.

Recently, a young man with aspirations to open a brewery in northern Michigan was visiting with us. He shared his plans and we sat around brainstorming names, having way more fun than I would have imagined. The task was not without its challenges: a name needed to be easily found on Google (no weird spelling), unique (not already taken) and evoke the idea of the business it represents.

Harvest time comes with a taste of the past at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore where antique apple varieties planted in the early 1900s dot the land.

Belinda Belanger is always on the move, and looks for clothing that will work to support her active and busy lifestyle.

Fall is a beautiful time of year to explore nature trails. Autumn and hiking go together like October and pumpkins. Temperatures are normally comfortable for hiking, and the kaleidoscope of fall’s color throughout the woodlands can be breathtaking.

No, I won’t say it. I can’t. It’s too cliché.

Look, kids, the sand dunes!” “Dude, that’s dope.” “Don’t call your father dude. And is dope bad?”

Challenge Island Northwest Michigan offers the STEAM Across the Universe Camp from Aug. 23-27 at Grand Traverse Area Children’s Garden.

The Trails of M22: 48 of the Most Beautiful Paths Along Michigan’s Most Beautiful Highway, 2nd Edition, by Jim DuFresne

Events are back on the calendar this summer, returning to the schedule in Charlevoix after many were canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Despite the pandemic, area golf courses ended the season last year in good shape. Many with one of their better years, and the feeling around the Grand Traverse Regional golf scene is that 2021 may be one the best years ever.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, people have been investing into their outdoor living areas like never before, according to the owner of a local landscaping company.

Name: Becky Tranchell. Restaurant: Rose and Fern. Hometown: Owosso, Mich.

Have you ever wondered how ginger and turmeric started to show up at the farmers’ markets? How do farmers choose to grow the produce or sell the products they do? I asked a few farmers who sell at the Sara Hardy Farmers Market in Traverse City this question.