Almanac

The Elk Rapids Farmers Market is brought to you by the Elk Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. This Friday morning market offers a wide selection of locally grown fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers and plants, baked goods, cheese, meats and fish, jams, maple syrup, local honey, coffee and tea, lavender products and so much more! In 2025, the Market is open every Friday from 8:00am to Noon from May 30th through October 3rd.

Join GTRLC and the Invasive Species Network as we work to remove invasive baby's breath from Elberta Beach in Benzie County! Spreading easily over northwest Michigan's beaches and dunes, baby's breath crowds out vulnerable native plants and degrades important habitat.

GTRLC and ISN supply gloves and tools. We will teach you everything you need to know about tool use, safety, and the importance of the work you will be doing. No experience necessary, just come ready to learn something new! This is a moderately strenuous activity, with volunteers often bending and kneeling to dig out plants. There are porta johns available at the parking area.

Directions: Please meet us in the lower parking lot at Elberta Beach.

Support happy, healthy, and strong communities by riding with Norte on August 2nd! Norte’s Ride With Friends, sponsored by J Merchant Builders, is Norte's annual fundraiser to support championing bikes and community. Ride options cater to cyclists of all ages and abilities – there's a ride for everyone in the family!

Everyone can help support our mission of building community through cycling! For more information on how to support this year’s ride and empower the next generation of riders, visit https://www.norteyouthcycling.org/nortesride!

This annual art fair takes place next to the beautiful Suttons Bay Marina Park on the first weekend of August.

August 2 & 3, 2025, Sat. 10am - 5pm, Sun. 10am - 4pm.

One hundred artists along with community groups, a community library book sale, food vendors and a children's area make this the perfect place to spend an art-filled weekend at the beach.

A committee of volunteers oversees the selection of visiting artists and the distribution of funds generated by the event. Thousands of dollars have been contributed to local arts-related education projects. These include music and dance performances, artist in residence programs and scholarships for local art students.

The festival is currently undergoing a two-year transition, during which Crooked Tree Arts Center will assume management of the 2026 event. SBAF board members will continue to play an active role in the jurying and volunteer processes to maintain the event's integrity and consistency.

Come to Suttons Bay in August, participate - as an artist, as a shopper or as a volunteer. Join in the fun!

NAYC Dressage and the Dexter CSI3* Grand Prix
Head to Flintfields Horse Park for a Saturday afternoon of elite youth show jumping and dressage competiton, great food, boutique shopping, and open-air fun. Gates open early, and the main competition begins at 3 PM.

Bring a blanket for the lawn or upgrade your experience with shaded seating, VIP access, or a Cabana Box for your group.

All general admission proceeds benefit local nonprofits—this week, your ticket supports the City Opera House.

Tickets begin at $15 and are available online or at the gate. For an enhanced experience, consider our VIP upgrades

Details at: traversecityhorseshows.com/visit

This annual art fair takes place next to the beautiful Suttons Bay Marina Park on the first weekend of August.

August 2 & 3, 2025, Sat. 10am - 5pm, Sun. 10am - 4pm.

One hundred artists along with community groups, a community library book sale, food vendors and a children's area make this the perfect place to spend an art-filled weekend at the beach.

A committee of volunteers oversees the selection of visiting artists and the distribution of funds generated by the event. Thousands of dollars have been contributed to local arts-related education projects. These include music and dance performances, artist in residence programs and scholarships for local art students.

The festival is currently undergoing a two-year transition, during which Crooked Tree Arts Center will assume management of the 2026 event. SBAF board members will continue to play an active role in the jurying and volunteer processes to maintain the event's integrity and consistency.

Come to Suttons Bay in August, participate - as an artist, as a shopper or as a volunteer. Join in the fun!

NAYC Jumping Final
Head to Flintfields Horse Park for a Sunday afternoon of elite youth show jumping, great food, boutique shopping, and open-air fun. Gates open early, and the main competition begins at 2 PM.

Bring a blanket for the lawn or upgrade your experience with shaded seating, VIP access, or a Cabana Box for your group.

All general admission proceeds benefit local nonprofits—this week, your ticket supports the City Opera House.

Tickets begin at $15 and are available online or at the gate. For an enhanced experience, consider our VIP upgrades

Details at: traversecityhorseshows.com/visit

Join Leelanau Clean Water and Here:Say Storytelling on August 4 for an evening of live storytelling featuring true, first-person stories that celebrate water, in all its forms, anywhere in the world. This FREE show features an engaging collection of stories from LCW storytelling shows staged in 2022 and 2024.

Doors open at 6:30 PM. Stories begin at 7:30 PM.

Featured Storytellers include Annalise Povolo, Anne-Marie Oomen, Jeff Smith, Jessie Zevalkink, and Matt Soderquist.

This is an outdoor event, rain or shine. Check social media for updates if the forecast calls for thunderstorms.

Parking: Ample parking is available at the venue.

Seating: Picnic-style seating. Please bring your own chairs or blankets.

Food and Beverage: Enjoy a variety of grab-and-go concessions from the all-local picnic takeout menu at Lively NeighborFood Market, such as Indian food, gluten-free options, house-made sandwiches, salads, crackers, cheese, dips, and ice cream. BYOB if you wish to consume alcohol – alcohol is not available for purchase at the venue.

Donations: Donations to Leelanau Clean Water are welcome. Look for the LCW table at the event to donate via cash, check, or PayPal.

Enjoy sharing the inspiration, awe, and excitement of water with good company in Leelanau County this August!

Help us give GTRLC’s trails some TLC! Join us to tackle a variety of tasks aimed at improving and maintaining the incredible habitats and access to nature that the Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve provides.

GTRLC will supply gloves and tools. We will teach you everything you need to know about tool use, safety, and trail maintenance. No prior experience necessary! A range of activities is available from lightweight trimming with loppers to more heavy-duty weed whipping or electric trimmer operation. Participants will hike up to 1.5 miles on the boardwalk carrying tools. There is a porta john available at the St. Pierre end of the boardwalk.

What can volunteers find themselves doing:
Trimming vegetation with hand tools to maintain access on the boardwalk

If comfortable, some participants may be asked to use weed whips or other gas-powered or electric trimming tools

Directions: Please meet us in the parking lot at the M-22 end of the Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve.

Join us for Outdoor Story Time! Outside the library, overlooking the beach. Please bring a blanket for your family to sit on.

These story times are geared toward pre-k to second graders and their caregivers, but fun for all who attend!

Rain site is the library’s lower level Community Room.