This Friday (Oct 21) the galleries & shops of the village of Suttons Bay will host award-winning regional artists. This annual event offer visitors a chance to hear live music, sample wines from many of Leelanau's wineries and register to win a $250 shopping spree at the end of the annual Suttons Bay Fall Art Walk.
The event is sponsored by the Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce and you can contact Sue Ann Round at the Michigan Artists Gallery (271-4922) for more information.
Painting by Dan Oberschulte - courtesy Michigan Artists Gallery.
Fall is here and the Northport Omena Chamber of Commerce invites you to Northport's annual Fall Festival this Saturday (Oct 15) from 11 - 4! The village is decorated for fall and the merchants are looking forward to greeting you when you visit. Enjoy the fall colors & decorations and dine at one of the local eateries. They will once again offer free rides on the horse-drawn wagonette, and local restaurants will be offering specials:
- Barb's Bakery - Pumpkin donuts and apple cider
- The Galley - A free order of breadsticks with any large pizza
- Garage Bar & Grill - Squash soup, roasted root vegetable salad, prime rib and apple crisp made with Kilcherman's apples.
- North End Eatery - A cup of butternut squash bisque, grilled cheese and a fountain drink for $8.00
- Stubbs - A full or half-rack of pork ribs at a reduced price
- Treasurer Chest - Boiled dinner soup (cabbage, ham, carrots etc.) and caramel apples
photo credit: KAScott_20111002_4456tmaBb by Ken Scott
Visit thirteen of Leelanau’s galleries during the FALL FOR ART in LEELANAU gallery tour this Friday, October 7 & Saturday, October 8 (10-5 PM) and Sunday, October 9 (10-2 PM). Start your tour by picking up a descriptive brochure at any participating gallery displaying a bright yellow FALL FOR ART sign. Each gallery will be happy to sign your tour brochure to insure your entry in the prize drawing at the end of the tour.
During FALL FOR ART the Glen Arbor Art Association is having an exhibit of work by GAAA members and will host a reception Friday evening from 6-8 PM.
Fall for Art will conclude with another reception and prize drawing Sunday, October 9, 3:00 p.m. at Lake Street Studios in Glen Arbor.
The following galleries are on the tour: (more...)
The Leelanau Community Cultural Center hosts the eleventh annual Fiber Festival this Friday (October 7th) from 5 to 8 pm for the opening reception and Saturday (October 8th) from 10 am to 5 pm at the Old Art Building in Leland. Artists with original fiber art will exhibit and sell their work in mediums of paper, wearable art, textiles, weaving, art quilts, baskets, knits and yarns. Admission is free.
The featured artist this year is Ann Loveless of Quilts by Ann in Frankfort, Michigan. Ann is a quilt artist that captures the beauty of northern Michigan in her art quilts. Ann's art quilt “"Trillium" is currently on display at the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids as a submission for Art Prize.
Fiber Festival exhibitors are Sarah Bearup-Neal, art quilts; Heather Harris-Brady, felted accessories; Jan Hinds, fiber vessels; Stephen Kostyshyn, basketry; Bonnie Greenwald, art dolls; Cynthia Hilliard, natural yarns and gourd art; Linda Kustra, hand knit wearable's; Krys Lieffers, hand woven rugs; Krystal Ann Miller, tapestry bags; Chris Roosien, hand painted yarn; Becky Ross and Julie Funk, felted and recycled wool items; Carol Salerno, hand woven scarves; Holly Sorenson, hand woven wall pieces; Christie Trout, coiled pine needle baskets and Barbara Waddell, mixed media fiber.
For more information on the Fiber Festival please visit www.oldartbuilding.com or call 256-2131.
For the fourth consecutive year, Oryana Natural Foods Market (the community cooperative owned by thousands of area residents) will make a significant donation from its end-of-year proceeds to a worthy non-profit. Oryana Education and Outreach Coordinator explains:
"Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of communities. We are excited about this program, which gives us and our members a chance to formalize our practice of giving back."
Applicants must be a non-profit based in Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee or Wexford counties. Organizations who have been awarded Oryana’s Community Grant within the last five years do not qualify. The application and details are available right here and the deadline is December 1, 2011.
Oryana member-owners will have the opportunity to vote (one member, one vote) via ballot box in the store for the organization of their choice, and the grant recipient will be announced at the general membership meeting in April 2012.
Over on Absolute Michigan, we post a "Weird Wednesday" on the last Wednesday of every month. They often feature something from Linda S. Godfrey, the author the definitive book of Michigan mysteries: Weird Michigan. Today is no exception and has a very cool Leelanau County focus!
The story of an early 20th Century sea monster sighting was sent to The Shadowlands Web site by a reader whose great-grandfather was the witness. The boy was fishing for perch one day in 1910 in the shallows of Lake Leelanau in Leelanau County. The lake had been dammed in the late 1800's to provide water power for the local mill and to enable logging. The dam also flooded much surrounding area, turning it into swamps and bogs punctuated by dead, standing trees.
On that particular day, the young great-grandfather, William Gauthier, rowed out to a new fishing spot near the town of Lake Leelanau. Looking for good perch habitat, he paddled up close to a tree that he estimated to stand about five feet tall above the water, with a six-inch trunk. He was in about seven feet of water, and after deciding this would be a good place to stop and cast a line, began tying the boat to the tree.
That's when young William discovered the tree had eyes. They were staring him dead in the face at about four feet above water level. The boy and serpent exchanged a long gaze, then the creature went, "Bloop" into the water. Gauthier said later that the creature's head passed one end of the boat while the tail was still at the other end, though it was undulating very quickly through the water. The writer noted that Gauthier always admitted to having been thoroughly frightened by his encounter, and that the event caused him to stay off that lake for many years.
The writer added that his great-grandfather came from a prominent area family and was very well-educated, and that he knew others who would admit privately but not publicly that they, too, had seen the creature. No sightings have been reported in recent times, but who knows how many people have believed they were passing by a rotting old cedar when in fact they had just grazed the Leelanau lake monster?
via lpwines.com!
How Mario Batali Gets His Drink On In and Around Traverse City, Michigan from nation food magazine Bon Appetit features 5 of Mario's favorite Leelanau wines & ciders. There's Black Star Farms Arcturos Cabernet Franc which Batali names "the best Michigan wine ever", Gill's Pier Semi-Dry Riesling (recommended with pork with roast grapes), 45 North Winery Icebox Gewurztraminer (a succulent dessert wine with classic notes of apricot, honey, and ginger spice), Tandem Ciders Smackintosh "It's become my new drink, I drink cider as an aperitivo now. Even back in New York. Where they're all from France and they're not as awesome." and L. Mawby Cremant Classic NV, named "arguably the Leelanau Peninsula's signature wine".
There's also a more narrative & lengthy feature about how the rock-star chef spends his summers in Leelanau. Mario says:
The food scene has really exploded in the region. There are farmers' markets and hip-looking people farming and butchering. It's very cool. Even in Northport, our town of less than 1,000 people, there's a great weekly farmers' market in the summer. The chefs involved in the scene celebrate what's here; they're not trying to be anything they're not. Now people are coming for gastronomic tourism.
There's a whole lot more to read and he highlights Leelanau standards like Fishtown, the deck at the Cove, Boones in Suttons Bay and Pleva's Meats. These are really great features that tout what many folks have known for years - the wine and the food of the Leelanau Peninsula and the surrounding area have arrived.
The table is set, come on up and check it out!
Photo credits: Apples & a Growler by Trish P. - K1000 Gal
Visit Leelanau Farmer's Markets on Facebook or go to eatleelanau.org for up-to-date information!
Leelanau Farmer's Markets are underway in Glen Arbor, Lake Leelanau, Leland, Northport and Suttons Bay. They offer you a chance to get out and connect with farmers and other folks who produce food in Leelanau County. Tell us your favorite Leelanau farmers market in our poll!
Tuesdays in Glen Arbor
9 am—1 pm
June 21 - August 30
Location: Behind the Township Hall on Western Ave
Thursdays in Leland
9 am—Noon
June 23 - September 1
Location: Parking lot across from the Bluebird Restaurant
Fridays in Northport
9 am—1 pm
June 17 - September 16
Location: The Depot, next to the marina
Saturdays in Suttons Bay
9 am—1 pm
May 14 - October 22
NEW Location:Â North Park; intersection of M-204 & M-22, water side
Saturdays in Empire
9 am—1 pm
June 18 - September 10
Location: Downtown, next to the Post Office
Sundays in Lake Leelanau
9 am—1 pm
June 19 - September 4
Location: Parking lot across from NJ's Grocery downtown |
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Radishes, eggs, salad greens and garlic from Abra at Bare Knuckle Farm
More photos on the Leelanau Farmer's Market Facebook! |
Taste the Local Difference is a comprehensive guide that includes farm, farm market, CSA, winery and other listings with addresses, phone numbers and an index to seasonal food availability. The guide includes farms and winery listings, CSA contacts, addresses, phone numbers and an index to seasonal food availability. A kind of phone book for food. No need to shuffle through the yellow pages--just pick up a guide and start eating!
Taste the Local Difference has released their 2011 Northwest Michigan Food Guide. The pocket-sized guide is packed with information about more than 300 businesses that feature local food: local farms, wineries, breweries, distilleries, farmers markets and retail businesses and food artisans in our 10-county region stretching from Manistee to the Mackinac Bridge.
Leelanau is well represented and you can download the guide as a PDF or pick it up at farms, markets and other places that feature local food across the region. A highlight is their Spend 10 Local Dollars Campaign, which encourages people to make a pledge to spend $10 weekly on local food products. Taste the Local Difference project director Janice Benson says:
"The guide helps people find local food, and combining that with a commitment by families to spend at least $10 each week on local food will significantly boost our local economy. We have a lot of great produce throughout the summertime, but we also have meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, beverages, and much more that is available to us all year long."
You can get all the details and make the pledge, search farm markets & businesses for all kinds of products, view tasty recipes and more at localdifference.org.
Try some of these ways to make a difference in your community with $10 or more a week!
- Shop at one of the weekly Leelanau Farm Markets!
- Buying local meat, fish, eggs, and produce from your local grocer, restaurant, or farmer.
- Ordering a glass of local wine, cider, or other beverage that includes locally grown items at dinner.
- Ordering a menu item that includes locally grown items at a restaurant.
- Becoming a member of a CSA farm.
- Ordering food for office lunches and parties that includes locally grown items.
- Purchasing locally grown food products for holiday gifts and entertaining. (Jams, honeys, cheeses, dried cherry mix, salsas, etc.)
- Buying local cream for your daily coffees and local teas that include locally grown herbs and fruit.
Photo credits: Plumb Perfect and 9 Bean Rows CSA by Ken Scott
The Leelanau Farmers Markets Association will hold their Annual Kick-Off Meeting and Potluck next Wednesday, May 11 from 6-8 pm at the Leelanau County Government Center, 8527 E Government Center Drive, Suttons Bay. Join Board members, market vendors and community supporters for information, networking and camaraderie. Guests are asked to bring a dish to pass and their own table service; beverages are provided.
There will be a presentation by Local Orbit to learn about buying and selling local products for delivery at the new local “hub” - the Suttons Bay Market on Saturday mornings. Also on the agenda will be information on the acceptance of EBT Bridge Cards at the Suttons Bay Market, and a Q & A Session to answer any questions about any of the six Leelanau Farmers Markets.
The 2011 season begins at the Suttons Bay Market on May 14. Check out www.eatleelanau.org for dates and times of all the Leelanau Farmers Markets in Empire, Glen Arbor, Lake Leelanau, Leland, Northport and Suttons Bay. For more information contact Debby Disch, LFMA Board Chair, at 231-386-5686 or Leelanau MSU Extension at 231-256-9888.
More photos and information on the Leelanau Farmers Markets Facebook!
Great Indoor Folk Festival ~ Feb 12, 2012
