Community Calendar

Blissfest Traditional Community Dance, 7:30 at Littlefield/Alanson Community Building on US31N in Alanson.

Music will be provided by The Hybrids, with Larry Dyer calling.

All dances taught (circles, contras, squares and more).

No need to bring a partner.

Perfect for families.

Potluck at 6:30. Bring table service and dish to pass.

$10, $5/student, 12&under free.

The Glen Arbor Arts Center welcomes the new year with a small exhibition, Small Accomplishments by Leelanau County artist Harvey Gordon. This exhibition of acrylic paintings is in the GAAC’s Lobby Gallery from January 5 - April 23, 2026.

“Ever since I started looking at art, I’ve had a special affinity for small work; work that you could get up close to and see the whole thing, and how it was done,” Gordon said.

The acrylic paintings in Small Accomplishments offer an intimate view of the artist’s process and technique -- his signature practice of layering one transparent color on top of another, which he applies to a range of subjects: beach walkers, the American flag flying in front of a business, Sleeping Bear Bay.

Small Accomplishments is on view in the Lobby Gallery during GAAC business hours; or may be viewed online: GlenArborArt.org / Exhibits

What is Soup and Bread? It’s simple. Local restaurants donate soup. You come, eat, and pay what you want. All money raised goes to a local non-profit.

November: Planned Parenthood
December: North Sky Raptor Sanctuary
January: FLOW For Water
February: Jubilee House
March: Women's Resource Center

Participating Restaurants include: Bubbies Bagels, Cooks House, S2S, Umbo, Modern Bird, Black Star Farms, Common Good Bakery, Identity Brewing, and Farm Club

Sparking Creativity with instructor Carol Hohle

Registration Deadline: Sunday, January 4, 2026
Location: GAAC Classroom
Skill: All Skill Levels
Cost: $130 member/ $145 nonmember

Launch the new year with a new view of creativity. Using “best hits” from the book The Artist’s Way–A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron, participants will engage in journal writing and creative play to express ideas and intentions and come away with a deeper, creative approach to life.

Back again for 2026! Launch the new year with a new view of creativity. Using “best hits” from the book The Artist’s Way–A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron, participants will engage in journal writing and creative play to express ideas and intentions and come away with a deeper, creative approach to life.

Michigan folk singer Ben Traverse (they/them) presents an educational concert and discussion bridging the gap between traditional music, the culture which fostered it, and how it lives on today. A member of the Earthwork Music Collective, they have brought educational programming to institutions across Michigan and beyond, including the Ann Arbor District Library and Reed City Public Schools.

Join us--first thing in the morning--a new book club in collaboration with the Grand Traverse County Senior Center Network. We will talk about books, authors, read excerpts, maybe even have an author visit! Current reads: Suzanne Woods Fisher's Capture the Moment

The year 2026 will mark 250 years since the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. Among others, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams worked together to draft this founding document in American history. Their collaborative efforts shaped the nation in many ways, yet their relationship in the years following the American Revolution was complicated. Join West Shore Community College history professor Mike Nagle as he chronicles the factors that led the pair to become bitter rivals during the Early Republic, their competing visions for the nation’s future, and their eventual reconciliation in later years.

Presenter: Michael Nagle

This presentation is part of the Benzie Area Historical Society’s Benzonia Academy Lecture Series, held on the second Thursday of each month. Admission is by donation, and the recommended donation is $5.

To learn more about the January 8th lecture, visit the Benzie Area Historical Society’s website, benziemuseum.org, Instagram, or Facebook page; call the Museum at (231) 882-5539; or email info@benziemuseum.org.

Join The Kingsley Folk School at Kingsley Branch Library for a relaxed, no-prep storytelling community circle. Inspired by NPR’s The Moth, the Everyone Has a Story series invites you to simply show up and share—no scripts, no pressure. Just real moments from your life, told in the moment.

Together, we’ll listen, laugh, reflect, and connect with neighbors through the power of spontaneous storytelling.

Participants are welcome to speak for up to 5 minutes, or simply come to enjoy the stories and the sense of community.

This gathering happens on the second Thursday of every month from 5:30–7:00 p.m. at the Kingsley Branch Library.

Event is free and open to all, with no registration required.

For more information or to request reasonable accommodations, please call the Library at 231-263-5484 or follow us on Facebook.

The Glen Arbor Arts Center looks inward with its first exhibit of 2026. INteriors, an exploration of inner spaces, both real and imagined, spaces of the home and of the mind, opens January 9 with a reception from 5-7 pm.

Interiors are found both in the domestic and metaphysical spheres. Exhibitors explore what these interiors look like; and what they contain. The INteriors exhibition showcases the work of 27 artists working in a wide range of media.

INteriors runs through March 12, and enjoys the support of Golden-Fowler Home Furnishings of Traverse City.

For more information or to view the exhibit online, go to
GlenArborArt.org / EXHIBITS.

A fun, interactive exhibition showcasing artwork that makes it immediately evident that color is the major characteristic of the piece. Brochures will be provided for viewers to learn about various color schemes, the role of color in a composition, and how it affects interpretation or emotional content of the work.  

Visitors will be encouraged to move through the exhibition space slowly, considering these concepts to gain a deeper appreciation for the role color plays in art. Works on display will include a wide variety media and styles from regional artists.

This exhibit will be on display through February 6th.
Sunday 12-4
Tuesday-Friday: 10-4

Spectrum will open with a reception from 5:00 - 7:00 PM on Friday, January 9th.