Community Calendar

This open-air, juried fine art and fine crafts show will feature fine artists across a variety of media, including: clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, painting, photography, sculpture and more.

This annual festival, put on the Ludington Area Jaycees, brings family fun to the holiday!

The grand parade steps off at 2 p.m. and can be seen on Ludington Avenue west of Washington Avenue.

The fireworks over Lake Michigan begin at dusk and can be viewed from any local beach.

This open-air, juried fine art and fine crafts show will feature fine artists across a variety of media, including: clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, painting, photography, sculpture and more.

Free bike valet parking during the National Cherry Festival provided by Norte from 12 pm to 8 pm!

Ride for Pie and Fun with Norte Youth Cycling—Don't miss out on the sweetest ride of the year! Join us for a scenic bike tour through Traverse City's charming neighborhoods

Free bike valet parking during the National Cherry Festival provided by Norte from 12 pm to 8 pm!

Free, peer-led mental health support groups:

*NAMI Family Support (Mondays at 6pm. Online and in-person at HBA, 3040 Sunset Ln. See website for zoom link.)

*NAMI Connection Group (Mondays at 6pm. Online, see website for zoom link)

Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Time: 9 am–12 pm
Registration Deadline: Thursday, July 2, 2026
Location: Thoreson Farm.
Skill: All

Other Sessions in 4-Part Series: Kandinsky (July 14). Porter (July 21). Kahn (July 28).

Imagine if history’s greatest landscape painters had the opportunity to paint in Sleeping Bear country, “The Most Beautiful Place In America.” This is a class to not only learn the techniques of plein air painting but also to learn about the methods of history’s great landscape painters. Each class will start off with a brief illustrated presentation, beginning with The History Of Landscape Painting, and moving on to newly featured artists for 2026, including Claude Monet, Wassily Kandinsky, Fairfield Porter, and Wolf Kahn. Following the presentations, students will seek to incorporate ideas learned into their own paintings. The instructor will give frequent demonstrations and provide close personal attention to each student.

Objective: Conceptual Understanding

Outcome: Development of Personal Style

Free bike valet parking during the National Cherry Festival provided by Norte from 12 pm to 8 pm!

Date: Wednesday–Friday, July 8, 9, and 10, 2026
Time: 9 am–1 pm
Registration Deadline: Thursday, July 2, 2026
Location: Thoreson Farm
Skill Level: All

Experience plein air oil painting in various locations throughout the historic Port Oneida landscape. This workshop will introduce plein air painting techniques and teach strategies for depicting natural and rural landscapes. Subjects of study will include: atmosphere, trees, terrain, sky, water, beach, and farm buildings. Each class will begin with a painting demonstration, followed by group painting and individual instruction. We will paint rain or shine! Each day, the weather will present new challenges and learning opportunities. All experience levels are welcome. Only a positive attitude is required.

This class will meet at Thoreson Farm each day and may travel to other farms and beaches throughout the Port Oneida Rural Historic District to enjoy a variety of different painting locations.