Community Calendar

National Alliance on Mental Illness offers support groups for families and individuals living with a mental health challenge. Groups are confidential, free and no registration is required.

Email info@namigt.org or call 231-944-8448 for more information.

Charlevoix Circle of Arts invites the community to celebrate the season at its annual Charlevoix Circle mARkeT, running November 14 through December 30, 2025. This festive holiday marketplace features an inspiring array of handmade goods, original artwork, and locally produced specialty treats, all created by talented Michigan artisans.

The mARkeT opens with a reception on Friday, November 14, from 5–7 p.m., featuring complimentary refreshments and the first opportunity to shop the beautifully curated selection of locally made items.

Each year, the Circle’s gallery transforms into a winter wonderland of creativity, offering unique gifts for everyone on your list—and maybe a little something for yourself. Shoppers will find handcrafted jewelry, pottery, textiles, fine art, ornaments, candles, cards, and more, all made with care by local artists, crafters, and makers.

This exhibit is made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship support of Charlevoix State Bank, whose commitment helps bring this beloved community tradition to life.

Charlevoix Circle of Arts, located at 109 Clinton Street in downtown Charlevoix, is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about the Charlevoix Circle mARkeT or upcoming exhibits and events, please call (231) 547-3554 or visit www.charlevoixcircle.org.

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.