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February is the time to celebrate winter in Northern Michigan and Leelanau County has three great festivals that do exactly that!

Just in: the Empire Winterfest takes place THIS Saturday (Feb 11) with activities including a Lion's Club Pancake Breakfast and the amazing Polar Bear Dip at 2 PM SHARP! It's sponsored by the Empire Chamber. Here's a slideshow of Empire Polar Bear dip photos from the Leelanau (dot com) pool!

Glen Arbor’s  annual ode to winter will take place again this year with the Glen Arbor Winterfest, on Saturday, February 18th!

The Glen Arbor Winterfest is sponsored by the Glen Lake/Sleeping Bear Chamber and takes place Saturday February 18. Highlights include a perch fishing contest, a chance to "fish" for deals at Glen Arbor stores and the Chili Cookoff at Boonedocks along with live music and plenty of warmth from the cozy wood-burning fire pits on the deck. Don't miss the video of the Cookoff courtesy Michael Buhler and the Glen Arbor Sun below!

The Northport-Omena Chamber of Commerce Winter Carnival takes place on Saturday, February 25th at Bramen Hill Recreational Area. They haven't updated it for 2012 yet but their Winter Carnival page has some pics!

If that's not enough, there's also the Cherry Capital Winter WOW Fest in Downtown Traverse City!

Hey everyone, we're super sorry that we've been away so much. To try and make it up to you, we're going to give someone on our email list* a pair of tickets to the Traverse City Winter Microbrew and Music Festival tomorrow morning!! This year is the 3rd annual, and it takes place this Saturday February 11th at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons.

The annual festival is produced by Porterhouse Productions and features over 40 breweries, wineries, cideries, and meaderies - most from Michigan - along with local food vendors and beer & food pairings. A highlight of the festival is a wide range of entertainment featuring Funktion, Heatbox, The Crane Wives, Whitney Morgan and the 78s, Dragon Wagon and Rootstand. There's also fire dancers, live polka music and a silent disco. Click the poster to the right for all the details, and as it's an outdoor festival (with tents) you know that fashion = warm! (ie: Carhart over Calvin Klein!)

*If you're not on our list sign up at the top right. If you don't want to get our weekly email, just post a comment on the Leelanau.com Facebook or send an email to andy@leelanau.com saying you want to win and we'll add you to the list we draw from!

Speaking of polka, here's one of the polka bands that will be at the Microbrew festival, Squeezebox. There's a little dancing, but nothing like what you'll probably see closer to the polka capital of the USA, Cedar Michigan.

You're invited to share the love of Leelanau and Leelanau wine at the Taste the Passion wine tour, held February 4 & 5, 2012. This special weekend celebrates wine, chocolate and love at the wineries of the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail.

Your ticket allows you to chart your own course, enjoying food and wine pairings at 17 wineries along with a optional winter and Valentine-themed activities at many of the wineries.

"Taste the Passion is definitely our most intimate event," says winemaker Larry Mawby. "Our tasting rooms are cozy places in wintertime, and with less people on the trail, it's a great opportunity to talk directly with winemakers and vineyard owners. To top it all off, Leelanau County is a winter paradise, offering everything from cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, to enjoying great meals at our restaurants, and evenings by the fireplace. This is a perfect chance to score a Valentine's Day touchdown!"

Tickets are just $30, and quantities are limited. Secure yours as soon as possible, as most of LPVA trail events do sell out. There are also lodging packages that include tickets! Get all the details right here.

If you want to add a little more fun to your weekend, on Friday night (Feb 3) at Mountain Flowers Lodge from 6-8pm, the The Homestead and Glen Arbor Artists will be hosting “Art from Michigan’s Wine Country.” Art will be on display and for sale from local artists. To purchase tickets in advance call The Homestead 231-334-5100.

Photo credit: 2010 Taste the Passion by KatSwinehart

Great art, wine and food are the main events of a special evening, Art from Michigan’s Wine Country which kicks off the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association’s Taste the Passion weekend (Feb 4 & 5, 2012). For a fourth year, this fun winter event will be held on Friday, February 3rd at the Homestead's Mountain Flowers Lodge and features wine from Leelanau wineries, original art by local artists and a fabulous small plates menu designed by The Homestead’s Chef Piombo.

The price is $20 per person advance reservation by February 2 and includes one glass of wine and food stations with delectable small plates and coffee. Additional wine available for $4/glass or three glasses for $10. Call The Homestead at 334-5100, to make a reservation with will call ticket at the door for pre-paid reservations. $25 per person admission at the door.

The invitational art exhibit and sale offers recent original works by nine Leelanau artists. The artists will be on hand to discuss their work. This is a great opportunity to meet local artists and celebrate a perfect pairing of wine and art. A portion of the art sales will benefit Glen Arbor Art Association's summer programs.

Five dollars of each ticket goes to support the Glen Arbor Art Association class scholarships and a free after-school art program for Glen Lake students. Scholarship assistance and the after-school art program provide arts opportunities for those who could not otherwise afford art classes.

For more information go to www.glenarborart.org or call the GAAA office at 334-6112.

Photo credit: Victoria Creek Winter-Looking West by Mary Fuscaldo

Ken took this photo of the annual holiday display at Art's in Glen Arbor last year. Ken has a nice little Christmas lights slideshow that you can check out. In case you're wondering, the unfamiliar white stuff is I'm told called "snow", and it used to (get this) fall from the sky and cover the ground.

All kidding aside, reports today say that at 3.5" of snow, this is the lowest recorded total by this time EVER.

The Leelanau Enterprise reports that plans are in the works for the Bay Area Transit Authority (BATA) to provide a "beach bus" that would provide express service between points of interest along the Lake Michigan shore.

One route would start in Suttons Bay and end at Sleeping Bear Point with intermediate stops at Leland, Good Harbor, The Homestead and Glen Arbor...

Initial reaction to the beach bus proposal was favorable from Tom Ulrich, deputy superintendent of SBDNL.

“It fits right within our goals of providing an opportunity to visit the park without people having to drive from place to place … using gas and filling parking spaces,” Ulrich said. “If it’s simply a bus route to get people to the beach without cars, it sounds like a good idea to me.”

They note that another proposal in the works is a wine country shuttle that will be tested on the Old Mission Peninsula. Don Coe of Black Star Farms commented: “I know that public transportation has been used to promote tourism in other wine regions, such as the Napa Valley. It makes a lot of sense.”

Photo Credit: Empire Beach View by StacyN - MichiganMoments

The Leland Michigan Chamber of Commerce invites you to do some of your holiday shopping in the village of Leland the next two Thursdays, December 15 & 22. Many Leland shops & stores will be open until at least 8:00.

Refreshments will be available at some locations. Come join the Leland merchants, decorated for the season!

Also, if you're in town, the Bluebird starts their 2011-2012 Ethnic Night season this Wednesday & Thursday. This week it's French featuring Classic French Cuisine and incredible French wine. Next week (Dec. 21-22) is Santa Fe featuring their take on Southwestern Cooking and December 28-29 is New England with fresh Atlantic seafood and northwoods specialties!

Photo credit: KAScott_20090326_0646-56b by Ken Scott

Here's yet another national feature on Michigan wines that highlights the Leelanau Peninsula. John Flesher of the Associated Press touts the wine industry as one on the bright spots in Michigan’s economy, as it is growing 5 times faster that the state’s economy. The article quotes Leelanau winemaker Dan Matthias as saying "It's one of the brightest spots we have in the state of Michigan." It continues:

Michigan’s reputation for quality wine has surged while its lineup of varieties has expanded. Wineries are now turning highly regarded selections of merlot, pinot noir, pinot blanc, cabernet franc and ice wines, a dessert variety made with grapes frozen before harvesting.

“It’s been like an explosion the last couple of years. They’ve been winning medals left and right, competing across the U.S. and internationally,” said Yolanda Daly, director of the Pacific Rim Wine Competition in San Bernadino, Calif. “Beautiful wines are coming out of Michigan.”

As word spreads, businesses in Michigan’s wine regions reap the benefits. About 1 million people visit the state’s wineries each year. They tend to have enough money for dining out, buying gifts and entertainment, said Brad Van Dommelen, president of the convention and visitors bureau in Traverse City, recently named by TripAdvisor.com as one of America’s top 10 wine destinations. (read)

The industry pumps about $300 million into the state’s economy each year and employs thousands of people in wine production and spinoff jobs in hotels, restaurants and shops.

“We’re also making lists of the top foodie towns because of our restaurants,” Van Dommelen said. “When you offer a top-quality wine experience along with that, it’s huge for tourism—and for the entire local economy.”

Beyond the quality of the wines, we have a very special wine touring destination that provides a playground for families and individuals that you just can't match in most other wine regions in the country.

Photo credit: vineyard by beachpiks

The annual Christmas arts & crafts show will be held this Saturday, December 3 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Old Art Building in Leland. This year’s show features 21 local artisans with holiday gifts, fresh greens, dried wreaths, herbal soaps and lotions, jewelry, specialty foods, ceramics, woven wheat, cards, home accessories, children’s clothing, and hand knit items. There's also complimentary cookies and coffee!

Local artisans include Victoria Gallup, Dee Glass, Mike Hulbert, Kit Knowles, Joy Lang, Roxane Langner, Sara Maleski, Annie McFarlane, Pat McKean, Bill Perkins, Kathy Powell, Shari Prevost, Lisa Psenka, Julie Sanco, Sharecare, Leif Sporck, Greta Stimson, Cookie Thatcher, Cheryl VanZee, Paula Wisniewski and the Wednesday Knitters.

For more information please call 256-2131.

Thanksgiving is just a week away and here's a few ideas to help make your holiday a little more local ... and a lot tastier!

It all starts with the turkey. I'm not sure if the folks at Hubbell's Farm or Haymaker Poultry Co. have any left, but I do know that one great place to get a tasty turkey is Biehl's Circle B Turkey Ranch. You can order them at the Merc in Leland and Oryana in Traverse City (and probably elsewhere as well). Don't forget to check the local produce and products at your favorite store - the Merc, Anderson's in Glen Arbor, Cedar City Market, Hanson's in Suttons Bay and Oryana and Burritt's Market in Traverse City all feature a lot of great food that hasn't traveled too far. There's a indoor farmers market at the Grand Traverse Commons every Saturday from 10 AM - 2 PM. If last week is any guide, there will be PLENTY of potatoes, squash and also lots of greens! If anyone has other ideas to localize your table, post them in the comments!

Once you have your bird and some ingredients, you need to think about how you're going to put it all together. Elizabeth Edwards at MyNorth/Traverse Magazine put together a collection of some of their best Thanksgiving recipes. We asked Lee Lutes, winemaker at Black Star Farms to share some of his thoughts on wine pairings- enjoy!

Two tasty appetizers are a Wild Game Sausage on Apple Slices with Cranberry Butter, with which Lee recommends a lighter red like Pinot Noir or Gamay Noir, and with the Wedge of Raclette Served With Spiced Walnuts and Pear Chips, he calls for something delicate maybe a bubbly (may we recommend Black Star Farms' really excellent Bubbly Nouveau when it's bottled) or a Pinot Grigio or a Pinot Blanc. Two tasty side dishes that really in season are Honey Roasted Root Vegetables and Buttermilk Biscuits with Pumpkin Butter. You'll be in great shape with Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc or Auxerrois. For dessert, how about a Plum Almond Tart, with which Lee would pair any of their Sirius dessert wines and also Ice wines.

See more thoughts on how make it a Michigan Thanksgiving on Absolute Michigan.

photo credit: Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash by carianoff