Leelanau.com Blog
leelanau county news • traverse city news • michigan news

Leelanau.com is going to jump into the holiday weekend by featuring Photo Friday a day early. [kmay] has captured our feeling in this amazing photo. Be sure to check out the Home slideshow by [kmay] for more great pictures.

Andy and the staff at Leelanau Communications wishes everyone a fun and safe Independence weekend!

The Lansing City Pulse featured many Leelanau Peninsula Wines along with the Leland Wine Festival this July 1st article. Michael Brenton, of the Pulse, highlights many of the new and recently released wines that were present at the 2009 festival.

An abundance of 2008 whites were featured, along with many 2007 reds and a few 2008 reds. These vintages are yin and yang. The 2007 vintage was unusually warm, producing extremely ripe fruit, often with higher alcohol and uncommon depth and richness. Reds, in particular, benefited from the warmth of the season, whereas the cooler 2008 season led to greater variation in quality among its red wines. The 2008 vintage proved ideal for Michigan’s cool-weather white varieties, such as Pinot Gris (AKA Pinot Grigio), Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewurztraminer, which frequently showed classic balance of fruit and acidity.

Photo 2009 Leland Wine Fest by farlane.

Currently it is 55 degrees and overcast at 9:32 am at our Leland office. The barometer is at 29.86 inches and rising with a relative humidity of 98%.  The record high for today was 100 degrees in 1966, and the record low 38 degrees in 2001. The forecast for today is Mostly cloudy with scattered light rain showers and chance of drizzle. Highs in the mid 60s.  Independence weekend is looking bright!  Skies clear up on Friday, with highs in the mid 60s. On the 4th, a near perfect northern Michigan forecast with mostly sunny skies and highs in the 70s.   Sunday continues to look nice, with partly cloudy skies and highs in the 70s.

July 2, 2009: Cloudy, & 50s (55/53)

Photo: Covered Bridge on Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive by beckstei

Coming Events

Cedar Polka Festival (July 2 - 5), Manitou Music Festival presents Mulebone (July 8), Suttons Bay Blues Festival (July 25), Leelanau Farmers Markets (all summer). Check the Leelanau Calendar for more!

Looking back, comments, etc.

Click for the Leelanau News Archive from July 2008 and post your comments about the week (news, weather, whatever) on the Leelanau Almanac for the Week of July 2-8, 2009!

Weather Resources

Weather Underground is just about as old as the internet (the first net weather service) and is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sometimes the above banner will show personal weather system data from Leland, sometimes from Leelanau Coffee and sometimes it comes from a vineyard on Old Mission (it tells you which in the top left of the page it links to).

Bouy 45002 in Lake Michigan is located halfway between North Manitou Island and Washington Island in Lake Michigan. It provides wind and wave data. Also check out Michigan Sea Grant Coastwatch for water temps (the "early evening" images in their archive will give you a better idea of actual temps during peaks swimming hours ... in seasons where you might actually want to swim!).

Covered Bridge on Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive by beckstei

Post your comments about the week's news, observations of the weather or the natural world or events below!

You'll also want to check out the Leelanau Calendar and the latest news and features from Leelanau, Traverse City and the surrounding area in our blog! Here's  July 2008 archive and also the Leelanau Almanac for the Week of June 25 - July 1, 2009.

An exciting venue is making its way to the shores of Suttons Bay this summer, as the area hosts its first Blues Festival. Graciously stepping into the role of Jazz Festivals past, this one-day event summons the best of Blues and brings it center stage to Leelanau County. What participants can expect to see and enjoy is an extravaganza of stellar music complimented by local eats, wine and cider, and even Moomer's will bring ice cream to cool off the smokin' summers blues sets.

The line-up for the Blues Festival includes: Harper, Sneaky Pete, Pete Fetter's Electric Band with Sonny Landreth as the headliner. Sonny brings an unusual sound to the festival, and coordinators are particularly excited to share his performance.

Though I am no blues aficionado, nor have I ever seen Sonny Landreth in person, watching some video clips of this outrageous talent was enough to make me want to salivate. A guitar is a guitar, right? Not exactly. Sonny has created his own style of slide guitar playing, employing both his hands but using his right hand in an almost conductive manner, he appears to be "telling" the guitar what to do, and amazingly--she complies! To lovers of blues and seasoned musicians, Sonny's accolades come straight from the top--Eric Clapton. No one will be disappointed. Seeing this man perform will drop the jaws of even novice blues fans.

I jokingly made a comment to some friends the other day that "blue" was the official color of Leelanau County; the joke seems to have some staying power and the Blues Festival brings yet another shade to the already prolific palate: blue water, blue sky, blue stones, and now--the Blues Fest! The origins of Blues music, an African-American history in the south, spreads its infectious rhythms to our region; this unique and rich area is gifted with the good fortune of people that appreciate music and art at big city caliber. This festival offers another chance to experience the magic of Blues music, set against the backdrop of a gorgeous Northern Michigan lakeside town, enriching our region with another brilliant hue of blue.

The festival is schedule for Saturday, July 25th, from noon until 9pm. Tickets are widely available at local retailers or online at http://www.suttonsbaybluesfestival.com/; organizers are holding the tickets at $20 advance/$25 door, making the show accessible to everyone.

The Manitou Music Festival kicks off their 19th season on July 8 with Mulebone at the Studio Stage in Glen Arbor, Wednesday at 8 pm.

Mulebone is the duo of multiinstrumentalist, John Ragusa and roots music specialist, Hugh Pool. Their musical home is the traditional blues; sometimes they play it straight ahead, while at other moments they float above it, viewing and interpreting from a distant vantage point. John plays conch shell, Jews harp, cornet, all manner of flutes, and tin whistle, while Hugh plays slide guitar boogies, one chord riffs a la Howlin’ Wolf and country blues of all shapes and colors.

MMF brings exciting and diverse concert featuring: classical, jazz, blues, folk, country and bluegrass music of regionally and nationally known artists to some of Michigan's most idyllic settings.

Upcoming concerts include: Shout Sister Shout - Steppin’ In It with Rachael Davis, Blue Origami, Josh White Jr., Photographers & Kat Eggleston, Jeff Haas & Friends, Sister Wilene, The Electric Blue Quintet, and The Wild Turkeys

All Tickets are $15 (Children 18 and under are FREE, except for the July 30 Benefit Concert)

Free MMF concerts include: July 3 Northport Community Band, July 12 The Dune Climb, August 4 Arts Collage, August 11 Summer Singers

For more information or to purchase tickets online, please visit the Manitou Music Festival website. Tickets may also be purchased at concert venues or by calling the Glen Arbor Art Association (231) 334-6112 or Lake Street Studios (231) 334-3179

The annual Cedar Polka Festival runs Thursday through Sunday (July 2-5). Highlights include a parade on Saturday at noon, softball tournament, a polka mass and (of course) polka under the big, big tent with the big names of polka.

Thursday, July 2, 2009
The 28th annual Cedar Polka Festival begins with the flag raising ceremony at 5:00 p.m. Music and dancing begins immediately after the ceremony. Musicians, Frank Moravick, from Cleveland, OH and Jimmy K, from Strongville, OH with rotate playing until 1 am.

Friday, July 3, 2009
Music and dancing beings at 2 pm with Jimmy K playing until 5:30. Roger Majesti, from Mosinee, WI and Frank Moravick will play alternately until 1 am.

Saturday, July 4, 2009
Polka Fest Parade beings at noon at the Solon Twp. Hall. All participants should be at the Solon Twp. Hall by 11:30 am sharp.

Music and dancing begins at 2 pm Roger Majesti playing until 5:30 pm. Polka Music Sound from Davidson, MI with alternately play with Larry and the Larks from Ada, MI until 1 am.

Sunday, July 5, 2009
Polka Mass celebrated with Bishop Cooney begins at 11 am under the tent. Music and dancing resumes at 1 pm with Polka Music Sound and Pan Franek and Zosia.

Admissions (per person)
Thursday - $5.00
Fri. & Sat. - $10.00
Sunday - $5.00
3 Day Pass - $20.00
Ages 13-20 - 1/2 price when accompanied by parent
Ages 12 & Under - Free when accompanied by parent

Bands subject to change. Space available for rent on the tennis court.

For Info Phone: (231) 228-3378 or (231) 228-5562

The photo is Polka Dancing in Krakow by beastiekeith.

Check out the Library of Congress Local Legacies

and the Leelanau.com/map Cedar Polka Fest location

Summer has finally come to northern Michigan! jsorbieus captures it well in this photo. For more great summer pictures, be sure to check out his slideshow

While vacation rentals tend to book up in the summer, there's always something available.

We've created this page to allow Leelanau.com hotel, motel, resort, cabin, cottage and vacation rental clients to post their deals and last minute availability (sorry, but we will remove any other postings).

Photo: Cottage Row by SRJacobs

Here's some great locations to see wildlife in the National Lakeshore. Be sure to read our feature on Watching Wildlife in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore!

View Watching Wildlife Locations in a larger map