Community Calendar

The inaugural Fresh Coast Film Festival: Traverse City (FCFF/tc) brings four days of documentary film to seven venues across the North Boardman Lake District and downtown Traverse City, April 30–May 3, 2026. Presented by the local nonprofit Old Mission Culture Company, the festival features 50+ films celebrating the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, with nearly two dozen filmmakers attending from 11 states.

Highlights include two evening galas at the City Opera House — the Michigan premiere of the Mary Oliver documentary Saved by the Beauty of the World (May 2) and the northern Michigan premiere of Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching (May 1) — plus artist panels, outdoor tours, student films, and passholder after-parties at local breweries. Day passes $35 | Gala tickets $20 | GA screenings $10.

Price/Price Range: $10–$35
Ticketing Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Presenting Organization: Old Mission Culture Company
Organization Email: traversecity@freshcoastfilm.com
Organization Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Designation: Not For Profit

The inaugural Fresh Coast Film Festival: Traverse City (FCFF/tc) brings four days of documentary film to seven venues across the North Boardman Lake District and downtown Traverse City, April 30–May 3, 2026. Presented by the local nonprofit Old Mission Culture Company, the festival features 50+ films celebrating the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, with nearly two dozen filmmakers attending from 11 states.

Highlights include two evening galas at the City Opera House — the Michigan premiere of the Mary Oliver documentary Saved by the Beauty of the World (May 2) and the northern Michigan premiere of Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching (May 1) — plus artist panels, outdoor tours, student films, and passholder after-parties at local breweries. Day passes $35 | Gala tickets $20 | GA screenings $10.

Price/Price Range: $10–$35
Ticketing Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Presenting Organization: Old Mission Culture Company
Organization Email: traversecity@freshcoastfilm.com
Organization Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Designation: Not For Profit

The inaugural Fresh Coast Film Festival: Traverse City (FCFF/tc) brings four days of documentary film to seven venues across the North Boardman Lake District and downtown Traverse City, April 30–May 3, 2026. Presented by the local nonprofit Old Mission Culture Company, the festival features 50+ films celebrating the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, with nearly two dozen filmmakers attending from 11 states.

Highlights include two evening galas at the City Opera House — the Michigan premiere of the Mary Oliver documentary Saved by the Beauty of the World (May 2) and the northern Michigan premiere of Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching (May 1) — plus artist panels, outdoor tours, student films, and passholder after-parties at local breweries. Day passes $35 | Gala tickets $20 | GA screenings $10.

Price/Price Range: $10–$35
Ticketing Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Presenting Organization: Old Mission Culture Company
Organization Email: traversecity@freshcoastfilm.com
Organization Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Designation: Not For Profit

The inaugural Fresh Coast Film Festival: Traverse City (FCFF/tc) brings four days of documentary film to seven venues across the North Boardman Lake District and downtown Traverse City, April 30–May 3, 2026. Presented by the local nonprofit Old Mission Culture Company, the festival features 50+ films celebrating the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, with nearly two dozen filmmakers attending from 11 states.

Highlights include two evening galas at the City Opera House — the Michigan premiere of the Mary Oliver documentary Saved by the Beauty of the World (May 2) and the northern Michigan premiere of Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching (May 1) — plus artist panels, outdoor tours, student films, and passholder after-parties at local breweries. Day passes $35 | Gala tickets $20 | GA screenings $10.

Price/Price Range: $10–$35
Ticketing Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Presenting Organization: Old Mission Culture Company
Organization Email: traversecity@freshcoastfilm.com
Organization Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Designation: Not For Profit

During International Compost Awareness Week, Nate Walton, MSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Educator, will lead this introduction to basic composting techniques.

During this free event, you will learn basic methods for composting residential waste at a household scale.

Virtual option available. Email Nate at waltonn2@msu.edu for more information.

Welcome birdwatchers! Audubon's Kirk Waterstripe joins us May 5th to discuss spring prep for bird feeding.

Join us for a walk along the Pete’s Woods trail within Arcadia Dunes Nature Preserve as volunteer leader Paula Dreeszen highlights the spring wildflowers in bloom.

The Basics

A 1.5-mile rolling hike on the beloved loop trail at Pete’s Woods. Known for its dazzling display of spring wildflowers, Pete’s Woods is a fantastic place to see a variety of spring ephemerals that our region has to offer!

Before the hike, feel free to check out our Botanical Field Guide for Pete’s Woods.

Registration is required. For more information and to reigster, please click here.

Cancellations due to weather or other reasons will be emailed to registered participants.

Thank you for your interest in joining us! If you have any questions, please contact us at (231) 929-7911 or info@gtrlc.org.

Join us for a Saturday morning Bird Walk with Kirk Waterstripe from the Grand Traverse Audubon Club. This birding experience is designed for those just getting started, or wanting to polish their skills. We’ll focus on identification skills, not just a big list.

Dress for weather and walking! This event will meet at the north side of the library at the entrance of the Grand Traverse Are Children's Garden.

At 10:00 AM Glen Arbor's Beautification committee will host a ceremonial tree planting at the corner of Lake Street and State Street on Cherry Republic property marking a meaningful step in celebrating and preserving Glen Arbor’s natural beauty. The event is designed to be simple, engaging, and family-friendly as the community celebrates its inaugural Arbor Day as a Tree City USA.

At 10:30 AM at the Cherry Republic Public House, community members are invited to a “Tree Talk” featuring local tree care professionals, including:
• Nick Carlson, Carlson’s Tree Service
• Ellie Johnson - Ellie Johnson, CCF Outreach Forester - Michigan Forest Association
These experts will share insights on the importance of preserving existing trees and the vital role they play in both the ecological health and visual character of our community.

Glen Arbor Beautification invites residents, business owners, and visitors to join in this celebration of stewardship, education, and community pride.

For more information, please contact:
Glen Arbor Beautification (GAB) info@GAbeautification.org or Chris Sack 231.645.7873

Eric Van Vleet’s journey into mycology began while developing interpretive programs for Rocky Mountain National Park. This sparked a deep fascination that ran parallel to his doctoral research on the history of truffle cultivation in southwest France. His pursuit of fungi eventually led him to the temperate rainforests of Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks before a position with the United States Forest Service brought him back to his Midwestern roots.

Now based in Michigan, Eric is an MRAD-certified wild-foraged mushroom expert and a leader in community science, spearheading efforts to document the state’s biodiversity through DNA sequencing.