Almanac

The purpose of the East Bay Corners Farmers Market is to provide fresh and locally grown products, educate the public on the importance of farming best practices, promote local agriculturally based business development, forge partnerships with local farmers and community partners, and create a community gathering space at the Township Hall. East Bay Corners Farmers Market accepts SNAP/EBT benefits and also offers a Power of Produce program for kids ages 5-13. There is family-friendly programming throughout the summer including live music, food trucks, and family game nights. It is a great night out for the whole family.

The Market will open on June 5, 2025 and run until October 2, 2025. It will be held on Thursdays from 2:00pm to 6:00pm at the Township Hall at 1965 N. 3 Mile Road Traverse City, MI 49696. More information about the East Bay Corners Farmers Market and other Food Security programs can be found on the East Bay Township website by visiting: https://eastbaytwp.org/residents/food_security.php

PUPPET SHOWS * STORIES * CRAFTS * ACTIVITIES * PRIZES

Join us for fun with the always hilarious Benzonia Public Library Puppet Lab this summer. There will be fan favorites, along with a NEW friend that we are very excited to introduce to you!

You do NOT need to be a member to Benzonia Public Library to participate, all are welcome!
More details are available at www.benzonialibrary.org/summer-reading-program-2025.html

Fiddleheads presents: Artist in Residence Series with host, Sierra Cassidy.

The series kicks off on June 19th and is every other Thursday from 5:30-8pm through the summer (6/19-9/25). Local musician and host, Sierra Cassidy kicks off each concert with a 30 minute set to be followed by a rotating touring, but Michigan- based singer-songwriter.

The events are free, outdoors, and family-friendly. We are encouraging folks to come have dinner at Fiddleheads and enjoy a night of free music and community.

July 31st artist is Travis Atkinson

This is rain or shine series!

Temple Grandin’s New York Times bestseller Visual Thinking reveals, celebrates, and advocates for the special minds and contributions of visual thinkers. A quarter century after her memoir forever changed how the world understood autism, she now transforms our awareness of the different ways our brains are wired.

About the Speaker: One of the world’s most accomplished and well-known adults with autism, Temple Grandin has a PhD in animal science from the University of Illinois and is a professor at Colorado State University. She has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of the year and one of USA Today’s 2025 Women of the Year. The HBO movie based on her life and starring Claire Danes received seven Emmy Awards. She has also been instrumental in implementing animal welfare auditing programs that are used by McDonalds, Wendy’s, Whole Foods, and other corporations. Her books Animals in Translation and Visual Thinking have been on the New York Times Bestseller List.

July 31, 7pm – Rebekah Jon – Psychedelic pop-rock

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.

Plein Air Weekend
Experience the Magic of Plein Air Painting In and Around Glen Arbor!

Each first full weekend in August, artists from Michigan and the Midwest gather for a two-day event celebrating art, nature, and creativity. The Glen Arbor Arts Center’s Plein Air Weekend is a cherished community event supporting both the center and the artists. As one of Northern Michigan’s first Plein Air Paint-Outs, it continues to attract talent eager to paint outdoors and “capture the moment.”
What is Plein Air Painting?

Plein air painting means creating art outside, a method made famous by French Impressionists in the 19th century. Artists work quickly to finish their 2D paintings in a single day—rain or shine!
Weekend Highlights

Friday
Quick Draw: Artists have 3 hours to create works based on a theme, like “Village Life” or “Pastoral Life.”
Quick Draw Sale: Paintings are displayed and sold at the Glen Arbor Town Hall.
Sunsetter: Artists head out to paint beautiful sunsets.
Saturday – The Main Event
The “Paint Out” invites 75 artists to capture the area’s natural beauty, from lakes and rivers to gardens and landmarks. Sunsetter and Paint Out works are professionally displayed and sold that evening at the Glen Arbor Town Hall.

Awards and Community Fun

Saturday night celebrates creativity with the Amy L. Clark-Carels Award, honoring artistic excellence in memory of the local watercolorist. This lively event showcases diverse artwork, offering the community a chance to view, connect, and purchase unique pieces while supporting talented artists.
Admission and Donations

Both sales are open to the public, and admission is free. Donations are appreciated to support the Glen Arbor Arts Center.
https://glenarborart.org/events-page/plein-air-weekend/

The Oliver Art Center's annual Small Works, Community Collage project opens to the public on June 1st. This year's initiative aims to unite the community in the creation of a vibrant and expansive art installation, with a goal of assembling over 200 unique six-inch paintings into a breathtaking mosaic.

This engaging project underscores the Oliver Art Center's commitment to fostering awareness and accessibility of the visual arts by inviting artists of all ages and abilities to contribute their creativity. Local artists and art enthusiasts are invited to visit the Oliver Art Center to collect blank canvases and embark on creating their miniature masterpieces. These individual works will then be carefully assembled during the last week of May, with the completed community collage unveiled to the public on June 1st. The uniquely decorated canvases will be available for purchase at $40.00 each, with 100% of the proceeds directly supporting the Oliver Art Center's vital programming initiatives.

This year's exhibition holds special significance as it is presented in honor of Joe Muer, a longtime supporter, donor, and even participating artist of the Oliver Art Center, who passed away in 2024. The canvases for this project have been generously donated by Joe and Jane Muer over the past several years.

The Oliver Art Center encourages all members of the community to participate in this vibrant celebration of art and collaboration. Blank canvases will be available at the Art Center throughout the run of the exhibit.

Join the City of Traverse City and Jacobs Engineering for a tour of the facility where you’ll follow the path of wastewater throughout the multiple treatment processes
utilized to remove pollutants and protect the waterway. Tours will be held at 10 and 11am, and 12 and 1pm.

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.