top ten

Throwback Saturday

On March 11, Treetops Resort in Gaylord is taking us back in time. In the 1950s, the ski hill was named Sylvan Knob Ski Area, and Treetops’ Sylvan Daze celebrates the resort’s history with a full day of fun in the snow. Lift tickets cost what they did 70 years ago—just $3 apiece—and a snow volleyball tournament will rage from 10am to 1pm. (Register by March 9; $50 for a team of four to six.) The Treetops Slush Cup follows with all its wild, messy glory, and a DJ and live entertainment will keep the party hopping throughout the afternoon. For more Treetops fun, wrap up on the slopes by 6pm and head over to their convention center for the 12th annual Michigan Beer & Wine Festival ($45 per person, ages 21+), which features dozens of local beer, wine, and cider makers. Get the details on both events at treetops.com.

Sun in Ya Hands

Detroit-based theater artist and University of Michigan playwriting instructor Emilio Rodriguez brings a modern spin of the classic fairy tale “The Frog Prince” with Sun in Ya Hands, set in the Caribbean with production design inspired by Disney’s Pocahontas and Moana. The show is presented by the Interlochen Arts Academy Theatre Division on Friday and Saturday March 10-11 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, March 12, at 2pm. $22 adults; $17 children through college. interlochen.org/concerts-and-events

Hey, Read It! Maureen

Maureen Fry isn’t easy to like—in fact, she even says so herself. A difficult child turned rigid and surly adult, Maureen has shut herself off from the world, trapped inside a cage of grief after her son David’s sudden passing. Since then, she’s survived on the simple routines she shares with compliant husband, Harold, until she gets wind that Queenie Hennessy (a suspiciously-close female friend of Harold’s) has the audacity to have built a tribute to David in her Northumberland garden. Fueled by a mother’s incredulous rage, Maureen embarks on a solo trip to see the sculpture for herself, only to discover that she’s no longer the person she was when she left. The third and final installment in bestselling author Rachel Joyce’s Harold Fry series (though the novel also stands alone), Maureen is a vividly-rendered exploration of one woman’s path to self-acceptance. It’s also blessedly brief and oh-so-gently witty; we dare you not to finish this read all at once.

2 tastemaker

Cellar 152’s Jamaican Jerk Crispy

Chicken Sandwich

Most of our stops to Cellar 152 in Elk Rapids involve grabbing a bottle from their impressive wine selection, but when time allows, we like to sit down and take it slow for lunch or dinner. And when we do, the Jamaican Jerk Crispy Chicken sandwich is always on the tab ($16). This sandwich favors flavor over spice; the buttery brioche and Swiss cheese balance the heat from the chicken and the jerk aioli, and pickled onion and bacon elevate the classic lettuce and tomato accompaniments. It’s a must-have for anyone who peruses menus for fried chicken. (Guilty as charged.) Chips or coleslaw come standard, but we recommend leveling up with a side of the Bacon Cheddar Tater Kegs ($3 with the sandwich), a specialty at the pub. Find Cellar 152 at—you guessed it—152 River Street in Elk Rapids. (231) 2649000, cellar152.com

The Traverse City Figure Skating Club is bridging Disney generations with their 2023 ice show, Enchantment on Ice. From Cinderella (1950) to Beauty and the Beast (1991) to Tangled (2010) to Encanto (2021), there will be something for Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Zers all in one arena. (Just remember: We don’t talk about Bruno.) Students of all ages—from age five to adults—in the skating program will perform programs inspired by the films while you sing along to your favorite tunes. Tickets are $20 per person, or you can opt for “on-ice seating” for $160, a four-top table with complimentary hors d’oeuvres plus beverages for the 21+ crowd. The show runs at Centre Ice Arena in Traverse City on Friday, March 10, at 7pm and Saturday, March 11, at 11:30am and 4:30pm. For more information and tickets, head to mynorthtickets.com/ organizations/traverse-city-figure-skating-club.

Marijuana Money Is Rolling In

This month, the Michigan Department of Treasury will be distributing adult-use marijuana payments to Michigan municipalities and counties (where adult-use is legal) totalling more than $59.5 million. According to a Department of Treasury press release, “each eligible municipality and county will receive more than $51,800 for every licensed retail store and microbusiness located within its jurisdiction.” Of note around NoMi, Kalkaska County will see $414,729, Manistee and Otsego counties will see $311,047, and Benzie and Cheboygan counties will see $207,364. The payments are distributed from the 2022 taxes and fees on marijuana sales. Those sales added up to over $1.8 billion last year, with $198.4 million in distribution taxes. In addition to the dollars headed back to local governments, $69.4 million was sent to the School Aid Fund for K-12 education and another $69.4 million to the Michigan Transportation Fund. Learn more at michigan.gov/cra.

The Phosphorus Paradox

The National Writers Series welcomes two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Dan Egan

He will discuss his new book, The Devil’s Element, which charts the history of phosphorus—an element in fertilizer that escalated our ability to feed the planet. But along the way, it created vast dead zones in our lakes and oceans. Egan offers strategies to stave off its depletion and overuse before it ends our way of life

Join NWS at the City Opera House on March 10 at 7p.m. (+ livestream option) for a conversation with Egan and guest host Patrick Shea, environmental reporter at IPR. In partnership with the International Affairs Forum.

For tickets, visit NationalWritersSeries.org

Stuff We Love: National Reading Month

March is National Reading Month, and Blue Vase Books of Interlochen is going the extra mile to make sure northern Michigan kids can be part of the bookish celebration. Earlier this year, the used books store distributed thousands of bookmarks to local students in kindergarten through middle school, and that bookmark does more than just save their page. Kids can bring their bookmarks into the store all month long and receive one free book of their choice from the thousands of stories in stock. If all bookmarks are redeemed, as many as 6,000 local kids will be reading a new book. As a bonus for National Reading Month, Blue Vase is also hosting an exclusive educators event (teachers, homeschool families, daycare providers, etc.) on March 8 with great prices, giveaways, and prizes. One lucky classroom will be sponsored by Blue Vase with a $100 credit to spend in store. Head to bluevasebookexchange.com to find out more.

bottoms up Grand Traverse Distillery’s TC Roy

According to legend, the classic Rob Roy cocktail is named for Scottish outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor. Though we don’t condone thievery, we do encourage a round or two at Grand Traverse Distillery’s Tasting Room, where the gorgeously-balanced TC Roy has just arrived on the winter menu. A local take on the barroom original, the distillery’s script blends sweet vermouth (Piccolo Ditto from Brengman Brothers) with house-made orange bitters and their limited release Single Malt Whiskey, which distillers have smoked with cherry wood before aging in oak barrels for six years. Served atop a giant ice cube and topped with amaretto-soaked cherries, this sipper has a gently-smoked palette and fruity finish that meld so seamlessly it ought to be, well, illegal. Find the TC Roy ($14) at the Grand Traverse Distillery Tasting Room at 215 E. Front Street in Traverse City. (231) 9461259, grandtraversedistillery.com.