Ultimate Suttons Bay, Glen Arbor & Leland Holiday Guide

Get into the Up North holiday spirit! From festive Northern Michigan events to gift and sip stops, here are our favorite ways to celebrate the holidays in Suttons Bay, Leland and Glen Arbor on Leelanau Peninsula.

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Explore Suttons Bay this 2022 Holiday Season

Decked with tinsel and lights, the boutiques and restaurants tucked along either side of M-22 are brimming with gifts and goodies.

Shop Local in Suttons Bay

On St. Joseph Street, The Front Porch is your stop for housewares and gifts for cooks and the cottage. Find high-quality apparel at Bahle’s, sweets at Murdick’s Fudge Shoppe, and visit Poppy Things for Michigan-made décor, jewelry and more.

Suttons Bay Merry Sips

You’ll have a holly jolly time on the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail during its annual Toast the Season events (Nov. 4–6 and Nov. 11–13). Spend a weekend sipping local wines paired with local bites and buy a few bottles to gift.

Santa’s Secret Gift Spot in Suttons Bay

Grand Traverse Bike Tours offers four winter micro-adventures, each paired with a winery or brewery. Snowshoe through a vineyard, fat tire bike on the Leelanau Trail … it’s the perfect experiential gift.

Explore Suttons Bay’s Winter Wonderland

Less than a mile from downtown, Stites Natural Area has glacier-carved valleys and ridges that offer spectacular views when the leaves have fallen. The trail is a .65-mile out-and-back hike or snowshoe.

Suttons Bay Holiday Events

Nov. 19 | Suttons Bay Friends & Family
Nov. 26 | Holiday in the Village
Dec. 10 | Library Gala

Photo by Dave Weidner

2022 Leland Holiday Guide

Small-town charm and holiday cheer abound in this village aglow with cozy shops and eateries. Stop to see historic Fishtown and its shanties dusted in snow, with Lake Michigan’s frigid waters just beyond.

Shop Local in Leland

On Main Street, Leland Gal offers bright, color-soaked home décor and apparel, while Leelanau Books is known for their vast selection of fiction and nonfiction, plus plenty of family fun during the holidays. Head to Harbor House Trading Co. for all of your outdoor apparel needs, from brands like North Face and Patagonia, to Smartwool and Osprey.

Photo by Anglea Brown

2022 Leland Holiday Guide

Small-town charm and holiday cheer abound in this village aglow with cozy shops and eateries. Stop to see historic Fishtown and its shanties dusted in snow, with Lake Michigan’s frigid waters just beyond.

Shop Local in Leland

On Main Street, Leland Gal offers bright, color-soaked home décor and apparel, while Leelanau Books is known for their vast selection of fiction and nonfiction, plus plenty of family fun during the holidays. Head to Harbor House Trading Co. for all of your outdoor apparel needs, from brands like North Face and Patagonia, to Smartwool and Osprey.

Merry Sips in Leland

Grab a latte and cozy up at Madcap Coffee Company off Main Street (formerly Blue Boat Coffee). Madcap is known for carefully roasting their beans in small batches—pick up a bag or two to gift the coffee lovers in your life.

Santa’s Secret Leland Gifts

Check out The Warren, a brand-new collective that’s home to three Leelanau makers: Sarah Peschel, Kelsey McQuown of Moraine and Kristin Hussey of Kristin MacKenzie Design. Find handmade jewelry, fine art prints, vintage pieces and much more.

Explore Leland’s Winter Wonderland

Just five minutes north of downtown lies Clay Cliffs Natural Area, where you can snowshoe a scenic 1.5-mile trail system and enjoy stunning views of both Lake Leelanau and Lake Michigan. Situated 200 feet above Lake Michigan, the viewing platform offers a one-of-a-kind photo op.

Leland Holiday Events

Nov. 25 | Pajama Party
Nov. 25 | Light Up Leland
Nov. 26 | Small Business Saturday

Photo by Allison Jarrell

Celebrate the Holidays in Glen Arbor

When holiday shopping is followed up with gleeful sled rides down the Dune Climb, all will be merry and bright.

Shop Local in Glen Arbor

Black Friday and Shop Small Saturday are wonderful times to support area businesses (and Glen Arbor’s annual Bed Parade and PJ Party are an added bonus). Stroll downtown for local gifts from Cherry Republic, Cottage Book Shop, Coastal and more.

Photo by Angela Brown

Celebrate the Holidays in Glen Arbor

When holiday shopping is followed up with gleeful sled rides down the Dune Climb, all will be merry and bright.

Shop Local in Glen Arbor

Black Friday and Shop Small Saturday are wonderful times to support area businesses (and Glen Arbor’s annual Bed Parade and PJ Party are an added bonus). Stroll downtown for local gifts from Cherry Republic, Cottage Book Shop, Coastal and more.

Merry Sips in Glen Arbor

Tucked between M-22 and Sleeping Bear Bay, you’ll find lights glowing and laughter flowing from inside Glen Arbor Wines— a snug wine bar that’s just about as merry as it gets. Grab a glass of Farmstead Red and sit a spell.

Santa’s Secret Glen Arbor Gift Stop

It’s no secret that the gift of chocolate brings holiday cheer, but did you know that 10 minutes south in Empire, Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate handmakes delicious confections like truffles and hot drinking chocolate? Cozy up with a cup and pop some sweets into your kiddos’ stockings.

Explore Leland’s Winter Wonderland

Experience the best cross-country skiing in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore at Alligator Hill, just west of town. All three loops (easy, intermediate and advanced) offer plenty of long downhill runs and equally long climbs.

Glen Arbor Holiday Events

Nov. 25 | Annual PJ Party & Bed Parade
Nov. 25 | Town Hall Tree Lighting
Nov. 26 | Holiday Marketplace

Photo by Taylor Brown

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Celebrate the Holidays Up North with More 2022 Holiday Guides!

Searching for More Holiday Inspiration? View our 2021 Holiday & Gift Guides: