Blooms & Birds: Wildflower Walk
Every Tuesday, 10:00am (2 hrs), Free but donations appreciated.
Go for a relaxing stroll on the trails with GRNA docents Julie Hurd and Phil Jarvi each week to find and identify the beautiful and unique wildflowers at Grass River. Along the way we will listen and look for the birds that call Grass River home.

Last Walk is September 5.

The Aldo Leopold Festival~~
Les Cheneaux welcomes you to celebrate the legacy of Aldo Leopold — one of America’s most influential naturalists — during our festival, May 31st – June 4, 2023. Activities include paddling excursions, orchid and wildflower tours, birding trips, presentations, and many other nature-based activities. Experience the woods and water that formed Leopold’s early impressions of the natural world as we honor the mark he made on conservation and the environment.

Registration is now open.
Register Online HERE.

2023 First Thursdays Art Tour
First Thursdays returns to Marquette for the third year with a monthly, self-guided tour inside local art galleries and studios on the first Thursday of every month from June through October.
The art tour kickoffs this year on June 1, 2023. With artwork by over 150 artists, there is something for everyone to enjoy. This event features guest pop-up artists, live art demonstrations, workshops, entertainment and more.
To view an online map and a detailed event guide, visit HERE and follow Facebook and Instagram pages at @mqtfirstthursdays

Enjoy free concerts all summer long at Legacy Plaza on Thursdays! See the full lineup of musicians HERE.

Community yard/Garage/Rummage Sale
June 2 & 3, Fri and Sat, 9am-4pm
DEWINGS CENTER: 202 S. Albert St in LeRoy

LeRoy Area Needle Arts will hold a Yard/Garage/Rummage sale at Dewings Center, downstairs in the basement Carlson Hall.  All proceeds will go to support the LeRoy Area Needle Arts in their community service activities. Come find your treasures!
For more info about LeRoy Area Needle Arts, find it HERE.

The Aldo Leopold Festival~~
Les Cheneaux welcomes you to celebrate the legacy of Aldo Leopold — one of America’s most influential naturalists — during our festival, May 31st – June 4, 2023. Activities include paddling excursions, orchid and wildflower tours, birding trips, presentations, and many other nature-based activities. Experience the woods and water that formed Leopold’s early impressions of the natural world as we honor the mark he made on conservation and the environment.

Registration is now open.
Register Online HERE.

Michigan climate community: mark your calendars!

Come summer, we’re convening scientists, representatives, educators, youth, concerned citizens, and artists alike for the 2023 Michigan Climate Summit.

Save the date for an interactive, constructive, and restorative Climate Summit on June 2, taking place in-person at Oakland University and online.

UPDATE: REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

UPDATE: Our full program for the 2023 Michigan Climate Summit is hot off the press. Take a peek!

Join or donate to the movement fighting for bold climate action in Michigan.
http://www.miclimateaction.org/

COUNT ME IN!!

Featuring locally made arts and crafts and fresh goods from local farmers. Music in Legacy Plaza will also entertain shoppers from 5-7 p.m. Learn more HERE.

FIRST-EVER ALPENA FLOWER FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE THIS WEEKEND IN DOWNTOWN ALPENA
May 30, 2023
Alpena, MI – This coming weekend, Downtown Alpena will be decked out with fresh flowers and vibrant floral installations as part of the first-ever Alpena Flower Festival taking place on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3, 2023. The event, which is being organized by the Alpena Downtown Development Authority (DDA), will feature over thirty floral installations and creative displays sponsored by local businesses and created by four local florists. The installations will range from colorful wreaths and swags on businesses’ doors to larger-than-life photo ops throughout downtown from presenting sponsors Alpena CVB, The Center Building, Wenzel Bennett & Harris, PC, Thunder Bay Arts, and Midwestern Broadcasting Company.
In addition to the floral installations, there will be live music throughout the festival, workshops at Art in the Loft, an open mic night with the Poetics Lab, a story-time and floral crown craft at the library with artist Elisa Chavarri, and other floral-themed activities throughout the downtown. Participants can also take their own fresh blooms home by visiting one of two flower trucks from Lasting Expressions that will be set up during the festival or stopping by a build-your-own-bouquet bar by Classic Designs by Doreen Thomas, CF on Saturday from 11 am–3 pm at Glik’s (111 N. State St).
“This festival is the first of its kind in Michigan, and our four florists have some incredible floral
installations they will be bringing to life. Downtown Alpena will be dripping with flowers,” said DDA
Executive Director Anne Gentry. “We hope the community comes out to see what’s on display, attend the events, and kick off the summer season in Downtown Alpena. We are grateful to partner with so many organizations who are helping to make this new festival a success.”
The festival begins when installations are completed on Friday at 4 pm and culminates in a special
alleyway party between 2nd and 3rd Ave on Saturday from 6-8 pm with cocktails, live jazz from the Dan White Quartet, and fresh blooms on display. Artist Mariah Brancheau will also be live painting a special 2023 Flower Festival piece and selling Flower Fest merchandise.
Participating florists include Flowerland Designs, Classic Designs by Doreen Thomas, CF, Falls Creek Produce & Flowers, and Lasting Expressions. Installations are sponsored by local businesses and will be on display throughout Downtown Alpena.
For more information on the event and a map of installations, please contact the DDA Office at 989-356-6422 or visit www.downtownalpenami.com/flowerfest

Community yard/Garage/Rummage Sale
June 2 & 3, Fri and Sat, 9am-4pm
DEWINGS CENTER: 202 S. Albert St in LeRoy

LeRoy Area Needle Arts will hold a Yard/Garage/Rummage sale at Dewings Center, downstairs in the basement Carlson Hall.  All proceeds will go to support the LeRoy Area Needle Arts in their community service activities. Come find your treasures!
For more info about LeRoy Area Needle Arts, find it HERE.

We will be installing a boardwalk to the shore at Hess Nature Preserve. Please dress for the weather, bring a water bottle, gloves and a hat. We will supply bug spray, tools and water. Sign up here: headwatersconservancy.org/calendar/events

To become a volunteer and stay up to date on volunteer events, go to headwatersconservancy.org/volunteer

SUTTONS BAY — Leelanau Cheese Company hosts its second annual Cheese Festival from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 3.

Paid activities include a mozzarella workshop for $60, cheese tasting for $40 and a chocolate and cheese pairing with Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate Shop for $25.

Free events include games, face painting, a kids’ curd making and a petting zoo.
Antojitos food truck is on site.

MORE INFO AND TICKETS HERE.

June 3 @ 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Ready for all things Asparagus!? SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, June 3rd We are back for another amazing asparagus filled day! Lots of incredible local asparagus eats, great music, and fun activities to come! Including the Kick-Yer Assparagus 5K Fun Run/Walk! Link below to sign up!

Sign up for the 5K HERE!

On Saturday, June 3, from noon to 6:00 pm at Brownson Memorial Park in Kingsley, Michigan, all are welcome to the Adams Fly Festival, hosted by the Kingsley Friends of the Library! Come and enjoy fly fishing education and demonstrations, live and silent auctions, Adams fly history tours, live music, and a microbrew tent!

This event is free and open to the public, except the microbrew tent which is $20 for admission ages 21 and up. The Kingsley Branch Library benefits from all proceeds.

For more information and a complete schedule of events, please visit our Facebook page HERE,  or call the Library at 231-263-5484.

The Aldo Leopold Festival~~
Les Cheneaux welcomes you to celebrate the legacy of Aldo Leopold — one of America’s most influential naturalists — during our festival, May 31st – June 4, 2023. Activities include paddling excursions, orchid and wildflower tours, birding trips, presentations, and many other nature-based activities. Experience the woods and water that formed Leopold’s early impressions of the natural world as we honor the mark he made on conservation and the environment.

Registration is now open.
Register Online HERE.

Ballet Etc. will present its 27th Annual Spring Concert for two shows on Saturday, June 3, at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm at the Traverse City Central High School Auditorium. The concert will showcase students ages 3 through 18 performing works in Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theater, Men’s Ballet, Ballroom, Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet. This year’s concert will feature choreography by studio director Thomas Morrell as well as faculty members Marleigh Bucenell, Amy Russell, Justin Koertgen and Ariel Mokdad. The 21-member Northwest Michigan Ballet Theatre will present “Liberation” a modern piece set to the music of Loggins and Messina.

Reserved admission tickets are $18 each and may be purchased at the link below or at the door the day of the performance.

FIRST-EVER ALPENA FLOWER FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE THIS WEEKEND IN DOWNTOWN ALPENA
May 30, 2023
Alpena, MI – This coming weekend, Downtown Alpena will be decked out with fresh flowers and vibrant floral installations as part of the first-ever Alpena Flower Festival taking place on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3, 2023. The event, which is being organized by the Alpena Downtown Development Authority (DDA), will feature over thirty floral installations and creative displays sponsored by local businesses and created by four local florists. The installations will range from colorful wreaths and swags on businesses’ doors to larger-than-life photo ops throughout downtown from presenting sponsors Alpena CVB, The Center Building, Wenzel Bennett & Harris, PC, Thunder Bay Arts, and Midwestern Broadcasting Company.
In addition to the floral installations, there will be live music throughout the festival, workshops at Art in the Loft, an open mic night with the Poetics Lab, a story-time and floral crown craft at the library with artist Elisa Chavarri, and other floral-themed activities throughout the downtown. Participants can also take their own fresh blooms home by visiting one of two flower trucks from Lasting Expressions that will be set up during the festival or stopping by a build-your-own-bouquet bar by Classic Designs by Doreen Thomas, CF on Saturday from 11 am–3 pm at Glik’s (111 N. State St).
“This festival is the first of its kind in Michigan, and our four florists have some incredible floral
installations they will be bringing to life. Downtown Alpena will be dripping with flowers,” said DDA
Executive Director Anne Gentry. “We hope the community comes out to see what’s on display, attend the events, and kick off the summer season in Downtown Alpena. We are grateful to partner with so many organizations who are helping to make this new festival a success.”
The festival begins when installations are completed on Friday at 4 pm and culminates in a special
alleyway party between 2nd and 3rd Ave on Saturday from 6-8 pm with cocktails, live jazz from the Dan White Quartet, and fresh blooms on display. Artist Mariah Brancheau will also be live painting a special 2023 Flower Festival piece and selling Flower Fest merchandise.
Participating florists include Flowerland Designs, Classic Designs by Doreen Thomas, CF, Falls Creek Produce & Flowers, and Lasting Expressions. Installations are sponsored by local businesses and will be on display throughout Downtown Alpena.
For more information on the event and a map of installations, please contact the DDA Office at 989-356-6422 or visit www.downtownalpenami.com/flowerfest

Join us for the very first Norte Paper Plate Race! This fun “race” is our way to gather and celebrate all riders enrolled in our spring programs.

Date: Saturday, June 3rd
When: 9:00 – 10:00 Arrival, paper plate decorating, warm-up (Races begin at 10:00 – the event will be over by 12:00)
Where: VASA Bartlett Trailhead, 4450 Bartlett Road, Williamsburg, MI 49690

We will have “races” separated by age and distance. We even have fun (and prizes!) planned for our balance bike riders. Most importantly, we are excited about gathering and connecting our racers, our coaches, and their families. This is designed to be a low-stress, big-fun event complete with Moomers ice cream! RSVP HERE.

Recycle-A-Bicycle Bike Swap
June 4 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Sell or buy any fun and funky or plain and practical used bikes at the 12th annual Recycle-A-Bicycle Bike Swap. This much anticipated event kicks off Smart Commute Week and is the perfect time to become the new owner of a summer cruiser or upgrade a child’s bike.

The R-A-B Bike Swap is for anyone who wants to sell and/or purchase an unused or out-grown bicycle or bike accessory. Accessories include bike trailers, hitches, bike racks and sometimes frames and wheels. R-A-B requires that all bicycles be in ride-able condition. The tires must hold air and the brakes and shifters must be in working condition. Small items like shoes, helmets or clothing WILL NOT BE accepted.

If you are selling a bike, drop off is between 6 and 8 pm on Saturday, June 3rd at the Old Town Parking Deck. Sellers receive 75% of the proceeds and the Recycle-A-Bicycle program receives 25%.

The funds raised during the Bike Swap allow the Recycle-a-Bicycle program to continue to provide necessary active transportation to economically disadvantaged individuals and families.

Schedule:
Saturday, June 3rd | 6pm-8pm | Bike drop-off at the Old Town Parking Deck
Sunday, June 4th | 9am-2pm | Shop the Bike Swap
Sunday, June 4th | 2pm-4pm | Pick up unsold bikes from the Swap

The Aldo Leopold Festival~~
Les Cheneaux welcomes you to celebrate the legacy of Aldo Leopold — one of America’s most influential naturalists — during our festival, May 31st – June 4, 2023. Activities include paddling excursions, orchid and wildflower tours, birding trips, presentations, and many other nature-based activities. Experience the woods and water that formed Leopold’s early impressions of the natural world as we honor the mark he made on conservation and the environment.

Registration is now open.
Register Online HERE.

Visit some of the best-kept secrets of the Traverse region!
Visit HERE for details.

The Bed and Breakfast Tour runs through the entire month of June on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. Each of the properties have picked times within those days that they can participate given other things they have going on in June. The link above shows each property with the specific days and times through June that their property can be toured.

Mi Music Scholarship Benefit Concert
Sunday, June 04, 2023 • 2:30 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
The Workshop Brewing Company
MiMusic and TC Violin Co

Mi Music Rocks
Mi Music Scholarship Benefit Concert
June 4, 2023 2:30PM- 9:00 PM

2:30Pm MiMusic Adult String Ensemble Class
3:00Pm Alyssa Wares,Singer Songwriter
3:30Pm Violet Livingston, 7yo Singer
4:00Pm Traverse City Sting Trio
5:00Pm Fun Time Banjo Band
6:00Pm Saving Sequoia (student band)
8:00Pm The Decibelz -wsg/ Shawn Armstrong, Sax

**All Proceeds go to the Mi Music Scholarship Fund, supporting students in need with music lessons! Fun for Everyone! **
Face Painting
Silent Auction
Raffle
Scary Stories for Creepy Kids Podcast & Book Signing with Ayla & Calla Rybicki

Smart Commute Week | June 5-9
Hold on to your helmets and handlebars – the 29th annual Smart Commute Week is right around the corner. It’s hands down our fav week of the year. Sign up for the challenge and start planning out your routes HERE.

LifeHouse Assembly of God is hosting a Versiti Blood Drive Monday, June 5 from 12:30-7:00pm.
LifeHouse is located at 1120 W Division St., Cadillac.

Did you know  shortages of all blood types most often occur during summer and winter holidays? To donate please contact Dave Bayer for your appointment time 231-775-7858.

TCNewTech
6PM (Doors/Networking 5:30PM)

Join the TCNewTech Community for our Pitch & Networking Event on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 6:00 PM in-person at City Opera House.
Here is the schedule:
5:30 PM Cash Bar & Networking at City Opera House
6:00 PM Investor Pitches Begin
7:00 PM Winners Announced!

Select startups will be allowed 5 minutes to present their pitch and 5 minutes of questions and answers from the audience.

Our audience is made up of technology-minded people and consists of programmers, IT staff, people looking for opportunities for their tech company, tech companies looking for staff, individuals looking for an investment opportunity, start-up founders looking for investors, and tech geeks that just like learning about new things.

Concerts on the Steps
All concerts from 7 to 8 p.m. on the Peter White Public Library Front Street Steps.
Presented by Peter White Public Library, Marquette, MI
For more information, contact Marty at 226-4322, machatz@pwpl.info, or visit pwpl.info.
A great way to welcome summer.
No admission charge. Raid/inclement weather alternative: Community Room.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023. For the first of this year’s Concert on the Steps, join 2022 Marquette Art Awards Performing Artist of the Year Troy Graham for an evening of indie folk music and spirituals.

Monday, June 12, 2023. Peter White Public Library hosts a night of surfer rock with the band Ramble Tamble. Set up your umbrella and beach chair, slather on some sunscreen, and hang ten on the Front Street steps.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Join local honky-tonk Country musician Ethan Bott for an evening to toe-tapping, soul-touching music.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Syria Project provides a concert for all lovers of music. Attend to find out the winners of the Passport to Home Art Week scavenger hunt.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023. The Concert on the Steps series welcomes back singer/songwriter Chris Valenti for an evening of original songs and rock and roll favorites.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023. The Ogeas. Details to follow.

Wednesday, August 2, 2023. Charlie Millard In-Person. Details to follow.

Wild Orchids and Other Rare Plants
Thursday, June 8, 2023 – 10:00am (2 hrs), $15 per person, must pre-register
Join Education Director James Dake in an exclusive presentation and off-trail expedition to see rare orchids and other amazing plants, like carnivorous pitcher plants and sundews, in lesser known areas of GRNA.

Adults only. Limited space. Must be able to hike on uneven and wet/muddy terrain for the outdoor portion. Wearing muck boots is highly recommended, as the places we go will be very wet. This program meets at the Grass River Center.

In conjunction with Versiti, the League of Women Voters of Leelanau County, and the Suttons Bay Community Church, a Blood Drive will be held on Thursday, June 8, 2023, from 12:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room of the Leelanau County Government Center in Suttons Bay.

Blood demand historically increases during the summer months.

· All blood types are needed, with type O positive and O negative most in demand.

– O positive is the most common blood type, while O negative blood is the universal type that can be received safely by all patients in emergencies when the blood type is not known.

– To maintain a safe blood supply, Versiti Blood Center Michigan needs 3,600 donors every week.

– Blood on the shelves TODAY will save lives TOMORROW

Versiti is offering a “Ride to Save Lives” Sweepstakes to all donors 18 yrs. during the month of June. Donors will automatically be entered to win a 2023 Harley-Davidson Low Rider S (valued at 18k ), and there will be 2 winners randomly selected around July 5th.

Appointments are encouraged; please call 866-642-5663 or visit the following direct link for this collection: https://donate.michigan.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/151376

Take a walking tour of historic Empire and hear about Empire’s past and its people! Empire was a booming lumber town and we will look back at what life was like in its heyday. Tours can also be arranged according to your schedule. Leisurely walk through Empire, wheelchair accessible. Please dress for the weather, no tour in inclement weather (pouring rain, thunderstorms).

Enjoy free concerts all summer long at Legacy Plaza on Thursdays! See the full lineup of musicians HERE.

In recognition of the U.N.’s World Oceans Day, art lecturer, Linda Young presents an illustrated talk highlighting works by 19th and 20th century artists.  Her “arm chair traveler” program will cover paintings across the glove including the Arctic, Denmark coast, the Mediterranean, the eastern seaboard of the US and the Caribbean. Please register for this event by calling the library, 231.326.5361.

In recognition of the U.N.’s World Oceans Day, art lecturer, Linda Young presents an illustrated talk highlighting works by 19th and 20th century artists.  Her “arm chair traveler” program will cover paintings across the glove including the Arctic, Denmark coast, the Mediterranean, the eastern seaboard of the US and the Caribbean. Please register for this event by calling the library, 231.326.5361.

Pennsylvania artist Ruth Trok will use her Glen Arbor Arts Center residency to produce a body of porcelain pots and vessels that explore the interaction between native and invasive species in Leelanau County. Trok, a ceramist, will talk about her project during a public presentation June 9, noon, at the GAAC, 6031 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor. The presentation is free.

Since the 1990s, the GAAC has welcomed visiting artists who want to immerse themselves in their work. The GAAC’s Artist-in-Residence program offers up to seven, creative practitioners a two-week respite from their daily lives in order to focus on a new idea that needs space, or to develop an on-going project. For more information go to GlenArborArt.org/EVENTS.

Ludington’s Big Sesquicentennial Celebrations!
Join us for the Love Ludington Weekend, June 9–11, 2023.

There will be a giant street bash with live music and dancing and a massive fireworks display! There’s more! The Lakeside Half Marathon, House of Flavors will try to break a Guiness World Record for the longest sundae, the car ferry S. S. Badger has a big to-do celebrating its 70th birthday, there’s putt-putt golf, historic walking tours and even a (period costumes encouraged!) Sesquicentennial Ball!

Wanna go? Check it all out HERE.