Community Calendar

America’s IRA Expert, Ed Slott, to Headline Traverse City Event

Prout Financial Design will welcome nationally recognized CPA, bestselling author and retirement educator Ed Slott to Traverse City on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, for “An Evening with Ed,” a complimentary educational event focused on retirement tax planning.

The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Park Place Hotel and Conference Center, 300 E. State Street in downtown Traverse City. Slott’s presentation will be followed by a book signing featuring his latest book, "The Retirement Savings Time Bomb Ticks Louder."

Known for making complex tax rules clear, practical and engaging, Slott will share strategies designed to help retirement savers reduce unnecessary taxes, protect their assets and make their savings last.

The FREE event is intended for individuals who are approaching retirement, currently retired or interested in understanding how taxes may affect their long-term financial plans.

To reserve a spot, please click here.

Join the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy for a panel discussion followed by Q&A with GTRLC's Chris Garrock, director of stewardship; Angie Bouma, senior conservation ecologist; and Steve Lagerquist, land steward: capital project management, recreation, and infrastructure; moderated by Vivian La, IPR’s climate solutions reporter.

Have you ever wondered how we decide what to do with a property once we’ve protected it?

From the moment a property is protected, there are important decisions to make: Which habitats and species need special consideration? Where should a trail guide people through the scenic landscape, and where should we limit access? And how do we respond when conditions at a preserve change?

Join us for a behind-the-scenes discussion with our land stewardship team about how we balance recreational access and wildlife protection, how we restore ecosystems, and how we adapt to challenges along the way.

For more information, pleaseclick here.

This event is part of GTRLC's 2026 Priority Landscapes Learning Series.

Please note that food will not be served; we recommend that you plan to grab a bite before or after joining the event.

Honolulu Blues is a comedic play-by-play of historic gridiron failure marked by stunning almost wins and saw-it-coming losses that positions the Detroit Lions lore as the backdrop for exploring themes of generational trauma, addiction, mental illness, and death.

Author Joel Walkowski intertwines the fate of two losers - the Detroit Lions and himself - to explore the broader impact a city's football tam can have on its residents, proving that you can overcome anything if you can learn to love what disappoints you.

Join us for a culminating hike that brings to life the themes of our 2026 Priority Landscape Learning Series, and be among the first to walk the newly-built trails before they open to the public in 2027.

At the newly-protected Ridge, a 312-acre property that was identified as one of the region’s highest-priority landscapes for protection, GTRLC’s experts will guide you through this stunning proposed nature preserve that will protect water quality, provide critical wildlife habitat and offer exceptional potential for recreation.

Nestled between Four and Five Mile Roads, The Ridge’s wetlands and creeks feed into the Mitchell Creek and East Bay Shoreline watersheds—filtering and protecting water that flows into East Grand Traverse Bay, a primary drinking water source for more than 40,000 residents and countless visitors. It hosts diverse habitats, including the rare perched rich conifer swamp, relic oak-pine savanna and wooded dune-swale complex, all providing essential food and shelter for wildlife that rely on this unique ecosystem. From the top, take in an unparalleled view of Traverse City and Grand Traverse Bay.

Parking is limited; please carpool when possible.

This event is part of our 2026 Priority Landscapes Learning Series.

Join us at The Dennos for a panel discussion with artists from Material World: Ten Women. We’ll learn more about their artistic practice and gain more insight into the ways their work intersect and differ from one another.

Image: Installation view of "Material World: Ten Women" at the Muskegon Museum of Art.

The Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference gathers full-time farmers, home-scale growers, and the farm-curious to explore growing practices, business skills, and community collaboration.

Join us for the 2026 conference in downtown Bellaire, which includes farm tours at Providence Organic Farm and Daybreak Dreamfarm, a screening of Farming While Black, a keynote from Rosebud Bear Schneider, and two days of sessions covering a wide array of topics.

What kind of conundrum does a landscape painter find herself in when the landscape changes? If it is threatened by development? If it is challenged by climate change? Three, well-known, Northern Michigan landscape painters will explore these questions during Trouble In Paradise: The Landscape Painter’s Conundrum, a panel discussion on October 4, 11 am at the Glen Arbor Arts Center.

Artists Margo Burian, Lori Feldpausch and Stephanie Schlatter have all come up against things that trouble and alter the landscape. Do they feel constrained by the expectation they can only create works that showcase the region’s natural beauty? What does it mean to be known as a landscape painter only to deviate from that topic into territory not as scenic? What does it mean to be a landscape painter when the landscape is under siege? Ignore it? Deny it? Make some noise? During the October 4 program, the artists will talk about these questions, as well as their thinking about using their work to take on political issues.

Pictured: Clouds Building, oil, Lori Feldpausch

The Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference gathers full-time farmers, home-scale growers, and the farm-curious to explore growing practices, business skills, and community collaboration.

Join us for the 2026 conference in downtown Bellaire, which includes farm tours at Providence Organic Farm and Daybreak Dreamfarm, a screening of Farming While Black, a keynote from Rosebud Bear Schneider, and two days of sessions covering a wide array of topics.

The League of Women Voters – Grand Traverse Area will be hosting a candidate forum for the Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) board candidates.

This free event is presented to give candidates an opportunity to explain their qualifications for this public office, and how they would deal with the issues facing Traverse City Area Public Schools.

The Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference gathers full-time farmers, home-scale growers, and the farm-curious to explore growing practices, business skills, and community collaboration.

Join us for the 2026 conference in downtown Bellaire, which includes farm tours at Providence Organic Farm and Daybreak Dreamfarm, a screening of Farming While Black, a keynote from Rosebud Bear Schneider, and two days of sessions covering a wide array of topics.