Northern Express - Nov. 21, 2022

No Tall Buildings

Steve Tuttle’s column in the Nov. 13 Northern Express should be required reading at City Hall. In his customary wry tone, Tuttle dropped a bombshell. Tuttle addressed the recent “yes” campaign to adopt Traverse City’s City Prop 1 (tall buildings over 60 feet). It appears the yesto-tall-building people cheated or made stunning mistakes on their campaign finance statement.

First, they claimed not to have received any money donations for a campaign that apparently cost $66,000. Second, they claimed $66,000 “in-kind” contributions only totaled $47,000. Third, they disclosed not even $1 local contribution. Zero. Really? City Prop 1 was such a bad idea that not one, single, solitary Traverse City resident was willing to contribute? None of this makes any more sense than tall buildings make in downtown Traverse City.

Grant Parsons | Traverse

Good, the Bad, and the

City

totally agree with Jim McCormick’s letter of Oct. 31, 2022. Without all the good, bad, and ugly letters, your paper will not be nearly as interesting as it has been. Please reconsider!

publish letters “in conversation” with Northern Express articles or that address relevant issues Up North.

Send to info@northernexpress.com. and hit send!

Marilyn Donaldson | Traverse City

top ten

Glen Arbor is the place to be this weekend…so long as you don’t want to get out of your pajamas. The little lake town knows how to celebrate the holidays in comfy and quirky style, beginning with the PJ Party “Better than Black Friday” shopping extravaganza from 6am to 9am on Friday, Nov. 25. Yes, that’s early, but you needn’t change out of your sweats before shopping the deals at your favorite local merchants. That way, you’ll already be in costume for the Bed Parade at 9am in downtown, where festive mattresses roll down Western Avenue. (Really, who needs floats when you can decorate beds?) If you must, you can put on real clothes before returning downtown for the annual tree lighting and sing-a-long at Glen Arbor Town Hall at 6:15pm. A holiday marketplace (free admission!) with artisanal goods follows at the hall from 6:30-8:30pm, so you can finish all your holiday shopping in one fell swoop.

Turkeys on the Run

Make room in those elastic pants Thanksgiving morning and run your local turkey trot! A few listed in this issue include the Up North Media Turkey Trot and Gobble, Gobble Watch Us Wobble Walk, both in TC; Kiwanis Boyne City Turkey Trot; Turkey Vulture Trot 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run, Crystal Mountain; and the YMCA Turkey Trot 2022, Petoskey. Support your community, run into familiar faces, and get fresh air and exercise! See our Dates section for more info.

Hey, Watch It! Reboot

In the age of TV show reboots and reunions, it was only a matter of time before someone came along to satirize the whole endeavor. Luckily for us, that someone is Steven Levitan, one half of the comedic brain trust behind Modern Family. On the appropriately titled Reboot, a comedy series that just wrapped its freshman season on Hulu, Levitan skewers the television industrial complex so thoroughly that you may never be able to look at a sitcom the same way again, let alone a cash-grab TV reboot. The story centers around the cast of a low-brow, early-2000s sitcom series brought back together when Hulu greenlights a revival of the show to cash in on millennial nostalgia. The actors, all struggling to find relevance in 2022, gamely climb aboard. But old tensions and buried resentments quickly rear their ugly heads, causing fireworks on the set of the new show. You can bet that the dynamite cast—which includes Keegan-Michael Key, Judy Greer, Johnny Knoxville, Paul Reiser, and Rachel Bloom—make those fireworks a ton of fun to watch. Now streaming on Hulu.

As we settle into the cozy season, it’s time to embrace comfort food. And there is nothing more comforting—or delicious, or decadent—than a bowl of the Lobster and Shrimp Bisque ($16) from The Boathouse. The Old Mission Peninsula eatery is known for its high-end cuts of meat, stellar service, and waterside views, and while all of those draws are well worth a visit, we keep coming back for the bisque. The creamy base is packed with flavor thanks to the magic trio of brandy, creme fraiche, and chives, and this is one soup that doesn’t skimp on the seafood bites. With a wedge or house salad, this could be a meal in itself, though it’s hard to resist the rest of the menu, whether you’re going for the seasonal Butternut Squash Pappardelle or the restaurant’s popular American Wagyu Strip. Get your comfort on (in style) at 14039 Peninsula Drive in Traverse City. (231) 223-4030, boathouseonwestbay.com

The Boathouse’s Lobster and Shrimp Bisque

Even though it’s the week of Thanksgiving, we’ve already been hearing Christmas tunes on the radio and spotting red and green displays in just about every store. If you’re still waiting to get in the Christmas spirit, then you’ll soon have your pick of small town spots to find your inner Cindy Lou Who. Here are just a few of the festivities planned this week. Wednesday, Nov. 23, is the Walloon Lake Village Lighting (5pm). Friday, Nov. 25, has several events, like Holly Jolly Boyne (Boyne City, 5pm); Light Up Cedar (5pm); and Light Up Leland for the Holidays (6pm). Also Friday, Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville hosts the First Light and Holiday Trail celebrations, where Santa helps the resort get twinkly at 5pm and you enjoy live music, horse-drawn surrey rides, retail specials, and even a game of outdoor laser tag. Finally, Saturday, Nov. 26, check out the Light Up the Night Holiday Parade (Petoskey, 5pm); Harbor Springs Tree Lighting (6pm); Holiday in the Village (Suttons Bay, all day); and Northport Tree Lighting (6pm).

Stuff We Love: Hall of Fame

Coach John Lober

News broke this week that John Lober, a coaching legend at Traverse City Central High School, would be inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) Hall of Fame. Lober oversaw the boys track and field team at Central for 52 years, from 1977 until his retirement in 2021, also serving as head cross country coach for 27 of those years (1989-2016). In 2015, NHSACA named him National Track Coach of the Year, and he’s long been a member of numerous noted halls of fame, including for the Michigan High School Coaches Association and for Traverse City Central High School. This particular induction puts Lober in even more rarified air, making him just the third Traverse City Central coach to make the NHSACA Hall of Fame. The other two? Trojan football legend Jim Ooley and former Central golf coach Bob Lober, John’s brother. Lober’s induction will take place on July 25, 2023, at the annual NHSACA conference in Lincoln, Nebraska. Way to go, Coach!

Subscription renewal season is upon us, as we plan whether to carry forth our CSAs and food boxes, our (what feels like) 10,000 streaming apps, and our favorite magazines and newspapers into 2023. Northern Express and our sister publication, the Traverse City Business News, are jumping on the bandwagon. Get all 50 issues of the Express for $110 per year—the paper is free, and this covers our postage costs—or all 12 issues of the TCBN for $35. Buy one for yourself or for a friend or family member who loves local news but may not live here anymore; we’ll ship anywhere in the U.S. To order your subscription of Northern Express, head to northernexpress.com/ subscriptions/order. For the TCBN, go to tcbusinessnews.com/single-year-subscription. P.S. If you’re trying to save on paper in the mailbox, you can always get the (free!) Northern Express twice-weekly digital newsletter with all our latest stories by going here: northernexpress.com/newsletter/sign-up.

As its name suggests, there’s nothing small about Big Buck Brewery. Established in 2018 (though the space had a past life in the mid-90s), this iconic Gaylord alehouse impresses, from its 300-seat interior to the can’t-miss-it beer bottle on the lawn. The pub has pulled out all the stops in its array of artisan suds, headlined by the signature Michigan Sunrise. Brewed with four types of local hops—including aromatic Chinook and Cascade— Big Buck’s flagship beer packs just enough earthiness to sate IPA junkies, while its light body and citrus-scented palette make it a go-to for beer drinkers across the board. Pair one with a plate of house jambalaya or get buck-wild with a sampler rack—if that’s not going big, we don’t know what is. Stop in at Big Buck Brewery (550 S. Wisconsin Ave. in Gaylord) for a six-buck pint or locate your nearest four-pack via the “Beer Finder” tab at bigbuckbrewery.com. (989) 448-7072.

spectator

By Stephen Tuttle

As always, there are reasons to be thankful, not the least of which is that the midterm elections are finally almost over. As this is being written, there are still a few House seats and one Senate race not decided.

We should thank everyone who had the courage to put their name on a ballot for any office. Running is significantly harder and more complicated than most people assume—an exercise in courage, time, and financial management coupled with a thick skin and an exceptionally understanding family. Support or oppose, we should be thankful for their efforts.

We should thank the county clerks and other election officials and their volunteers, locally and around the country, who once again did a remarkable and important job under exceedingly difficult circumstances. Despite

only candidate to fully maintain his dignity in difficult circumstances, but his statement was certainly a model for others.

(As an aside here, candidate concessions are a nice tradition and courtesy but have nothing whatsoever to do with vote counting or results. All votes will be counted regardless of a concession, and those who refuse to concede will still lose if they have the fewest votes.)

Away from politics, we should thank everyone involved in the completion of the TART trail loop around Boardman Lake finished this year. Those who conceived, planned, designed, and constructed it did a lovely job. It’s now an easy bike ride around the lake but a better walk, allowing time to spot some local waterfowl or maybe basking-in-the-sun turtles lined up on a log.

harassment, insults, and threats of violence, they oversaw another honest and accurate election. The vote counting in some races in some states seemed to take forever, but that’s due to the process and commitment to accuracy, not some nefarious plot as losers now often claim.

We should be especially thankful there was no violence at the polling places despite threats from some extreme groups that believe violence is the answer to every question.

Let’s also thank candidates who ran positive ads, both traditionally and online, and sent out positive mail that did not attack or insult their opponents but touted their own résumés and future plans. Conversely, let’s not thank the campaign apparatus of both parties, statewide and nationally, that seem incapable of participating without throwing heaps of mud everywhere.

Let’s thank Generation Z (defined by Pew Research as anyone born after 1996) for turning out more voters than expected. According to researchers at Tufts University, 27 percent of eligible voters under the age of 30 voted on November 8, a record for a midterm election for a group sometimes referred to derisively as Generation Slacker. Our system works best when participation is greatest, so it is encouraging that more and more young people are becoming politically

Let’s also thank the likes of Jack O’Malley who, despite losing a close, contentious, some might even say bruising campaign for the 103rd District State House seat, offered a concession statement that was civil, honorable, and decent. In an era in which some candidates offer little more than accusations and nonsensical rumor mongering, O’Malley’s statement should be used as a template for others. He wasn’t the

Let’s also thank the young men and women who have enthusiastically returned to their school’s extracurricular activities. Not to mention, though we should, the teachers who guide, coach, and support those efforts.

Let’s have a special thanks to the incredible record of Traverse City St. Francis athletics that seems to produce state champions every year. This school year, they’ve already won the state championship in girls cross country in their division (the boys finished second) and they’re in the football semi-finals as this is being written.

As always, let’s especially thank our first responders in the fire, emergency medical, and law enforcement communities who continue to be there for us. The last couple years must have been especially challenging and dangerous, but those men and women continue to serve, protect, and sometimes save us from ourselves, others, and circumstances beyond our control.

We should also be thanking, pretty much every day, school teachers, school bus drivers, school administrators, and school support staff. They do the increasingly difficult work of transporting, feeding, teaching, and, sometimes, protecting our kids.

Let’s also thank those who build and repair our streets, drive the vehicles that bring us all our stuff, and the folks who sell it to us, plumbers, electricians, iron workers and steel workers, framers, roofers, masons, bankers, the folks who help us sell or buy homes, landscapers, farmers, ranchers, growers of all manner of things we eat, cooks, servers, bartenders, nurses, doctors, dentists… We have reason to be thankful for nearly everyone we encounter every day.

And, thank you. Agree with me or not, thank you very much for reading this column.

We have reason to be thankful for nearly everyone we encounter every day.

THE TYRANNY OF THE SHOULDS

guest opinion

by Greg Holmes

The holiday season is now upon us: Thanksgiving is already here with Christmas soon to follow. Are you looking forward to celebrating them, or, like many others, are you dreading them?

There’s little disagreement that the holidays can add significant stress to one’s already stressful life. Sources of stress differ for each person, but often reflect the impact of time and financial pressures, the complications of gift giving, and the lack of enthusiasm for going to contentious family gatherings.

A Consumer Reports survey in 2016 on stressors experienced during the holidays found that 57 percent of those surveyed dreaded dealing with crowds and lines,

we are painfully aware of and others which fly under the radar of our consciousness. These messages influence how we feel and ultimately what we do. This conflict often creates stress about how we perceive and approach the holidays.

These messages are internalized and create images of what the ideal Thanksgiving or Christmas should be like. Not meeting the high bar of the expectations of ourselves or others can often lead to feelings of disappointment, resentment, and even failure.

A helpful first step in changing how you approach the holidays is to develop a deeper awareness of your thoughts and feelings. You may believe you already

29 percent found shopping stressful, and approximately one-third were not looking forward to “getting their house in order.” Other stressors included anxiety about having to attend holiday parties (19 percent) and even the pressure of “having to be nice” (13 percent).

That was 2016, and four years later our world changed dramatically with the arrival of COVID-19, which had a profound impact on the way we celebrated the holidays. During the first two years of the pandemic, many people altered their plans in an attempt to avoid contracting and/or spreading the illness. For some, it provided a reason to avoid doing things they didn’t want to do in the first place without feeling guilty.

Which brings us to this important question: How can we best reduce the stress and dread associated with the holidays? One thing I guarantee won’t work: not making any change in how you think or go about the holidays. Doing the same old thing while holding your breath to survive the season is a choice we often make to avoid conflict within ourselves or with others.

Having to be cheery when we’re not feeling it is stressful. We may not be proud of the fact that we’re not in the holiday spirit and even feel guilty for having that thought. However, as Erma Bombeck once wrote, “Guilt is the gift that keeps on giving.”

The fact of the matter is that many people, if not most, live and struggle with what the late psychoanalyst Karen Horney described as the “tyranny of the shoulds.” All of us have been told one way or the other how the holidays “should” be, what we “should” buy, and what a happy holiday “should” look like.

The messages of what we “should” do come from many sources, some of which

know exactly how you feel, but do you fully understand why you feel the way you do? The degree of awareness that we achieve will often depend on our ability to be honest with ourselves.

Honesty can be difficult, but it gives us insight into our thoughts and behaviors. Do we like the holidays? Why or why not? Is there something we could change about how we celebrate them that would make them more meaningful and less stressful?

As we develop this awareness, it’s not surprising to find that the stress of the holidays is difficult, in part, because it is often superimposed on our already stressful lives. How happy or content are we with our lives in general? How much of our life is ruled by the tyranny of the shoulds? How much is determined by what we really want to do, who we really are?

Once we have developed an awareness of the origins and the nature of our stress, there are basically two options that are available. We can either accept the way things are, or we can change how we go about the holidays. Both options have challenges of their own. Acceptance can be hard as it often means letting go of what we really want. True acceptance, on the other hand, is different from acquiescence.

Imagine that during your honest introspection you discover that you are only doing things that others expect from you. Generosity can be a wonderful thing, and thinking about others and how they feel is the opposite of narcissism. However, this only works if you don’t forget yourself in the process. Honoring who you really are is one of the best gifts you can give yourself—not only during the holidays, but any time of the year.

Greg Holmes lives and writes in Traverse City.

T he h o L iday Foodie Guide

Stocking stuffers, pantry staples, and must-haves for your holiday table

The holidays are fast approaching, and you know what that means…it’s time to get cooking! Before you bust out your cookbooks, have a peek at our list of 10 local makers whose goodies are changing the gourmet game. Stock up on early gift ideas or just stock your pantry shelves—good taste is always in season.

1. Boss Mouse Cheese

It’s officially cheese platter season, friends, and Boss Mouse Cheese has the holiday hookup. Helmed by master cheesemaker Sue Kurta, this Kingsley-based centennial farm uses artisan methods and grass-fed cow’s milk to craft one glorious wheel at a time. Cheeselovers can choose from a range of flavors from bestselling Sweet Swiss to Italian Montasio, or, for some extra kick in the kitchen, a block of smoked butter, which also comes in a vegan script. For the truest turophiles among us, Boss Mouse offers cheese-making classes (visit the website to make your selection), as well as a Monthly Cheese Club, wherein new flavors arrive by mail. Sounds pretty grate to us! To place an order or to find the purveyor nearest you, visit bossmousecheese.com. (P.S. Boss Mouse is on vacation until Dec. 6, whereupon orders will resume).

2. Light of Day Organics

Michigan winters are no joke. When the temperatures hit sub-zero (or the thermostat just doesn’t kick in) a steaming mug of tea warms both the soul and those freezing fingertips. For the ultimate cold-weather cuppa, Light of Day Organics is our go-to. As the continent’s only Certified Demeter Biodynamic Tea Farm, the shop uses only the highest-quality herbals—many of which are grown on-site—in their loose-leaf teas, which are small-batch blended in private recipes. All that stands between you and beverage bliss is the time it takes to boil the water. Find Light of Day Organics at 3502 E. Traverse Hwy, in Traverse City. (231) 2287234, lightofdayorganics.com

3. Grand Traverse Sauce Company

Whoever coined the phrase “some like it hot” must have known Grand Traverse Sauce Company would come along. The brainchild of Mark and Ashley Baker, this artisanal condiment shop offers a range of homemade products from spice rubs and syrups to the eponymous sauces, all of which are packing some heat. Each bottle begins with fire-kissed produce, courtesy of local purveyors, that won’t overpower the rest of your recipe. For a mild zing, Red Hot Griff is our pick (pair it with proteins or a sweet wine!), or turn up the heat with The Siren. Can’t choose? Go for the sampler packs—there are no wrong choices here. Find Grand Traverse Sauce Company at 1125 E. Eighth Street in Traverse City. (231) 251-3383, gtsauceco.com

4. Sleeping Bear Farms

Honey has long been called “liquid gold” for its magical healing and nutritive properties. Kirk and Sharon Jones, owners of Sleeping Bear Farms in Beulah, know this well. For more than 30 years, their colonies of happy bees have sipped the nectar of Michigan plants before “vacationing” to warmer climates (and returning with new floral flavors). The result is a stunning array of honey-based products, from comb to cream to chili-spiked, including local Star Thistle and golden Tupelo. “The bee’s knees” was never more appropriate. Find Sleeping Bear Farms at 971 S. Pioneer Rd., Beulah. (888) 912-0017, sleepingbearfarms.com

5. Natural Northern Foods

We’ve all had that startling, pre-New Year moment when we realize we haven’t had veggies in days. To keep the snack train chugging (minus the carbs), we find ourselves reaching for Natural Northern Foods. Born on the back of homemade salsa, this healthfocused shop’s ever-growing list of spices, spreads, and specialty items—the whitefish dip is a real crowd-pleaser—encourages munching in a mindful way thanks to products that are gluten-free and crafted using local components. Be it a punchy dish to pass (did someone say taco box?) or a flavorful snack to tide you till dinner, this brand is a no-brainer all year. Find them at 5805 Sunset View Dr., Traverse City. (231) 360-3131. For online orders, gifts, and owner Lori’s recipes, visit naturalnorthernfoods.com.

6. Spoonful of Granola

Founded in 2011 (as a family gift, no less) Petoskey’s Spoonful of Granola is the answer to all your crunchy cravings. We think the word “spoonful” is short an “s,” though—there’s no way we’d stop at just one bite! This joyful little snack brand is the brainchild of Sara Beer, who brought her baking skills north in 2019. Each 10-oz bag is packed with natural ingredients and features gotta-have-em flavors like Toasted Pecan and Dark Chocolate Coconut. As an added sprinkle of good, each pouch of granola sold helps fund The Manna Food Project for meals in northern Michigan. Get your granola on at 515 Lockwood Ave. in Petoskey or place an online order at spoonfulofgranola.com. Delivery is free to Petoskey and Harbor Springs; shipping to all other areas is $11.

7. Northern Elderberry

Cold and flu season? Forget about it. As temperatures drop and germs sharpen their edge, a daily shot of elderberry syrup—which is full of vitamin C and antioxidants—gives your immune system an extra line of defense. For all your at-homeremedy needs, Northern Elderberry’s got the fix. Owned by a mother-daughter team, this superfood shop handcrafts its products using vintage recipes and organic ingredients so you can be sure you’re getting the good stuff. With all sorts of tinctures, syrups, and teas to try (they even offer hand-poured candles!), you’re just a few drops away from supercharged health. (Psst—their DIY Syrup and Gummy Kits make for an extra unique holiday gift.) Find Northern Elderberry at 3625 Orchard View, Traverse City for local pickup. (231) 360-6830. Visit northernelderberry.com for a list of local carriers (including Traverse City, Suttons Bay, and Wyandotte locations) or to fill your online cart.

8. Cupcake MAFIA & Co.

Dominate holiday desserts (and maybe the world) with gourmet baking? We’re in; and so is Cupcake MAFIA & Co. Helmed by an all-female ownership team, this Tustin bakeshop is the spot for deliciously extravagant treats. Bakes come in bite- to full-sized cakes, with gluten-free options also available, and are ordered per piece to fit your event. From there, the sweet possibilities are endless. Choose from the usual vanilla and citrus suspects or go all out with seasonal features and a host of drool-worthy decorations. Let the holiday sugar high commence! Visit facebook.com/ cmafiaco for locations, features, or to place an order (and don’t forget to give the team about a week of baking leeway).

9. Outback Sugar Shack

For the best-kept secret in maple syrup, head to Petoskey, where John Kintz is crafting maple syrup the way the trees themselves intended. The sole proprietor of Outback Sugar Shack, Kintz has spent the last decade or so perfecting traditional syrup production (no reverse osmosis here). This means that each ounce of sticky-golden syrup, from tree to tap to bottle and back, is processed entirely by hand minus all of the unwanted extras. Your pancakes won’t know what hit them. Outback Sugar Shack’s maple syrup is available in a range of sizes, or as part of Kintz’s “Bar-B-Q” sauce, which is sweet and sassy and goes great with chicken! Better hurry, though—once this year’s syrup stock sells out, there won’t be more until next year. Outback Sugar Shack’s products can be found in Petoskey at Johan’s Pastry Shop (565 W. Mitchell St.) and Marathon Gas (411 W. Mitchell St.), as well as the Petoskey Farmers Market in the summer.

10. Lock Stock & Barrel Ranch

From filling the holes in your holiday shopping to routine dinner inspiration, Lock Stock & Barrel Ranch has the goods. Tucked in quiet Onaway, this old-school general store is stacked top-to-bottom with edible goodies, most of which are locally sourced, from dry soup mixes and pickled veggies to scratch-made jams and salad dressings. There’s even a commercial kitchen that cranks out the shop’s bestselling beef pasties. Stop in for a single item (don’t sleep on the homemade salsa!) or build a gift box with your favorite finds. Lock Stock & Barrel Ranch General Store is located at 5349 Glasier Rd., Onaway. (989) 306-2952. For more information and seasonal pop-up locations, find them on social media @lock. stock.andbarrel.

On The Runway with Kevin Klein

Nobody knows more about what’s new, changing, and how to find the best fares from northern Michigan than Cherry Capital Airport CEO Kevin Klein. We sat down with him to hear the inside scoop.

1 > So how is the region's airport doing? We are hearing other airports are struggling.

Klein: We’re doing well, especially when I compare us to our peer airports and hearing horror stories of airports being down 40-50 percent in traffic. We are down compared to last year year-to-date and will end the year down around 15 percent, which would be our third best year ever. With all that said we are the 3rd largest airport in the State for passenger traffic.

2 > And is that because 2021 was such a monster year or because of inflation and macroeconomic conditions?

Klein: It’s a little of both. Our area was very much “open" during COVID for outdoor activities. But now airlines are facing staff and pilot shortages, inflation, and reduced schedules.

3 > But there’s still good news in there?

Klein: Great news! TVC, has just announced new service beginning June 16, 2023, with Sun Country Airlines serving Minneapolis Saint Paul, MN (MSP). We are seeing expanding service opportunities that many airports have not experienced. Sun Country Airlines is a new breed of hybrid low-cost air carrier.

4 > You had mentioned other airports hurting.

Klein: The U.P. airports, Alpena, and Pellston are challenged with cutbacks. Airline economics of a 50-seat jet making it, are going to be tough for small communities. Smaller communities are going to have to look at if they can fill 76-seat jets in the future.

Lansing down almost 50 percent in seats. So, I am thankful here.

6 > Sounds like United Airlines continues to be the most aggressive airline. Is that what you’re seeing?

Klein: Our future schedules are a terrific way to look at that, into December for United from Chicago, we see mainline aircraft we haven’t seen in previous winters. The Airbus 319 and on some weekends closer to the holiday the larger 737-800 fits into that schedule. So, they are looking to take advantage of demand.

7 > In terms of the industry changing, I’m guessing your forecasts are changing even every 90 days?

Klein: More like every 20 minutes! With the new Sun Country service combined with American announcing they’ll be flying mainline aircraft JuneAugust for Dallas we are changing our outlook by the minute. We are now starting to see the business traveler return. We completed a survey in August that showed we are 70 percent leisure and 30 percent business. Our best was 60/40, so the business traveler is returning.

8 > And overall, the biggest industry issues remain cost and staffing?

Klein: The items everyone is watching are staffing, pilot shortages, aircraft availability, economics, and fuel prices. Keep in mind that prior to COVID, a new pilot for regional flights would be making $35,000-$45,000 per year. Now with the shortages that’s more like $80,000-$100,000.

10 > And what’s happening at the airport itself?

Klein: On the general aviation side there’s a new hangar being built by AvFlight. That’s a $5 million investment, that’s exciting. We just removed our 1964 general aviation terminal. We hope to break ground next summer on expanding our air carrier ramp as we head toward our main terminal expansion.

11

> Back to the airlines and fares, wondering what you’re seeing for spring break?

Klein: This is where Allegiant Air comes into play. They have increased capacity on the Florida routes in March and April. Allegiant has also brought back Phoenix for March through August. Prices are good, but we are already seeing them rise. We recommend getting your tickets soon!

12 > Anything else, specific to business travelers?

Klein: Our biggest push now is getting the business traveler back and flying by finding out what are they doing differently. Have they changed cities, do they have new facilities or new customers? One of the things we did on our web site was add a form on the business travel page. We’d love passengers to fill that out to tell us what’s changed if anything so we can tell the airlines. Please go to https://tvcairport. com/tvc-business-travel/ and let us know what is new. If you complete the form by November 30th, you will be entered into a drawing for a $500 travel certificate.

13 > Talk about Cherry Capital being able to serve the entire region and not just Traverse City.

5

> What about elsewhere? Your peer airports beyond just our immediate neighbors?

Klein: For the Great Lakes region, traffic is down in seats July 2022 vs July 2019 about 10 percent. For our peer airports, Madison down 20 percent, Dayton down 40 percent, Green Bay down 20 percent and

9 > Good for them but are fares just going to keep rising?

Klein: It’s all starting to shake out. As you see demand increase and capacity return and newer aircraft coming online, you’ll see the airline economics work out and prices stabilize. With Allegiant and Sun Country both low-cost carriers, fares will be competitive.

Klein: With larger jets and more seats and amenities. The airlines are really putting a bigger emphasis on those airports that can prove growth, and we’ve demonstrated that. So that’s helping travelers coming our region have more travel options and to save money.

By Karl Klockars

When we’re feeling down during a long Michigan winter, some of us plan a trip to Florida. Some buy a sun lamp. Some take a yoga class, or maybe get a massage.

Jenna Zerbo’s response to snow and gloom was to open her own store. So if you’ve come to appreciate the artfully curated housewares, clothes, and antiques at her new Petoskey boutique called August, you have last February’s drudgery to thank for it.

“This last winter was hard for me just mentally. There was a brief period of time that I was like, ‘You know what, I can’t do this. I just don’t think I can swing these long winters,’” Zerbo says. “I was like, I either am going to move, or I’m going to follow my dream. It’s one or the other. So I decided to follow my dream.”

The Perfect Postage Stamp Shop

Zerbo’s store opened in late July and is the culmination of her career spent in modern retail. “I’ve always wanted to open my own shop ever since I was a kid,” she says. “That’s just something that has been in my bones. I’ve always loved … the experience of walking into a shop that can transport you and take you to a different place and time.”

Downtown Petoskey itself can feel a little bit like a place out of time, which is

especially true for August’s location—a tiny storefront with creaky wooden floors and a tin ceiling that faces Pennsylvania Park, with its towering trees and ancient rail lines running through it. The store also doesn’t face a street, which makes it feel like a bit of a secret—and is certainly part of the appeal for Zerbo.

“I went in and immediately knew it was right. It’s one of the few storefronts in Petoskey that has remained really unchanged—it’s like a little postage stamp,” Zerbo says. “So, yeah, I thought it was way more interesting to be off the beaten path. Honestly, most things that are worth finding … you’ve got to look for them.”

August (which was named after her grandfather, and also happens to be Zerbo’s middle name) is informed by her experiences working for brands like Shinola, Willys Detroit, and Williams Sonoma. Zerbo was also the brand director for the Petoskey-based American Spoon before setting out on her own, and her time spent as a buyer and brand manager gave her a lot of experience and insight into what she wanted from the store.

The moment you enter, you can tell the experience of the shop has been curated by an expert hand. Alongside the home goods and apparel, August’s selection of antiques may seem a bit eclectic at first, but they’re a collection of items that have one thing in common: They cause a reaction.

“The one thing that I have is my gut. [It’s] taken me through a lot of these creative roles and it’s why I’ve gotten to where I am,” Zerbo says. “If something has a soul and if something grabs you in that emotional way, you gotta go for it. You have to pick it up, and other people will feel it too.”

She adds, “That’s the biggest thing—I trust myself when it comes to antiques, and I always end up going for things that are a little left of center. There are a million antique stores in the world. I want to be one that’s highly curated and very special—you feel something when you go in there.”

That curation technique also serves the rest of the store as well. “Everything follows that same principle. Curating an assortment that feels cohesive from color to texture to smell—it just all has to kind of feel like it’s all part of the same world. Which, again, that’s kind of the one thing I’m good at,” she says with a laugh.

Getting Ready for Gifting

While the concept for the store stayed mostly intact from her initial visioning and early mood boards through to opening day, Zerbo says one thing that turned out to be a surprise was the response customers had to her apparel collection.

“It was kind of a last-minute decision … At the eleventh hour, I contacted a brand that

I love—Pietsie, out of [Los Angeles]. I was like, ‘Do you have just a couple of summer dresses? I just want a little rack of dresses for women who are going to the beach, whatever.’ They were a beautiful block print, floral pattern, and those flew off the shelves immediately.”

Fall and winter will see August expand its apparel into knitwear, dresses, tops, and other accessories, but also the holidays are bringing some other fun new things to town: Dozens of ornaments, hand-knit caps and mittens, taper candles, fun socks, incense, and other stocking-stuffer-friendly selections. “A ton of just little gift-y things. [I’m] making sure I have all those bases covered for people who want to come in and do some gift buying,” Zerbo says.

Of special note: Zerbo commissioned a few special holiday stockings made from old Turkish rugs that will be available in a very limited capacity. The intersection of home goods made out of cool old repurposed antiques that also represents apparel? Talk about a product that sums up all things August.

“You’re going to be inspired, and you’re going to find something that’s not sold anywhere else within hundreds of miles,” Zerbo says to sum up the shop’s overall vibe. “It’s just a great place to find something special.”

Find August at 222 Park Ave in Petoskey. (248) 240-3206, augustshop.us

SO MUCH MORE THAN A CREDIT CARD HOLIDAY

The real effect of Small Business Saturday in northern Michigan downtowns

By Alexandra Dailey

We all talk about Hallmark holidays— looking at you, Valentine’s Day—but no one ever discusses credit card holidays. Perhaps that’s because there’s really only one of note: American Express’ Small Business Saturday.

Started in 2010 during the recession, Small Business Saturday takes place the weekend following Thanksgiving as a foil to Black Friday. It promotes shopping at small businesses to support local communities and bring holiday shopping dollars to one-of-akind brick-and-mortars to keep employees paid, store doors open, and downtown shopping districts vibrant.

Recognized by a Senate resolution in 2011, Small Business Saturday continues to grow in popularity as an annual holiday shopping tradition. In 2021 alone, U.S. holiday spending neared $889.3 billion, per the National Retail Federation, which is predicting sales to rise between 6 and 8 percent for 2022. American Express reported that for the same year, Small Business Saturday shopping at independent retailers and restaurants garnered an estimated $23.3 billion.

Small Minded…In the Best Way

Two communities that roll out the welcome wagon for Small Business Saturday are those of Traverse City and Cadillac.

While many local businesses rely on the tourist season to keep them in the black, the holiday season is equally crucial to a shopping district’s future and vitality.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our downtown, and we fully support anything that brings more exposure and revenue to these incredible merchants and restaurants,” says Art Bukowski, Traverse City’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) communications and outreach director. “We promote [Small Business Saturday] on social media, but we also work year-round to promote our small businesses, both specifically and generally.”

According to Caitlyn Beard, president of the Cadillac Area Chamber of Commerce, supporting local shops equates to supporting everything from soccer lessons to living expenses to for community members who own small businesses. She says a large portion of the money spent locally stays local—70 percent of the dollar spent at Cadillac businesses remains within the community, helping small-town life thrive.

“Small Business Saturday is critical to our entrepreneurial communities in rural areas,” says Beard. “During a season of travel for shopping, Small Business Saturday provides great foot traffic and energy. The Cadillac area businesses host sales, scavenger hunts, games, appetizers, accept downtown dollars,

and really collaborate for a full experience.”

She adds, “When shopping at a local location in the Cadillac area, you are supporting the local economy backing the rural community you live in. This includes supporting the activated spaces in the area—Cadillac Commons, trailhead, local parks, the skatepark, tree zoo, sound garden, local schools, etc.”

Small Steps Yield Big Results

The biggest adversary to small businesses nationwide is online shopping, which is rife with ease and convenience. Adobe Analytics predicts e-commerce will account for $209.7 billion in holiday spending between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31.

But shopping on Amazon doesn’t include the warm and friendly faces of those you know or an inviting atmosphere decorated to accentuate holiday cheer.

“People like buying things from their friends and neighbors,” says Bukowski. “And our local businesses have worked very hard to provide a top-notch shopping experience with excellent offerings.”

Retailers in both Traverse City and Cadillac will have special deals running throughout the weekend. (We recommend checking their respective websites or social media pages for the latest and greatest deals.) Cherry Hill Boutique in Traverse City is one

of the participating businesses:

For Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, Cherry Hill offers 20 percent off clothing and an extra 20 percent off sale, plus a promotion on their Brighton jewelry line.

“Downtown is a destination…people love to come down here to eat lunch, have a coffee, and shop all the boutiques,” says owner Annie Hill. “We’re super busy [that weekend] and those just promotions help move it along.”

In addition to their numerous shops, both Traverse City and Cadillac—and many others around northern Michigan— participate in downtown dollar gift certificate programs, which enable the purchaser to support the overall downtown and the recipient to choose one of their favorite locations to patronize.

No matter what you buy, Bukowski simply encourages folks to think local.

“We are fortunate that the Traverse City community genuinely embraces our downtown businesses,” says Bukowski. “That being said, we can never have enough local support! Small businesses live or die based on the support of those in their communities.”

Nov. 26 is Small Business Saturday. Learn more at americanexpress.com/us/smallbusiness/shop-small.

Photos courtesy of Downtown Traverse City

Photos courtesy of Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau

PADDINGTON GETS IN A JAM

SUN, JAN 29, 2023 - 3PM

In this original slapstick comedy, Paddington goes next door to help his neighbor. But, in typical Paddington fashion, nothing goes to plan. Will Paddington be able to fix everything before Great Aunt Matilda arrives?

BROADWAY BOUND!:

JAGGED LITTLE PILL

SAT, FEB 4, 2023 - 2PM

SOME SHOWS YOU SEE. THIS SHOW YOU FEEL.

Joy, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, LIFE—everything we’ve been waiting to see in a Broadway show—is here in the exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music. The Broadway Bound! package includes round-trip luxury motor coach to Wharton Center, on the campus of Michigan State University, premier Zone 1 ticket, gourmet boxed lunch,

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Community foundations encourage generosity this season

By Jillian Manning

In 2020, U.S. nonprofits and charitable organizations saw a record of $466.23 billion in charitable giving, largely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy—an arm of Indiana University—2021 topped the charts again with $484.85 billion. (Though, with inflation, that 2021 number was actually 0.7 percent behind its predecessor.)

November and December are typically the most popular month for charitable donations, but with a seesawing stock market, rising inflation, and a decline in urgency as nonprofit pandemic woes fade, what will giving look like this year?

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation (GTRCF) has served Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties for more than 30 years. They act as a connection point between donors and nonprofits, pooling resources to be distributed as grants and managing endowments and funds throughout the five-county region.

Dave Mengebier, the foundation’s president and CEO, says that so far, 2022 has been a touch behind pace for giving. “Through the third quarter, we’re approaching about [$1.5] million in gifts to the community foundation. … That is a little slower than we’ve seen in the last few years.”

Mengebier adds that recessions, economic downturns, and market volatility don’t usually have as big or immediate an impact on community foundations as they do on individual nonprofits, and that he’s optimistic that with the biggest giving months ahead, there’s still time to reach the foundation’s 20-year average of about $2.5 million in gifts.

Where does that money go? GTRCF has more than 340 funds, including 101 scholarship funds. This year alone, they’ve awarded $3.3 million in grants and scholarships throughout northern Michigan. Grant dollars support organizations geared toward the arts, health and human services, animal welfare, community development, the environment, education, and other areas of interest. There are also general community funds focused on each of the five counties that can address emerging needs other funds aren’t meeting, like attainable housing, youth mental health, or childcare.

One of the newer additions to the GTRCF portfolio is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund, which, since its inception in 2021, has given out more than $50,000 in grants to DEI-focused organizations, businesses, and programs. Another new endeavor took form this year, giving the foundation a chance to give more support to capital projects in NoMi with partners Venture North and Northern Initiatives.

“Our board of directors just adopted a new policy under which we’re going to carve out $2 million from our endowed portfolio for impact investing,” Mengebier says. “So this is making low cost capital available to small businesses and nonprofits across

the five-county region. … We’re not just investing on Wall Street; we’re investing on Main Street.”

This form of impact investing will have both social and financial return, according to Mengebier, who believes that investing in the small business community helps ensure northern Michigan has a viable economy.

The Otsego Community Foundation

The Otsego Community Foundation (OCF) also started a new fund this year, albeit one they never expected. After the May 20 tornado tore through parts of Gaylord and the surrounding area, OCF created the Tornado Response Fund, which has since received $1.5 million in donations and already granted $900,000 back into the community for everything from home repairs to temporary lodging to case management programs for survivors.

While shifting gears to disaster relief was a necessary move, OCF Executive Director Dana Bensinger said it came at a cost for the foundation and for other nonprofits in the region.

“At least 10 weeks of our year were all 100 percent focused on the tornado. It had to be, but that meant we weren’t doing the other things in our business. And especially some of our smaller nonprofits, they weren’t raising money to do their regular mission. So I’m super concerned about them moving forward,” she says.

The ripple effect is still being felt. Bensinger explains that in October, Otsego

County saw a spike in people experiencing homelessness as the weather changed. While this is the type of urgent need the foundation would usually work to support, they had spent their discretionary funds for the year and couldn’t reallocate money from other areas to address the issue.

When asked what she recommends to help make up funding gaps like that, Bensinger’s answer is simple: “I would just encourage people, if they love a nonprofit and are thinking about giving a gift, give unrestricted gifts so that organization can do whatever they need to do. … Right now, nonprofits need to be flexible and nimble.”

Bensinger adds that the best part about giving an unrestricted gift is that it allows a nonprofit or community foundation to “not only meet the ever changing needs [of a community], but capitalize on opportunities that can move us forward.”

Giving in 2022

So that brings us back around to the question of giving. Will 2022 shatter the charitable donation record once more?

CNBC reported in September that “despite economic uncertainty, some donors may be eyeing bigger gifts for 2022, according to a study from Fidelity Charitable,” a public charity connected to the financial institution. The study found that nearly 6 in 10 people were considering donating more this year because they were concerned about their communities and neighbors being under economic pressure.

Bensinger stresses that people should give to organizations they trust. If you’re new to giving or thinking about supporting a

nonprofit for the first time, she says monthly donations—even if it’s just $20 per month— can make an impact. She likens this style of giving to today’s popular subscription model and jokes it’s a great way to “date” an organization before deciding if you want to get serious with them.

She also recommends knowing what your dollars are doing and where they can make the biggest difference. “One of the beautiful things about community foundations is, because you’re working with many different donors, you have a collective impact,” she says.

Mengebier agrees. “I describe it as long after [we] are gone, those funds that are endowed will continue to be supporting organizations and causes that we care about. And it’s that sense of legacy and forever that is really what distinguishes community foundations from other types of philanthropy.”

Both say that if you love a particular nonprofit, give directly to them. (Though Mengebier notes that many foundations

have funds for specific nonprofits.) If you are more interested in a cause or area of impact, a community foundation could be a better fit for your donation.

To illustrate the concept, Bensinger likens a community foundation to a brick and mortar structure. The bricks are individuals, businesses, donors, nonprofits, and community groups, and the community foundation is the mortar that brings them together through investments, grants, and connections.

“In part, we’re here as a service to donors, large and small, who want to have impact,” Mengebier explains. “If we look around our five-county region, then we’d know virtually every nonprofit leader and nonprofit organization in the region. So when you want to have an impact on education, or social welfare and health, or youth and family programs, then we partner with you to help you ensure that your dollars are going to have the biggest impact that they can have.”

GTRCF’s Youth-Led Grantmaking Program

Looking beyond 2022, the next generation of nonprofit leaders are cutting their teeth on a grantmaking program offered by the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. The program allows youth in the region to “be decision makers for youth issues, needs, and opportunities” by reviewing grant applications and recommending grant awards.

We asked one of the program participants, high school junior Jürgen Griswold, a few questions about his experience.

Express: What has been the best part of the program so far?

Jürgen: The best part of the program for me is when we do site visits towards the end of the year. It is always great to see what the organizations do with the grants that we give them. I find it interesting to learn about the background of these programs, and with the site visits, you get to see what really happens rather than just hear it from them during the grantmaking process.

Express: What have you learned about your community by participating?

Jürgen: Being in this program I have learned about the problems that my community faces, and I am lucky that I have a chance to help fund programs that try to help with some of these problems. Some of the programs that stick out to me are ones that help with family grief or food pantries.

Express: What are you most excited about working on as the program progresses?

Jürgen: As the program progresses, I am excited to get more youth to join in. I love being able to teach them about what we do and watch as they learn and get excited about the whole process of grantmaking.

Express: Do you think the skills you’re learning in the program will help you in the future?

Jürgen: Not only does YAC teach us about philanthropy and giving back, but it also gives us real life experiences in grantmaking. We have to be able to communicate with the other members to come up with a decision on who to give money to, and I think that the ability to communicate your thoughts is a very important skill to have and will be useful to me in the future.

GTRCF's new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion fund supports organizations like Up North Pride, pictured here during the annual Pride March in downtown Traverse City. (Photo courtesy of Up North Pride)

GTRCF's Youth Advisory Council for Antrim County, a group of students engaged in learning the ins and outs of nonprofits in their region.

GIFTING FOR THE GREEN THUMB

Hundreds of houseplants await at TC’s I’m Planty AF

By Brighid Driscoll

Along with rattan furniture, shag carpet, and macrame, houseplants were a beloved part of many American households in the 1970s. Mid-century modern architecture had exploded decades prior, and interior designers were using houseplants to soften the straight lines while sticking to the concept of bringing the outside indoors.

Over the last several years, houseplants have become popular décor again, and it’s a trend worth keeping around. Beyond the satisfaction of looking after something green and living, there are stress-relieving, air-freshening, and brain-boosting benefits to keeping plants in your home. If you’re ready to take the plantowning plunge, downtown Traverse City shop I’m Planty AF offers inspired options.

“Last October, the space where Planty is now was the Bookie Joint,” owner Karen Hilt tells us as she motions around the store. “It was an iconic downtown shop that had been here for 50 years. Garret [Weslock] and I saw them put the sign in the window and just stopped and gave each other a look.”

Going Out on a Limb

Hilt and Weslock are no strangers to being business owners. They also own the popular downtown gift store My Secret Stash (MSS). “We opened My Secret Stash in 2014. That first year was consignment from different makers—some Traverse City-based, from the U.P., Detroit, and Grand Rapids. I worked seven days a week that first year. I’m grateful now to have a full staff,” Hilt says.

After the passing of her older sister, Hilt paid homage to her by selling a few air plants at MSS. “She and her wife had this huge, beautiful garden. I brought home some of her plants.” She placed them for sale upstairs

in MSS and was surprised when people were eager to buy them and asked about other plants. Hilt and Weslock started propagating and bringing in different plants from home. They also joined local Facebook page TC Plant Exchange, where plant trades happen regularly and knowledge is freely shared.

Hilt brought that welcoming vibe to the new venture, so if you struggle with your existing plants’ health, Hilt and the Planty staff encourage you to come by with questions. “I have a great staff that is super helpful and passionate about plants. They will come talk to you.”

In addition to a selection of plants in all shapes and sizes—from tall cacti to trailing plants to rare beauties—the shop also has a variety of cute plant-themed gifts and plant accessories. Books, pots, plant food, and more can be found alongside lush green leaves. And if Hilt doesn’t have something in stock, she’s happy to send folks to other plant stores.

“Plant tourism is a thing that’s happening,” she says. “I think I see it more because we’re Instagramming about our plant babies, but people will come in and be so excited that we have so many great plant stores. It’s something we should be embracing.”

Plant Parenthood

When it comes to finding the perfect plant for your household, Hilt says it is important to keep in mind that different houseplants have different temperaments. While some can go long days without water, others need frequent watering. Some varieties need plenty of sunlight, while some thrive in very little.

The go-to plant that Hilt recommends for beginners is a succulent. These lowmaintenance plants are well-loved for their varying shades of green leaves and adorable

small stature. They’re also easy to look after because they require very little water, as many succulent varieties originated in dry, desert-like climates. Hilt says their leaves determine when to water; soft leaves are usually an indicator that the succulent needs a watering. Aim to water them every other week spring through autumn, and once a month in the winter when they go dormant.

Ready for a little more? The shop hosts regular terrarium building classes. “We call it our terrarium bar, but it’s for building any plant. We do birthday parties with kids or adults, bridal parties, and team building. We have all the tools here, we walk you through what you need to do, and it’s a really fun way to break the ice.” Terrarium bar options are created based on budget and how much time you can dedicate to care.

Planty also offers live wall-building workshops at the shop, teaching you how to put together rows of attached planters filled with plants that will eventually grow over to look like a floating wall of greenery. “You can buy as many shelves as you want. They’re stackable. We can make a live wall as small or as large as you’d like,” Hilt says.

As we get closer to winter, Hilt recommends caring for your current houseplants by watering a little less, pausing fertilizer use, and moving them close to one another for added warmth. She says a few yellowed or dropped leaves are to be expected in the colder months, but if you start to run into more issues, pop into the store for expert advice.

“The most common complaint with plants is that the leaves turn brown or yellow around the edges. What does that mean? Easy: too much water, not enough water, too many nutrients, too little, too much light, or not enough. That’s the historical joke,”

she says with a laugh. “We’ll ask you some questions and see if we can’t figure it out.”

Find I’m Planty AF at 124 S. Union St. in Traverse City. (231)493-6440, implantyaf.com

The Secret Behind My Secret Stash

My Secret Stash is an easy go-to for unique, artisan-crafted gifts. Hilt sources many of her products from dozens of makers ranging from local to the Midwest, keeping up with seasons and trends while always having some classics and throwbacks in stock.

How does she do it? Experience: Before becoming a business owner, Hilt worked retail.

“For a while, I worked in high-end retail, making millions of dollars for other people,” she says. “When I quit that, I started working with artisans and galleries downstate, and they were all maker-focused spaces. One place was huge, with over 100 makers selling their items. They each rent their space to sell items and pay a commission to the house. We all took turns running the place in shifts. It was a collective. I did that for a long time, and when I opened Stash, that was the mindset I had going into it.”

From eclectic to heartwarming, Hilt has curated a store that makes gift-giving easy this holiday season. Fan favorites are socks, stickers, and an array of Michiganthemed gifts. Find the shop at 122 Cass St. in Traverse City or shop online at mysecretstash.com/collections.

Founded in 1882, Sleder's Family Tavern is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Michigan. We're famous for our locally sourced, 100% beef burgers, homemade fries, the coldest beer in town, and a nostalgic, fun, family-friendly atmosphere. Come make memories at Sleder's!

Flavors oF the season, noMi edition

You can definitely taste the difference with these local treats

By Northern Express Staff

There’s nothing more satisfying than making a list, checking it twice, and getting all your gifts purchased and wrapped before December hits. Actually, we can do you one better: Taste the Local Difference has done all the list work for you.

If you haven’t heard of Taste the Local Difference—a Traverse City born and bred nonprofit that has expanded to cover the rest of the state—odds are you’ve still encountered them throughout the years, whether at a farmers market or with one of their local food magazines.

The food consulting, media, and marketing agency is all about bringing local food to the fore, and this year they’ve put together a Michigan Local Gift Guide that’s full of locallymade food, drinks, and home goods—think mugs, bowls, candles, and more—to make your holiday shopping a breeze. You can find the full guide online at michiganlocalgiftguide.com, and we’ve pulled out a few special treats from NoMi makers you won’t want to miss.

FOR THE CHEF

There’s a little hair of the dog in Iron Fish Distillery’s breakfast kit ($70), making it the perfect choice for whoever is in charge of the grown-ups’ Christmas morning breakfast. Here’s what’s included: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup and Whiskey Barrel-Aged Honey from Iron Fish; Celebration Jam from Wee Bee Jammin (aka strawberry preserve jam with a touch of champagne); and a pancake/ waffle mix pack from Traverse City’s Modern Bird.

FOR THE FLAVOR FIEND

Great Lakes Tea & Spice of Glen Arbor sure knows how to put together a beautiful package. Their Tea and Spice Favorites Gift Box ($63.80) has a gorgeous presentation, complete with cinnamon sticks and star anise for a whiff of fall when you open the box. The pack includes two of their bestselling teas—Green Rooibos Sunsplash Herbal Blend and Maritime Mist: Earl Grey de la Crème—and two spice pouches. The Oaxacan Coffee Grill Rub is guaranteed to bring new flavor to everything from fish to filets, while the Honey Beads Crystallized Honey Sweetener replaces your Splenda in a heartbeat. (It also goes great on toast!)

FOR THE SPICY SNACKER

FOR THE VEGETARIAN

Being vegetarian means a lot of salad in your life. And while some greens are great, others are…well, lackluster. Be an iceberg lettuce hero for the veggie-eater in your life with the Fustini’s Dressing Jar Gift Set ($75). The kit features Champagne vinegar, Herbs de Provence olive oil, and a special collaborative Barrel-Aged Honey Vinegar made by Fustini’s and Iron Fish. Plus, the box comes with a bottle that has six different dressing recipes marked on the sides so you can pour, shake, and enjoy.

FOR THE WINE LOVER

Mari Vineyards of Old Mission Peninsula is offering three holiday wine trios, making it easy to pick the perfect bottles for friends and family with selective wine tastes. For sweet wine drinkers, opt for the Riesling trio, which includes Trocken, Halbtrocken, and Spätlese ($90). The Troglodyte trio has a red, white, and rosé for each palette ($80). Last, if you have a bubbly fan to shop for, try the Selection trio, which comes with a bottle of sparkling Simplicissimus and two Mari logo tumblers ($70)—the latter are much easier to wash than champagne flutes!

FOR THE GEAR HOUND

Have a friend who always has the coolest brands? Get them sporting some local logos with the insulated, stainless steel MiiR Camp Mug from Short’s Brewing Company ($29.95) and the stylish but sturdy Taste the Local Difference Market Tote ($20). Pro tip: Package one inside the other with a little tissue paper and your wrapping is done.

BYO chips and order the Salsa Favorites from Food for Thought of Traverse City ($27.50). Packed with fresh flavors, a touch of heat, and natural ingredients, these salsas will make you feel good about noshing on the couch and watching the game. Do a tasting and see which one wins your taste buds over: the peach, the chipotle bean and corn, or the hot cherry fireball.

One-StOp ShOpS fOr SeaSOnal GivinG

The Lake House, Poppy Things, and Compass Rose Outpost tick all the shopping boxes

By Rachel Pasche

When it comes to the holidays, what is intended as a time of joy and the affectionate exchanging of presents can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. How do you know where to go to find something unique for the people you love? Stress not: The local shops below are boasting shelves full of splendid sundries, uncommon articles, and gifts for everyone on your list.

THE LAKE HOUSE

403 Bridge Street in Charlevoix

Downtown Charlevoix is a magical place year-round, and there you’ll find The Lake House, a shop offering something memorable and unique at every visit.

Working with local artists and creators, owner Darsi Lee has curated a distinctive collection. Lee grew up in Charlevoix and strove to capture the elements of the town that make it so special, namely the relaxed style of lake living and the easy spirit that gives this area in northern Michigan its sparkle. The store feels like a cozy cottage, with welcoming wood floors and a warm ambiance.

Right now, the holiday tables are out front, replacing the nautical gifts that usually greet customers at the doors. Store manager Eric Huffman says the Christmas lights, décor, and games have already started to fly off the shelves. Also popular this time of year are items from brands like Mud Pie, Nora Fleming, and Michel Design Works.

The cutest gift of all? “We get a lot of requests for the gnomes that we have in here every year,” Huffman says. “We sell out in the gnomes before Christmas weekend every year.”

Huffman also points to a holiday ornament specifically designed for The Lake House as a go-to gift. “It is a glass ornament that is hand painted from the inside. It’s a very cool, unique item, and it’s a design of a Charlevoix sunset,” complete with a lighthouse and boat.

Meanwhile, copper wall art, elegant coasters, and locally-made teak cutting boards make for stellar gifts for any boat or cottage lover. Jewelry, knives, watches, and even wine stoppers crafted with the area’s signature Petoskey stone provide a way for people to bring the shores of Lake Michigan along with them anywhere they go. And shelves stocked with one-of-a-kind platters, puzzles, frames, children’s toys, and candles make it easy to shop for even the pickiest person on your list.

Learn more at thelakehousecharlevoix.com.

POPPY THINGS

326 N. St Joseph Street in Suttons Bay

Since opening its doors in 2019, Poppy Things has brought vibrant local creations to residents and visitors of Suttons Bay.

Owner Chelsey Skowronski works hard to ensure she carries products crafted by other Michigan artists and small businesses, giving back to the tightly-knit community. Skowronski graduated from the Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids and worked for a sustainable accessories company before taking the leap to start Poppy Things upon her move back to Leelanau County. The items in the store reflect Skowronski’s values of sustainability, supporting local talent, and lifting up other creators.

If there is a singular thread that connects all of the fun, whimsical, and practical items that Poppy Things carries, it is color. Bright hues and creative patterns come into play in the shop, whether that’s on Polish pottery and platters, hand-crafted tea towels (made by Skowronski herself), needle-punched throw pillows, or paintings from local artists.

Employees at the store recommend Michigan-made goodies like body care products from thistle + gray, winter headbands from By a Thread Designs, candles made in Lake Leelanau by FarmHouse Co., and pottery from Ignite Creative Studio and Schyler the Potter. On the seasonal side, don’t miss ornaments and holiday-scented dough-bowls from Applewood Candle Co.

Other popular items are wooden candle taper holders crafted by a nearby woodworker, stunning jewelry, and locally-made nail polish and lip balm (which make excellent stocking stuffers!).

You can even go abroad with your shopping, whether you’re looking for a genuine leather bag for Mom (fair trade and handmade in India) or a Scottish wool scarf for your best friend.

The list of one-of-a-kind gifts extends into whatever new and brilliant thing Skowronski decides to carry next, making Poppy Things the perfect place to find the elusive must-have you didn’t know you needed. It’s always worth a stop to explore the inventory that feels like your dream Pinterest board come to life.

Learn more at poppythings.com.

COMPASS ROSE OUTPOST

326 E. Front Street in Traverse City

Downtown Traverse City is home to many bustling storefronts from jewelers to fudge shops, with women’s boutiques and artisan olive oils alongside hat and shoe stores. But where do you find a little bit of everything? Try Compass Rose Outpost.

Owners Brad and Cat Richardson opened the store in 2019 under the name West Bay Handmade as a way to connect customers with local artists. Since the store opened its doors, Brad and Cat have been able to work

with over 150 local creators to fill their store with clothing, accessories, fun souvenirs, and gifts, as well as camping accessories, dry goods, and self-care products.

This summer, the store changed its name to Compass Rose Outpost, a move that the owners say better reflects the array of clothing, home goods, and accessories that accompanies their local selection. Cat says the duo “introduced many of [our] own personal favorite brands into [the] shop’s lineup to create a more stylized and curated inventory,” with carefully selected goods that

saturday

EARLIER THAN THE BIRD - BOYNE CITY: 7-11am, Downtown Boyne City. Early morning shopping event. You will receive special offers if you shop in your pajamas. boynecitymainstreet.com/main-street-events ----------------------

COPEMISH CRAFT SHOW: 8am-5pm, American Legion Post 531, Copemish. Do your holiday shopping! Lunch: $8 one or both days provided by American Legion Aux iliary. Free admission. facebook.com/events/ 1228801554644129/?ref=newsfeed ----------------------

7TH ANNUAL LAKE CITY HOLIDAY ARTI

SAN CRAFT MARKET: 9am-3pm, Lake City High School gym. Featuring 75+ crafter/arti san booths & lots of family fun. Free. face book.com/LCHACM

BOOK SALE: 9am-3pm, Alden District Li brary. Held in the Library during the TAAG Craft Show. Featuring books, DVDs, CDs & puzzles. 231-331-4318.

HOLIDAY ARTS & CRAFT SHOW: 9am3pm, Twp. Community Center, Alden. Pre sented by Torch Area Artisans Guild. Free door prizes, free admission.

HOLIDAY MARKET: 9am-1pm, Harbor Springs History Museum. Presented by the Harbor Springs Farmers Market & Harbor Springs Area Historical Society. Stock up on lo cal foods, gifts & artisan goods. 231-526-9771.

2ND ANNUAL SANTA’S WORKSHOP CRAFT & VENDOR EXPO!: The Ellison Place, Gaylord. 8-9:30am: Breakfast with Santa. 10am-3pm: Santa’s Workshop Craft & Vendor Expo! Along with The Home Depot Kids Workshop, Storytime with Santa, Pic ture with Santa, & more. $1. facebook.com/ events/458833369010620 ----------------------

ANNUAL FRIENDS & FAMILY EVENT: Downtown Suttons Bay. Shoppers will enjoy storewide discounts & sales at participat ing businesses. Also, help pack the pantry at Leelanau Christian Neighbors by bring ing non-perishable food & personal hygiene items to participating businesses.

DEER WIDOWS WEEKEND CRAFT SHOW: 10am-5pm, Indian River Masonic Lodge. Join Made in Cheboygan for a craft show featuring 30 vendors. Offering handmade jewelry, toys, hats, bath & body products & more. facebook. com/madeincheboygan

DOWNTOWN BELLAIRE HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: Downtown Bellaire. Gifts, holiday decor, food & drink. All day.

MERRY MARKETPLACE HOLIDAY FAIR: 10am-3pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. Enjoy shopping, workshops, artist dem onstrations & more. Each weekend fea tures a different group of artists & artisans. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-city/ merry-marketplace-holiday-fair-traverse-city

TC WEST SENIOR HIGH CRAFT SHOW: 10am-3pm, TC West Senior High. Over 90 vendors will be selling homemade goods in cluding holiday wreaths, knitted hats, soaps, lotions, food & much more. 231-218-1805.

POP-UP BOOK SALE: 11am, Glen Lake Library, Empire. Find gently used books at bargain prices. Free. glenlakelibrary.net

MAKE A GIFT WORKSHOP: 2-4pm, Inter lochen Public Library. All ages are welcome. This event combines Make a Gift & Make a Gift, Jr. craft supplies. Volunteers will be

available for kiddos, teens & adults to make a few gifts this holiday season. 231-2766767. Free.

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PRINCESS GALA: SOLD OUT: 4:30-7pm, Inn at Bay Harbor, Arlington Ballroom, lower level. Join seven Disney-inspired characters for a fairytale evening. Enjoy a dinner buffet, character performances, interactive activities, dancing, & meet-&-greets & photos with the characters. Dress-up & costumes encouraged. $49. innatbayharbor.com/events/princess-gala

HUNTER’S SUPPER: Summit City Grange, Kingsley. 5pm dinner; 7:30pm raffle. Ben efits Historical Summit City Grange Hall. $10 adults, $4 children.

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DOWNTOWN TC LIGHT PARADE, SANTA’S ARRIVAL & TREE LIGHTING: Head to Front St. for festivities beginning at 5:30pm, including caroling. The light parade begins at 6:30pm. downtowntc.com/downtown-light-parade

COMEDY FOR COMMUNITY: 6:30pm, The Truck Stop, 902 West 13th St., Cadillac. Pre sented by Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency (NMCAA) with Steve Sabo to raise awareness that homelessness is no laughing matter. All proceeds from this event will benefit the NMCAA Homeless Prevention Programs. Ticket price includes dinner & the show. $35/person. eventbrite.com/e/come dy-for-community-tickets-441014575467

NORTHERN MICHIGAN CHORALE PRES ENTS: HEARTLAND HOLIDAYS: 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. People from all over the northern counties join together to sing thanks to veterans, first responders, & health care workers for their continued support of community & country. The performance includes Christmas favor ites & a sing-along. $12-$15. greatlakescfa. org/events/detail/heartland-holidays ----------------------

“THE KITCHEN WITCHES”: 7:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Theater, Petoskey. Presented by Little Traverse Civic Theatre. Isobel Lomax & Dolly Biddle are two “ma ture” cable-access cooking show hostesses who have hated each other for thirty years, ever since Larry Biddle dated one & married the other. $20 adults; $10 students under 18. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ourtheater-little-traverse-civic-theatre-presentskitchen-witches

COMEDY WITH SAL DEMILLO: 7:30pm, Tra verse City Comedy Club, TC. Sal tackles sub jects such as his Italian family, culture, sports, & technology with equal agility, taking angles you never considered but instantly identify with. $20-$25. traversecitycomedyclub.com

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. SpongeBob & all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. A musical based on the animated series with songs provided by a host of popular music luminaries. Adults, $28; youth under 18, $15 (plus fees). tickets. oldtownplayhouse.com/TheatreManager/1/ login&event=407

TRAVERSE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MAESTRO SERIES: 7:30pm, Historic Barns Park, The Cathedral Barn, TC. A duo guitar concert featuring concert guitarists Matthew Cochran & Michael Kudirka. $49. travers esymphony.org

sunday

DEER WIDOWS WEEK END CRAFT SHOW: (See Sat., Nov. 19, except today’s time is 10am-3pm.)

231-582-2588.

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY TEA: 1-3pm, Staf ford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey. Children of all ages can enjoy festive activities with princi pal performers of the Crooked Tree Arts Cen ter School of Ballet’s “The Nutcracker.” Each reservation includes tea or lemonade, sweet & savory treats, tea sandwiches, a reading of “The Nutcracker” story & a ticket to a per formance of “The Nutcracker.” Tea for two: $90; additional guest: $45. crookedtree.org/ event/ctac-petoskey/sugar-plum-fairy-tea-1 ----------------------

“OLD INDIAN TRAILS” & KCHI WIIKWE DONG ANISHINAABE HISTORY PROJECT: 2-4pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. This update on the Kchi Wiikwedong Anishinaabe History Project will include a summary of research & project activities to date. Project Coordi nator Emily Modrall will also discuss several specific topics in regional nineteenth-century history, including the ‘Old Indian Trails’ in the Grand Traverse area. The goal of the proj ect is to bring more attention & awareness to the existing trail markers & to the broader Anishinaabe history of this region. Free. tadl. org/event/traverse-area-historical-society-5

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: (See Sat., Nov. 19, except today’s time is 2pm.)

JAZZ (LATE) BRUNCH W/ BILL SEARS QUARTET WSG BOB JAMES: 3pm, GT Circuit, TC. Featuring Chateau Chantal wine & food from Edson Farms. For reservations email: gtcircuitjazz@gmail.com $20 sug gested donation.

NMC CHILDREN’S CHOIRS FALL CON CERT: 3-5pm, Lars Hockstad Auditorium, TC. Enjoy holiday songs from around the world. $8-$13. nmc.edu/programs/

academic-programs/music/concert-dates. html#smtx-click

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN CHORALE PRES ENTS: HEARTLAND HOLIDAYS: (See Sat., Nov. 19, except today’s time is 3pm.)

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TRAVERSE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MAESTRO SERIES: (See Sat., Nov. 19, ex cept today’s time is 3pm.)

monday

KID’S CRAFT LAB: OJIBWE SHOULDER BAGS: 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Mu seum, TC. Nov. is Native American Heritage Month, & kids will be in troduced to traditional Ojibwe bead work de signs by decorating a Ojibwe Bandolier bag with crayons or markers. greatlakeskids.org

tuesday

STORYTIME ADVEN TURES: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Chil dren’s Museum, TC. Fea turing “I’m A Turkey” by Jim Arnosky. Sign up when you reserve your at tendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org ----------------------

CWIB LUNCHEON: 11:30am-1pm, Odawa Hotel, Petoskey. Featuring a panel dis cussion with Women Leaders of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. In cludes Chairperson Regina Gasco-Bentley, Legislative Leader Emily Proctor & Health Director Jody Werner. $30 CWIB members;

After nearly three years of concert shutdowns, Freshwater Concerts are back! High energy Americana blue grass band The David Mayfield Parade will hit the Freshwater Art Gallery stage in Boyne City on Sat., Nov. 26 at 8pm. This band has appeared on the David Letterman Show and toured with The Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons. Tickets, $35.

$35 all others. Includes a buffet lunch. peto skeychamber.com/events/details/cwib-lun cheon-november-22-2022-28572

wednesday

INTERNATIONAL SPEAK ER SERIES: WINTER IS COMING: RUSSIA, UKRAINE AND US: 10am, NCMC, Library Conference Center, Petoskey. Featuring Scott LaDeur, who holds a PhD in political science from the School of Public and Global Affairs at Northern Illinois University focusing on In ternational Relations & American Politics. He will speak about how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has greatly strained the global economy, weakened food supplies & affect ed European countries dependents on Rus sian energy. Where is this conflict headed as 2023 dawns? Free. ncmclifelonglearning. com/event-5028610

THANKSGIVING DINNER COMMUNITY MEAL: 11:30am-2pm, The Salvation Army Community Center, 1239 Barlow St., TC. A traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings will be served dine-in or to-go. Free. centralusa.salvationarmy.org/TraverseCity

WALLOON LAKE VILLAGE’S ANNUAL VILLAGE LIGHTING: 5-8pm, The Talcott & Downtown Walloon. In the Village, enjoy live performances from the Petoskey Steel Drum Band, live reindeer, local vendor shopping, & a visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus. There will be complimentary cookie decorating at the WLAC, free hot chocolate from Sweet Tooth, cash bar at The Talcott, create an ornament at 50 Mile Market, & more. The Lighting Cer

emony takes place outside at 6:30pm. Free. ----------------------

THANKS FOR THE GIVING BASH: 6:3011pm, Traverse City Comedy Club, TC. For 21 & up. Live music by Kevin B. Klein, Car rie Westbay, Derailed, & A She DC. $5 of every ticket sold is donated to the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan, Inc. $20. traversecitycomedyclub.com

thursday

UP NORTH MEDIA TURKEY TROT: 8:45am, 123 E. Eleventh St., TC. Featur ing a 5K Run/Walk & 5 Mile Flier. Before Oct. 31: $35 for 5K; $40 for 5 Mile Flier. Prices increase af ter Oct. 31. runsignup.com/Race/Events/MI/ TraverseCity/TraverseCityTurkeyTrot ----------------------

GOBBLE GOBBLE WATCH US WOBBLE WALK: 9am, Running Fit, 300 E. Front St., Ste. 103, TC. Burn off some Thanksgiving calories with a fun walk through downtown TC. 932-5401.

KIWANIS BOYNE CITY TURKEY TROT: 9am, Veterans Park Pavilion, Boyne City. Featuring a 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk. All proceeds benefit the Kiwanis Club of Boyne City Foundation ac count. $30. runsignup.com/Race/MI/BoyneC ity/KiwanisBoyneCityTurkeyTrot

TURKEY VULTURE TROT 5K & 1-MILE

FUN RUN: Crystal Mountain, Mountain Cen ter Road course, Thompsonville. The 5K be gins at 9am, & the 1-Mile Fun Run begins at 10am. Pre-register online through Nov. 23: $25 for 5K & $10 for 1-Mile Fun Run. Day-of: $40, $25. A portion of the proceeds benefit

North Sky Raptor Sanctuary. crystalmoun tain.com/event/5k-turkey-vulture-trot

YMCA TURKEY TROT 2022: 9am, Penn sylvania Park, Petoskey. Individual - 5K: $30. Family of 2 - 5K: $50. Family of 4 - 5K: $80. runsignup.com/Race/MI/Petoskey/ YMCATurkeyTrot2021?aflt_token=vkmwDm weQ4iCYn8otSOOnKQ3vCO8buOw

FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER: Noon2pm, Old Mission Peninsula United Meth odist Church, TC. Take-out is available. 231-223-4393. All are welcome. oldmission peninsulaumc.org ----------------------

FRIENDSGIVING: St. Joseph Catholic Church, East Jordan. Games & snacks at 1pm. Dinner at 2pm.

friday

GLEN ARBOR PAJAMA

PARTY SALE & BED PA

RADE: 7-9am, Downtown Glen Arbor. Wear your pa jamas & enjoy special sales with participating local merchants for a “Bet ter than Black Friday” shopping experience. The Bed Parade follows from 9-9:30am down part of Western Ave. visitglenarbor. com/event/pj-party-2022

LELAND HOLIDAY EARLY BIRD SALES: 8am-5pm, Downtown Leland. Early bird dis counts will be offered at select shops between 8-10am & sales continue all day long. Fill out your holiday wish lists at Leland shops - your family & friends will love a little hint!

CIRCLE OF GIVING DAY: 10am-4pm, Tin

ker Studio, TC. Tinker Studio will be donat ing 10% of their sales from this day to one lo cal charity (Father Fred) & one global charity (World Central Kitchen). facebook.com/even ts/469156948529598/?ref=newsfeed

STORYTIME ADVENTURES: (See Tues., Nov. 22)

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CHARLEVOIX HOLIDAY PARADE & TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION: 3-6pm, Down town Charlevoix. Enjoy a holiday craft & pho tos with Santa from 3-5pm, Hot Cocoa in the Park at 5pm, Holiday Parade at 5:30pm, & Tree Lighting at 6pm. business.charlevoix. org/events/details/holiday-parade-tree-light ing-celebration-14096

BENZIE COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMAN ITY FESTIVAL OF TREES: 4-6pm, Benzie County Historical Museum & Outdoor Pa vilion, Benzonia. View the decorated trees, wreaths & table decorations in person or online this year; the silent auction will take place online only. Benzie County’s Habitat for Humanity will receive 100% of the pro ceeds from this year’s event. benziehabitat. org/fundraising ----------------------

FIRST LIGHT CELEBRATION: 5pm, Crys tal Mountain, Thompsonville. Happening during the Holiday Trail Celebration. San ta will kick off the festivities at 5pm with a Horse Drawn surrey ride down Crystal Mountain Drive starting from Kinlochen. He’ll hop off at the Crystal Center & make his way over to Barr Park to help light the tree at 5:30pm. crystalmountain.com/ event/first-light

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HOLLY JOLLY BOYNE: 5-9pm, Downtown Boyne City. Businesses will offer shopping,

209A Howard St Petoskey, MI 49770 www.aprespetoskey.com

refreshments & more. The night begins with a tree lighting ceremony by the Girl Scouts & the Santa Parade starts at 6pm. boynecity mainstreet.com/main-street-events

LIGHT UP CEDAR: 5-7pm. Celebrate the holiday season in Cedar with a Christmas Tree Lighting, Santa pictures, a DJ, live rein deer & more. Free. cedarmichamber.com/ event/light-up-cedar

DOWNTOWN GAYLORD’S SANTA PA RADE: 6pm, Downtown Gaylord. Begins near Rite Aid on Main St. & will end at the Pavilion. Following the parade, visit with Santa & listen to carolers under the Pavilion. There is also an interactive Christmas Lego activity from 4-8pm behind 5/3 Bank.

LIGHT UP LELAND FOR THE HOLIDAYS: 6pm, Downtown Leland. Leland will light its community Christmas tree this evening fol lowed by a fire engine processional to the Vil lage Green where you can enjoy the lights, caroling, treats & time with Santa & Mrs. Claus. ----------------------

PIZZA & PIPES: 6pm, The Music House Mu seum, Williamsburg. A pizza dinner & a con cert from Red Wings organist, Dave Calen dine, on the ‘Mighty Wurlizter’ theater organ. $15-$30. musichouse.org/upcoming-events

GLEN ARBOR TREE LIGHTING & CAROL SING-A-LONG & HOLIDAY MARKETPLACE: Glen Arbor Townhall. Tree lighting, 6:15pm; Holiday Marketplace, 6:30-8:30pm. glenarbor township.com/glen-arbor-holiday-marketplace

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: (See Sat., Nov. 19)

saturday

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: (See Sat., Nov. 19) -------------

ANTRIM SKI ACADEMY’S 27TH ANNUAL EQUIP MENT & CLOTHING SALE: 9am-3pm, Shanty Creek Resort, Summit Village, Lakev iew Hotel, Grand Ballroom, Bellaire. Featur ing new & used ski & snowboard equipment & clothing. If you have anything to sell, you may drop off these items at the swap loca tion on Fri., Nov. 25 from 5-8pm & again from 8-10am on Sat., Nov. 26. Unsold items &/or payment(s) for sold items may be picked up between 3-5pm on Sat. Antrim Ski Academy retains 20% of the selling price of all items sold, as a commission for selling the items. Proceeds from this year’s swap will benefit the Great North Academy High School Ski Team & the Antrim Ski Academy lesson pro grams. For more info call: 231-676-2493.

HOLLY BERRY ART & CRAFTS FAIR: 9am3pm, Frankfort High School. A suggested $2 donation will be collected when you enter the show. All paid entries receive a free $1 raffle ticket (until 2pm) for the vendor raffle. Kids 15 & under are free. Take a complimentary horsedrawn carriage ride departing from Frankfort High School from 11am-1pm. Visit with Santa & Mrs. Claus. It’s also Shop Local Saturday. cca. frankfort-elberta.com/EvtListing.aspx

NORTHPORT TREE LIGHTING FESTIVI-

TIES: All day: Northport Nutcrackers. When touring town, check out the life size hand paint ed nutcrackers. Gingerbread House Competi tion: Northport Creek Golf Course Clubhouse. Competition & voting today. On display Dec. 3, 10, 17 & 24. Holiday Wreath Making at North port Pub & Grille from 1-3pm. Horse-drawn carriage rides from 3:30-6:30pm. Santa Beard Competition at Find North at 4pm. Tree light ing: 6pm. Plus much more! northportnutcrack ers.com/tree-lighting-festivities

GLEN ARBOR HOLIDAY MARKETPLACE & SANTA: Glen Arbor Townhall. Holiday Marketplace: 10am-3pm. Meet Santa: 11am1:30pm. glenarbortownship.com/glen-arborholiday-marketplace

HOLIDAY ARTS & CRAFTS SALE: 10am4pm, Northport Village Arts Building & Wil lowbrook Mill.

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COFFEE WITH THE AUTHORS BOOK DIS CUSSION: 11am, Glen Arbor Arts Center. Leelanau County writers Jacob Wheeler & Anne-Marie Oomen talk about their newly pub lished nonfiction books: “Angel of the Garbage Dump” by Wheeler & “As Long As I Know You” by Oomen. Free. glenarborart.org/events/cof fee-with-the-authors-book-discussion

SUTTONS BAY HOLIDAY IN THE VIL LAGE: The stores will be decorated & fea ture gifts you can shop for. 11am-5pm: Vil lage-Wide Scavenger Hunt, $10 per group. Prizes! 12-2pm: Meet Santa’s Reindeer, make ornaments & help decorate the Village tree. 2-2:30pm: Caroling led by Suttons Bay Public School Choir. 2:30pm: Santa arrives by antique fire truck. The fire truck will be parked on Jefferson St. & available for pho tos. Free. suttonsbayarea.com/holidays

BENZIE COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMAN ITY FESTIVAL OF TREES: (See Fri., Nov. 25, except today’s times are 12-6pm.)

MEET SANTA’S REINDEER: 4-6pm, Around the Corner Food & Fun, Northport. Free.

2ND ANNUAL EAST JORDAN MINGLE & JINGLE & JUBILEE OF TREES FOR 501C3’S: The Lighting of the Community Tree with visitors singing holiday carols will be held in downtown East Jordan at 4:30pm. From 5-7pm the 2nd Annual Jubilee of Trees for 501C3’s will showcase 25 decorated trees & 5 gift baskets for a silent auction at The Boathouse. There will be special sales at participating East Jordan businesses & it is Small Business Sat urday. 231-536-7351

DOWNTOWN PETOSKEY ACTIVITIES & HOLIDAY PARADE: “Light Up the Night” with family activities - cookie decorating, letters to Santa & more - in Pennsylvania Park at 5pm, followed by a festive evening parade.

HOLIDAY ILLUMINATION & OPEN HOUSE: 5:30-7:30pm, Downtown Alden.

HARBOR SPRINGS CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING: 6pm, Downtown Harbor Springs. Santa will ride up right outside the theatre to meet & greet the kids. Also available this year, Santa’s mailbox will be located at the Lyric Threatre.

MITTEN SMITTEN: EARTH RADIO & CHARLIE MILLARD: 7:30-9:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Theater, Petoskey. Presented by CTAC & Blissfest Music Organization. Grand Rapids group Earth Radio brings elements of funk, rock, soul & progressive jazz. Opening act Charlie Millard has developed a unique sound, voice & thought-provoking lyrics/poetry of his own, with tones of an indie-Americana style that is reminiscent of a 60s/70s’ folk-rock singer/songwriter. $15. crookedtree.org/event/ ctac-petoskey/mitten-smitten-earth-radiocharlie-millard

FRESHWATER CONCERTS: THE DAVID MAYFIELD PARADE: 8pm, Freshwater Art Gallery, Boyne City. This Americana blue grass band has appeared on the David Letterman Show & toured with The Avett Brothers & Mumford and Sons. Tickets: 231582-2588. $35.

sunday

BENZIE COUNTY HABI TAT FOR HUMANITY FES

TIVAL OF TREES: (See Fri., Nov. 25, except today’s times are 12-3pm.)

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THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: (See Sun., Nov. 20)

helping hands

HARVEST FOOD & SUPPLY DRIVE: Held at Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michi gan & Gold Mine Resale Shops, Petoskey. Help support survivors & their family members who utilize Safe Home Services. The Safe Home is operated 24/7 by Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan. It is a caring, se cure & supportive place to seek refuge from domestic abuse & sexual assault when home is not a safe place to live. Grocery or super market gift card donations & financial contribu tions help Safe Home staff purchase exactly what is needed at any given time. Nonperish able donations are also accepted. wrcnm.org/ get-involved/safe-home-needs

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PRESTON FEATHER’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY

FOOD DRIVE: Bring non-perishable or canned goods to any of Preston Feather’s four loca tions: Harbor Springs, Petoskey, Gaylord & TC by Dec. 16. Donations go to local food pantries to help families across northern Michigan.

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GLEN LAKE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY’S 24TH ANNUAL CHILDREN’S BOOK DRIVE: Cottage Book Shop, Glen Arbor. Nov. 19 - Dec. 17. The Friends of Glen Lake Community Library join forces with Glen Lake Schools to provide new books for

families & children who are in need of assis tance this holiday season. The wish list can be found at Glen Lake Community Library & Cottage Book Shop. The Cottage Book Shop will give a 20% discount for books bought for the book drive & will wrap the books & take them to the library. 231-334-4223.

TOYS FOR TOTS: Help “stuff the bus” –Health Department of Northwest Michigan’s (HDNW) mobile unit. Gifts needed for ages 10+: 26-in. bikes, personal hygiene kits, wal lets, costume jewelry, Legos & Cocomelon, Nerf guns, Mega blocks, hairdryers, curling irons & hair scrunchies, & lotions & body wash. Unwrapped gifts may be dropped into the Toys for Tots collection boxes at HDNW’s Bellaire (209 Portage Dr.), Charlevoix (220 W. Garfield), Harbor Springs/Petoskey (3434 M-119, Ste A, Harbor Springs), & Gaylord (95 Livingston Blvd.) offices. Donations should be made by noon, Weds., Nov. 30.

ongoing

GREAT DECISIONS IN THE LIBRARY: Leelanau Township Library, Northport. Runs for eight Tuesdays from 1:30-3:30pm through Nov. 29. Great Decisions is Amer ica’s largest discussion program on world affairs. Class materials provided. Register. leelanautownshiplibrary.org/news-events/ lib-cal/great-decisions-in-library

BELLAIRE WINTER FARMERS MARKET: Fridays, 9am-noon, Nov. 11 – May 12. Held at 3 locations: Bee Well Mead & Cider, Short’s Brewing Co., & Terrain, Bellaire. ----------------------

THE VILLAGE INDOOR FARMERS MAR KET: Saturdays, 10am-2pm through Dec. 17. The Village at GT Commons, Mercato, TC. Fresh produce, eggs, pastries, honey, jams & more. thevillagetc.com

art3RD ANNUAL ART TREE SHOW: Higher Art Gallery, TC. More than 15 local & nation al artists. Small works of art displayed on the Art Tree. Runs Nov. 15 - Dec. 24. higherart gallery.com ----------------------

JRAC GIFT MARKET: Jordan River Arts Council, East Jordan, Nov. 13 - Dec. 17. Fea turing gifts for giving by local artists, including paintings, collages, jewelry, baskets, cards & Christmas decorations. jordanriverarts.com

CHARLEVOIX CIRCLE HOLIDAY MAR KET: Charlevoix Circle of Arts, Nov. 18Dec. 30. Closed Sundays. A festive, hand made, shopping experience featuring more than 40 local artists & makers. There will be a German-style holiday Christkindl Festival on Sat., Dec. 3 from 12-5pm. There will be food, drinks, live music by the Foghorn Jazz Band, CMHS Performing Arts students, & The Significant Others, plus children’s cook ie decorating, face painting, a visit from San ta & more. charlevoixcircle.org/exhibits-2022

SMALL WORKS HOLIDAY EXHIBIT: Glen Arbor Arts Center. An annual showcase of 2D + 3D work that offers small, original art at affordable prices; $150 or less. Runs Nov. 4 through Dec. 15, & features over 100 works of art, 12 x 12 or smaller, by 17 artists work ing in mixed media, collage, paper, painting, wood, clay & photography. glenarborart.org ----------------------

SHIPWRECKS OF THE MANITOU PAS SAGE EXHIBIT: Runs through Dec. 30 at Leelanau Historical Society Museum, Le land. This exhibit illustrates the stories of the ships, steamers & crews lost in the Manitou Passage, the waters that surround the Lee lanau Peninsula & its islands. leelanauhis tory.org/exhibits

CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOS KEY:

- TOGETHER THROUGH ART: CROOKED TREE PAINTERS’ STUDIO EXHIBITION: Runs through Dec. 22 in Atrium Gallery. The CT Painters’ Studio aims to encourage ar tistic expression in all media & at all levels. crookedtree.org/article/ctac-petoskey/artexhibitions

- HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Held in Galleries from Nov. 22 - Dec. 20. Shop hundreds of unique handmade gifts & works of art. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-petoskey/holiday-bazaarpetoskey-opens-november-22 ----------------------

DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC:

- “JASON S. YI: DISSIMULATIONS”: Runs through Dec. 23. Jason S. Yi is an interdisci plinary artist working in photography, video, sculpture, drawing, & site-specific installations. Immigrating from South Korea to the United States at an early age, his work is conceived through a bi-cultural lens & interrogates the no tion of perception’s equivalence to reality.

- 2022 ANNUAL CAPE DORSET PRINT COLLECTION: Runs through Nov. 27. In this collection of 34 prints by 15 artists, there is a diverse array of themes & techniques that showcase each artist’s individual voice.

- INFINITE SPLENDOR, INFINITE LIGHT: Runs through Dec. 23. Two years after graduating from DePauw University in 1953, Bruce Walker became a case officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. As a CIA officer, Walker participated in the Tibetan resistance project (code name ST CIRCUS) in its earli est stages, only six years after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibet & captured the capital city of Lhasa. In 2002, Walker donated his 66-piece collection of Ti betan thangkas, works on paper, & religious objects to DePauw University. dennosmuse um.org/art/now-on-view/index.html

Not Your Job

Mary K. Brown, 38, of Durand, Wisconsin, was charged with physical abuse of an elder person after she performed surgery on a man under her care, WQOW-TV reported. Brown was working as a hospice nurse at Spring Valley Health and Rehab Center, where she cared for a patient suffering from severe frostbite on his feet. On May 27, Brown took it upon herself to remove the victim's right foot -- without a doctor's order or permission. Another nurse, who held the victim's hand during the procedure, said he was moaning and squeezing her hand, and he told yet another nurse that he felt everything, and it hurt very bad. Brown told one nurse that her family has a taxidermy shop and she intended to preserve the foot and put it on display with a sign saying, "Wear your boots, kids." She is due in court on Dec. 6.

Bummer

College dreams were scattered across a highway in El Paso, Texas, on Oct. 28 when a UPS truck lost its load of SAT tests that had been completed on Oct. 27 at El Paso High School, KTSM-TV reported. Senior class vice president Santiago Gonzalez said the school called a meeting to discuss the lost tests. All but 55 of them were recovered; the College Board is working with those students to set a retest date. Student body president Zyenna Martinez is worried about identity theft: "(The tests) have all of our identification and information ... where we live, our address, our date of birth ... and it stinks because our identity is out there right now."

Two Weirds for the Price of One TSA officers at the Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport made a "hen you believe it?" (their pun, not ours) discovery on Nov. 8 as they screened luggage: a pistol stuffed inside a raw chicken. The Associated Press reported that both raw meat and firearms are allowed on airplanes -- just not packed together. TSA posted a photo of the bang-bang chicken on its Instagram account but did not identify the traveler or whether it made any arrests.

Goals

Alexander Tominsky, 31, of Philadelphia invited the public to assemble and watch him eat an entire rotisserie chicken -- for the 40th day in a row, The New York Times reported. Dubbed "The Chicken Man," Tominsky placed fliers around Philly to advertise his consumption of the 40th bird, and dozens of people showed up at a pier on the Delaware River on Nov. 6 to watch. "Eat that bird!" they chanted. And he did. Why? He told the Times that much of the world is in pain, so he needed to do something painful to himself that would make others smile. After 40 days of cramping and bloating, Tominsky was looking forward to a sushi dinner.

Unclear on the Concept

As 61-year-old James Hodges, who is legally blind, walked down the street in Columbia County, Florida, on Oct. 31, Deputy Jayme Gohde noticed the walking stick folded up in Hodges' back pocket and thought it was a gun. She stopped him and handcuffed him after he refused to produce his ID. But, The Washington Post reported,

she and her sergeant learned he had no outstanding warrants and he clearly wasn't armed, so she was prepared to release him. Then Hodges asked for her name and badge number, and her sergeant said, according to body cam footage, "You know what, put him in jail for resisting." On Nov. 7, charges against Hodges were dropped; on Nov. 8, Sheriff Mark Hunter announced that the sergeant had been demoted and Gohde was suspended for two days without pay. Both will receive remedial civil rights training.

What's the Point?

Japanese convenience store Lawson is testing a new candy that tastes like emptiness, Oddity Central reported. "Aji no Shinai? Ame," or "Tasteless? Candy," apparently has a slight odor but almost no flavor. The makers are hoping that people who use candy just to keep their mouths and throats moist will appreciate the flavorless variety.

One Man's Trash ...

German collector Alexander Smoljanovic is on the hunt for a special item to complete his collection, Metro News reported. Smoljanovic wants a purple Sulo 240-liter wheeled trash can, available only in the United Kingdom, to round out his collection of more than 100 full-size wheelies. "I have miniatures and real wheelie bins from USA, Australia, France, U.K. and Germany. Almost every color is available. The most valuable colors are purple, gold, silver and transparent," he said. He hopes for a donation, but he's willing to pay for the elusive purple wheelie. "Some people tell me, 'Now I consider my wheelie bin from another angle.'"

Look, Up in the Sky!

Dustin Procita lives in rural northern California among cattle ranches and farms. On the evening of Nov. 4, Procita "heard a big bang. I started to smell smoke and I went onto my porch and it was completely engulfed in flames," he told KCRA-TV. Procita saved one of his two dogs from the fire, which he believes was caused by a meteorite landing on his house. Video taken by people nearby shows a bright ball of light falling from the sky; the Taurid meteor showers were happening in that area when the fire occurred. Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before getting it under control. Procita said he might have to buy a lottery ticket: "They said it's a 1-in-4 trillion chance."

Least Competent Criminals

Two unnamed thieves stole merchandise from the Ross Dress for Less store in Springfield, Missouri, on Nov. 5, KY3-TV reported. They apparently then hopped into two separate cars to make their getaway -and crashed into each other. Police said the suspects tried to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended; they'll face misdemeanor theft charges.

A man caught running out of a Vons supermarket in La Verne, California, on Nov. 8 with a cart full of Tide liquid laundry detergent turned out to be a murder suspect, KTLA-TV reported. Police arrested the unnamed man, who had 20 bottles of the soap, and then realized he had a $2 million warrant out for his arrest. The detergent was returned to the store.

Mary

Now Playing Up North A New Take on Dickens

Local entertainer and magician Ben Whiting might not be the person he is today without Charles Dickens. At the age of 18, his life took a new direction after he experienced an elegant, simple production of A Christmas Carol in Atlanta. The power of both the story and the performances made such an impact on him that it started a lifelong passion for storytelling, which took him to training in Chicago, then living and working in Traverse City, and now touring and performing internationally as an actor and speaker.

But this time of year, it’s always Dickens that returns to Whiting’s mind, not unlike the Ghost of Christmas Past. Whiting has been wrestling with the famous text for over 10 years and has adapted versions for seven, then three actors. For a twist—and for one performance only—this year he’ll be

Parallel 45 Theatre, of which Whiting is a founding member. Artistic Director Kit McKay directs the family-friendly event. The $75 ticket includes appetizers from Sugar2Salt catering and an open bar of wine and beer. (Children 12 and under are $15.)

A festive holiday atmosphere will be intentionally set, as Whiting’s tradition is based on Dickens himself, who performed a version of A Christmas Carol live over a hundred times in his life.

“Dickens always started off his public readings by asking the audience to imagine that they were in a living room sitting around a Christmas fire to hear a tale told. And he would invite them to be a part of it and give expression to their emotions,” Whiting explains. “He wanted audiences to

“Dickens always started off his public readings by asking the audience to imagine that they were in a living room sitting around a Christmas fire to hear a tale told. And he would invite them to be a part of it and give expression to their emotions,” Whiting explains.

performing all the story’s characters while also leading the narration in a new one-man special, A Christmas Carol in Prose.

“I just keep trying to distill it into its pure essence,” Whiting says.

What keeps him fascinated with the nostalgic allegory that has become one of the most wellknown stories in the English language? “The emotional truths are always there, you know, when we can see the world from other people’s perspectives. When we can identify with someone else’s story, we care for them,” he adds.

Taking place on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 6pm at Historic Barns Park in Traverse City, Whiting’s evening of oratory and magical touches will offer a brisk, one-hour retelling of the classic tale to benefit the nonprofit

go on the journey with him, and I do too!”

Whiting’s passion for Dickens is contagious and serious, honed over years of script work, inspiration from research and books, and revisiting recordings and adaptations. This performance is part of a process of playwriting that began decades earlier, and he’s glad to be returning to Parallel 45 Theatre, which produced his very first version of A Christmas Carol in 2012.

Whiting adds, “When I read the original texts from start to finish, I get the exact same goosebumps, and I can feel the hairs coming up on my arms. Certain moments are just a fountain of emotional truths.”

Visit parallel45.org for tickets and more information.

by Joseph Beyer

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

You don’t need to be familiar with every hit in the canon of bizarro songs that combine pop with counterculture in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story in order to enjoy it, but if you are, this might become one of the favorite films of your Gen-X life.

That’s not just because it’s an explosion of so many comedic Easter egg cameos you could make a magic omelet, but also because Yankovic and his merry band of pranksters have created an incredibly sweet and original flip on the tropes and genre of biopics. Rather than mere parody, it’s as close to a singular fingerprint as cinematically possible.

The story of a rise (or fall—it’s hard to decipher) to fame begins where all historical biographies are obliged to: with the childhood beginnings of the subject, Al Yankovic. He’s just your average polka-loving American rebel born to parents who can’t understand his quirky fascination with radio comedy, Mad magazines, and vibrant, multi-colored Hawaiian shirts…all of which he’s forced to literally hide in his closet until fate forces him to fight back against his family and chase his dreams, wherever they may lead.

If, at this early point in the 1 hour and 48 minute comedy available free through Roku, you are not laughing out loud in WTF curiosity, you can turn it off with no financial regrets. Hang on, and you will be rewarded with a narrative that not only celebrates the actual creativity of its subject, but becomes a mantra for weirdness and creativity itself.

The film’s second act welcomes actor Daniel Radcliffe to the story taking over as Al, and it’s hard to overstate just how much of the film belongs to him. He not only perfectly portrays the hero from here on, but goes head to head with the real Yankovic onscreen in a Fellini-esque Metaverse that almost makes them one in the same body.

With encouragement from friends, Al slowly learns to play his accordion proudly, and, in fits of manic genius, starts replacing the lyrics to famous songs with those that make him laugh. (And, as he sees it, makes them “better.”)

The world agrees, and with early hits like “My Bologna” to the tune of “My Sharona” and the profound redux of Queen’s “Another One Rides the Bus,” Al’s star begins a global rise and ultimately changes the course of musical history forever.

Hollywood comes calling quickly, and you’ll now experience dozens of delightful performances in quick succession introduced through the trials and tribulations of a real-life career that truly did sell over 12 million albums, earned five Grammy wins, and created the signature “Yankovic Bump” for artists he parodied.

Now wildly famous, Weird Al must navigate the age-old battle between art and business while also crossing paths with the rich and powerful: Madonna, Pablo Escobar, Oprah, Wolfman Jack, Andy Warhol, Peewee Herman, and a dirty rivalry with Michael Jackson, just to name a few.

Director Eric Appel’s inspired mashup was co-written by Yankovic, but will sadly not be eligible for Oscar nominations as a result of forgoing theatrical distribution. One can hope the Emmys recognize the genius of singing along to Yankovic’s words of other people’s music and give the project the awards love it deserves.

The film is free to watch exclusively at therokuchannel.com or through any Roku devices. Includes teen angst, adult language, accidental drug use, sexual tension involving gum, hairy chests, and a soundtrack of polka hits performed on the devil’s squeezebox.

by Joseph Beyer

If you’re in search of a special homestead property with more than the average amount of land, a sizable family home, a fine equestrian component, out buildings with a multitude of uses, you’ll want to consider this special offering. This is one of the largest contiguous acreage properties currently for sale in NW Lower Michigan, at a estimated 395+/- acres, made up of wonderful hardwood forests with mature, timber value trees, a lush cedar forest with meandering streams and the Cedar/Victoria Creek (part of the Lake Leelanau watershed), open pasture/ grazing land as well. Anchored by a 6000 Sq. Ft. magnificent home, with 4 bedrooms & 4 baths, multiple large living & entertaining areas, 4 car capacity, heated garage. Additional lodge/cabin, circa 1940’s with 3 bedrooms, one bath, could be caretaker quarters, or reserved for guests, multiple work shop & storage buildings, some insulated/ heated, suitable for studio/gallery/home occupations (starting at 20x24, 24x24, 26x26, 24x64, 40x80, some with high ceilings and overhead doors), equestrian facility (50x50 stall, tack, and food storage barn & 80x72 insulated, indoor arena with 14’ ceilings), and combined with heated, 30x36 shop space with two, 12’ high overhead doors. Part of the land has been run in the past as the Cedar Creek Ranch, a deer & elk hunting facility with a 200 acre enclosure, with 10’ high fencing, permits are still in place and transferable to the new owner should the operation want to continue. Retail sales of mounts & antler related products were also a part of the business model additional income potential. Fenced in area may also be convenient for those who may want to raise livestock, beef, alpacas, llamas, yak, or ?? Superb hardwood forest has fine timber value as well as the potential to harvest cedar from the lush existing wood lot. So many possibilities exist here! 24 hour notice requested for showings please. Buyers or buyers agent to verify measurements & sq ft.

ENCORE 201, TC

11/19 -- One Hot Robot & DJ Ricky T Mash-up, 8 11/23 -- Soul Patch & DJ Ricky T Mash-up, 8 11/25 -- Vintage Vinyl DJ Rob Greco, 8 11/26 -- 1 Wave DJ's AJ Smith, 9

FANTASY’S, TC DJ

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC

BARREL ROOM: 11/19 – Chris Smith, 5 11/21 -- Barrels & Beats w/ Rob Coonrod, 6 11/26 -- Rebekah Jon, 5

LIL BO, TC

Tues. – Trivia, 8-10 Weds. – Aldrich, 9 Sun. – Karaoke, 8

MAMMOTH DISTILLING, TC 11/19 & 11/26 -- Chris Smith, 7-10

NORTH BAR TC 11/23 -- Jim Hawley, 7-10

ROVE ESTATE VINEYARD & WINERY, TC 11/25 -- Levi Britton, 4-7 THE GT CIRCUIT, TC 11/20 -- Jazz (Late) Brunch w/ Bill Sears Quartet wsg Bob James, 3

THE LITTLE FLEET, TC 11/19 & 11/26 -- DJ Nights, 8-11 11/23 -- Endless Summer w/ DJ Dusty Staircase, 3-10

THE PARLOR, TC 7-10: 11/19 -- Jazz Cabbage 11/22 -- Jesse Jefferson 11/23 -- Blue Footed Booby 11/25 -- Chris Smith 11/26 -- Jim Hawley

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 11/19 -- Stonefolk Americana Band, 8 11/22 -- Open Mic & Musical Tal ent Showcase, 7

11/23 -- Jazz Show & Jam, 6 11/25 -- Funky Uncle, 7 11/26 -- Rhett & John, 7

THIRSTY FISH SPORTS GRILLE, TC 11/19 -- EBD, 6:30-9:30 11/22 -- Tuesday Trivia, 7-9

TRAVERSE CITY COMEDY CLUB, TC

11/18 -- Comedy with Sal Demillo, 7:45 11/19 -- Comedy with Sal Demillo, 7:30 11/23 -- Thanks for the Giving Bash w/ Kevin B Klein, Carrie West bay, Derailed & A She DC, 6:30-11

UNION STREET STATION, TC 11/19 -- Stonehengz, 10 11/20 -- Video DJ Dance Party, 10 11/22 -- Open Mic Comedy, 8-9:30; then Electric Open Mic 11/23 -- DJ Parker Marshall, 10 11/25 -- Happy Hour w/ Jet Beas ley; then Snacks & Five 11/26 -- Snacks & Five, 10 11/27 -- Distant Stars, 10

Otsego, Crawford & Central

11/26 -- Jeff Greif, 6-9

GAYLORD 11/19 -- Buck in a Truck, 11am3pm 11/25 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6

Emmet & Cheboygan

PINE SQUIRREL, GAYLORD 11/23 – Greiffer & The Other Guys w/ Schmoke-Walker-Lange-Frasier, 8-11

BROOMSTACK KITCHEN & TAP HOUSE, MAPLE CITY Tues. -- Pat Niemisto & Chris Skel lenger, 6-9

DICK'S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEE LANAU Sat. -- Karaoke, 10-1

IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMP SONVILLE 5-7: 11/19 -- The Feral Cats 11/26 -- Lynn Callihan

Leelanau & Benzie

LAKE ANN BREWING CO.

11/19 -- Silver Creek Revival, 5:308:30

11/23 -- New Third Coast, 6:309:30

11/25 -- Mike Moran, 6:30-9:30

11/26 -- Jack Pine Band, 6:30-9:30

LEELANAU SANDS CASINO, PE SHAWBESTOWN 8: 11/25 -- Dominic Fortuna 11/26 -- The Ultimate Kenny Rogers Tribute Show - Christmas & The Hits

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH

11/19 -- First Annual Doe Camp w/ Live Music by Kyle Brown, 3-9

11/20 -- Dede Alder & the Dream ers CD Release Party, 2:30-5:30

11/24 -- Open Mic Night w/ Jeff Louwsma, 5:30-8:30

11/25 -- Anderson Druthers Band, 5:30-8:30

11/26 -- Chelsea Marsh, 5:30-8:30

STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT, 7-9:

11/19 -- Jake Frysinger

11/25 -- Lynn Callihan 11/26 -- Elizabeth Landry

Dad, singer, songwriter, guitarist, podcaster, video producer, and “The Greifer” Jeff Greif plays the Gaylord circuit! Find him at Bennethum’s Northern Inn on Tues., Nov. 22 from 5-8pm; Pine Squirrel on Weds., Nov. 23 with The Other Guys –Schmoke-Walker-Lange-Frasier from 8-11pm; and Big Buck Brewery on Sat., Nov. 26 from 6-9pm.

BY ROB BREZSNY

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Even if some people are nervous or intimidated around you, they may be drawn to you nonetheless. When that happens, you probably enjoy the power you feel. But I wonder what would happen if you made a conscious effort to cut back just a bit on the daunting vibes you emanate. I'm not saying they're bad. I understand they serve as a protective measure, and I appreciate the fact that they may help you get the cooperation you want. As an experiment, though, I invite you to be more reassuring and welcoming to those who might be inclined to fear you. See if it alters their behavior in ways you enjoy and benefit from.

VIRGO ( Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In her book Daughters of the Stone, Virgo novelist Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa tells the tale of five generations of Afro-Cuban women, her ancestors. "These are the stories of a time lost to flesh and bone," she writes, "a time that lives only in dreams and memories. Like a primeval wave, these stories have carried me, and deposited me on the morning of today. They are the stories of how I came to be who I am, where I am." I'd love to see you explore your own history with as much passion and focus, Virgo. In my astrological opinion, it's a favorable time for you to commune with the influences that have made you who you are.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In accordance with astrological omens, here's my advice for you in the coming weeks: 1. Know what it takes to please everyone, even if you don't always choose to please everyone. 2. Know how to be what everyone wants you to be and when they need you to be it, even if you only fulfill that wish when it has selfish value for you. 3. DO NOT give others all you have and thereby neglect to keep enough to give yourself. 4. When others are being closed-minded, help them develop more expansive finesse by sharing your own reasonable views. 5. Start thinking about how, in 2023, you will grow your roots as big and strong as your branches.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z has stellar advice for his fellow Sagittarians to contemplate regularly: "Ain't nothin' wrong with the aim; just gotta change the target." In offering JayZ's advice, I don't mean to suggest that you always need to change the target you're aiming at. On many occasions, it's exactly right. But the act of checking in to evaluate whether it is or isn't the right target will usually be valuable. And on occasion, you may realize that you should indeed aim at a different target.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You now have extra power to exorcise ghosts and demons that are still lingering from the old days and old ways. You are able to transform the way your history affects you. You have a sixth sense about how to graduate from lessons you have been studying for a long time. In honor of this joyfully tumultuous opportunity, draw inspiration from poet Charles Wright: "Knot by knot I untie myself from the past / And let it rise away from me like a balloon. / What a small thing it becomes. / What a bright tweak at the vanishing point, blue on blue."

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In accordance with current astrological rhythms, am handing over your horoscope to essayist Anne Fadiman. She writes, "I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things, but where edges meet. I like shorelines, weather fronts, international borders. There are interesting frictions and incongruities in these places, and often, if you stand at the point of tangency, you can see both sides better than if you were in the middle of either one."

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Over the course of my life, I have been fortunate to work with 13 psychotherapists. They have helped keep my mental health flourishing. One of them regularly reminded me that if I hoped to get what I wanted, I had to know precisely what I wanted. Once a year, she would give me a giant piece of thick paper and felt-tip markers. "Draw your personal vision of paradise," she instructed me. "Outline

the contours of the welcoming paradise that would make your life eminently delightful and worthwhile." She would also ask me to finish the sentence that begins with these words: "I am mobilizing all the energy and ingenuity and connections I have at my disposal so as to accomplish the following goal." In my astrological opinion, Pisces, now is a perfect time to do these two exercises yourself.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): One of your callings as an Aries is to take risks. You're inclined to take more leaps of faith than other people, and you're also more likely to navigate them to your advantage—or at least not get burned. A key reason for your success is your keen intuition about which gambles are relatively smart and which are ill-advised. But even when your chancy ventures bring you exciting new experiences, they may still run you afoul of conventional wisdom, peer pressure, and the way things have always been done. Everything I have described here will be in maximum play for you in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your keynote comes from teacher Caroline Myss. She writes, "Becoming adept at the process of self-inquiry and symbolic insight is a vital spiritual task that leads to the growth of faith in oneself." Encouraging you to grow your faith in yourself will be one of my prime intentions in the next 12 months. Let's get started! How can you become more adept at self-inquiry and symbolic insight? One idea is to ask yourself a probing new question every Sunday morning, like "What teachings and healings do I most want to attract into my life during the next seven days?" Spend the subsequent week gathering experiences and revelations that will address that query. Another idea is to remember and study your dreams, since doing so is the number one way to develop symbolic insight. For help, recommend the work of Gayle Delaney: tinyurl.com/InterviewYourDreams

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The TV science fiction show Legends of Tomorrow features a ragtag team of imperfect but effective superheroes. They travel through time trying to fix aberrations in the timelines caused by various villains. As they experiment and improvise, sometimes resorting to wildly daring gambits, their successes outnumber their stumbles and bumbles. And on occasion, even their apparent mistakes lead to good fortune that unfolds in unexpected ways. One member of the team, Nate, observes, "Sometimes we screw up—for the better." foresee you Geminis as having a similar modus operandi in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I like how Cancerian poet Stephen Dunn begins his poem, "Before We Leave." He writes, "Just so it's clear—no whining on the journey." I am offering this greeting to you and me, my fellow Cancerians, as we launch the next chapter of our story. In the early stages, our efforts may feel like drudgery, and our progress could seem slow. But as long as we don't complain excessively and don't blame others for our own limitations, our labors will become easier and quite productive.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo poet Kim Addonizio writes a lot about love and sex. In her book Wild Nights, she says, "I'm thinking of dating trees next. We could just stand around all night together. I'd murmur, they'd rustle, the wind would, like, do its wind thing." Now might be a favorable time for you, too, to experiment with evergreen romance and arborsexuality and trysts with your favorite plants. When was the last time you hugged an oak or kissed an elm? JUST KIDDING! The coming weeks will indeed be an excellent time to try creative innovations in your approach to intimacy and adoration. But I'd rather see your experiments in togetherness unfold with humans.

CLASSIFIEDS

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