Community Calendar

The Tallest Dwarf follows filmmaker Julie Wyman as she searches for her place in the little people community and unpacks dwarfism’s impact on her own family. Through intimate stories, creative collaborations, and archival history, the film delves into identity and medicine, asking whether society should change people or the structures that limit them.

Free, peer-led mental health support: NAMI Connection Group. Held Wednesdays, 5pm Online (see website for zoom link) and at Child & Family Services, 3785 Veterans Dr.

Author and bioregionalist Stephanie Mills will present her 2025 Freshwater Summit keynote speech “Starting from and Staying with the Nature of Place” on Wednesday, April 8th, 2026 at The Grand Traverse Circuit. Sponsored by Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, donations support local non-profit Title Track, founded by activist & musician Seth Bernard. Title Track engages creative practices to build resilient social-ecological systems to support clean water, racial equity, and youth empowerment.

Fundraising veteran Beth Stoner Wiegand will facilitate a detailed, hands-on workshop regarding the art of writing donor appeal letters.

What are the ingredients for a compelling Appeal Letter?

Fundraising veteran Beth Stoner Wiegand will facilitate a detailed, hands-on workshop regarding the art of writing donor appeal letters. In this three-hour session, we’ll look closely at what makes a letter purposeful, compelling, and how thoughtful practices, like audience segmentation and handwritten touches, can deepen prospect connections resulting in favorable results. Participants will have time to work on their own letters and leave with a solid draft or an improved version ready for use.

Facilitator: Beth Stoner-Weigand
A graduate of Indiana University with a BS in Music Performance, Beth’s first job was working for a US Senator before moving to a federal agency, the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington, D.C., followed by 22 years serving in a variety of roles in the Advancement Department at Interlochen Center for the Arts. When she isn’t golfing, sailing, gardening or on a travel adventure, she will be consulting, coaching or conducting annual teaching seminars in fundraising for Extended Education Services at Northwestern Michigan College, underwritten in part by Rotary Charities of Traverse City. She lives on Old Mission Peninsula with husband Bruce.

Audience: Who is this for?
This session is designed for: Organizations

“The History of Church in Benzie County.”
Presented by: Rev. Dinah Haag
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 4 pm
Mills Community House & ZOOM

What do Morgan School and Church, Benzie Area Christian Neighbors, and the Congregational and Christian Assemblies have in common? Rev. Dinah Haag will present the findings of a search into "The History of Church in Benzie County", Thursday, April 9th, at 4:00 p.m. in the upper level of the Mills Community House.

Presenter: Rev. Dinah Haag

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, with a recommended $5 donation.

To learn more about the April 9th 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.

Directed and produced by Nick Geidner and narrated by actress and author Danica McKellar, The Library That Dolly Built takes viewers behind the scenes of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library — the globally recognized early childhood book-gifting program that has mailed over 307 million books to young children, at no cost to their families. What began in 1995 as a local effort in Tennessee has grown into the world’s leading early childhood literacy initiative.

The documentary highlights the vision, infrastructure, partnerships, and passionate community members who have helped transform Dolly Parton’s dream into a worldwide movement for literacy. Backed by extensive research showing measurable improvements in early childhood literacy metrics, the Imagination Library has earned numerous national and international honors, including the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and recognition from the Library of Congress.

In our 5-county region, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library GTR is a nonprofit community partner whose dedicated team of volunteers enrolls local children and raises the money that pays for the books mailed to them. All children in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau Counties are eligible to participate from birth until their fifth birthday. Today, 4,474 children in our community are receiving monthly books. That is 56% of all eligible children across the region. Although the program is free to participating families, it is fully supported by the generosity of local donors.

This film screening offers local families, educators, and community members an opportunity to celebrate the power of books in a child’s earliest years. A donation of $10 is suggested to help pay for the books mailed to local children.

EVENT DETAILS
📍 Location: Elk Rapids Cinema
📅 Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
🕕 Doors Open: 6:00 PM
🎬 Film Begins: 7:00 PM
🎟 Admission: Free and open to the public (A donation of $10 is suggested to help pay for the books mailed to local children)
⏱ Runtime: 1 hour 8 minutes
Community members of all ages are warmly invited to attend.

WATERCOLOR ABSTRACT - 2-day Workshop

APRIL 10 & 11 , 2026
Friday & Saturday
9:30am - 4:30pm

REGISTER BY: April 5th
CLASS FEE: $200, or $180 for members​
FORMAT: in-person

Creating Spontaneous Watercolor with Abstract Elements and Techniques Workshop with exhibiting artist Rocco Pisto! For beginners & dabblers to experienced.

In this two-day workshop students will learn how to free up their paintings with abstract elements and various techniques used by professionals around the country. Learn about art history and how it translates to today’s artists. Discuss and work on a color therapy project. Learn about color value, hue and gradation. Discuss the elements of art and how it relates to both representational and abstract painting. Push your painting beyond your comfort zone and explore the freedom of working with a mop brush on quality watercolor paper both white and black. Bring at least six sheets of paper and have your paint already dried on a palette.

SUPPLY LIST: Click HERE to download & print.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Email roccopistoart@gmail.com

Date: Friday, April 10, 2026
Time: 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Location: Glen Arbor Arts Center Classroom
Skill Level: All

In this hands-on class, students will design and carve original stamps from soft carving blocks, then print their designs on fabric. The session begins with a brief history of tea towels and their role in everyday life, followed by demonstrations of image transfer, carving with linocut tools, and inking techniques. Students will proof their stamps on paper and scrap fabric before printing final designs on tea towels provided in class. They are also welcome to bring items from home, such as T-shirts, jeans, or other fabric, to personalize with their prints. The subject matter is entirely student-driven—drawings, photos, or sketches can all serve as starting points for stamp designs. With the flexibility to create multiple stamps and layer colors, participants will discover how easily patterns and motifs can evolve into bold, repeatable fabric prints. No prior experience is required.

Objective: Skill Development, Creativity Enhancement

Outcome: Inspiration and Creativity, Better Comprehension of Tools and Materials

Join us for the Friends annual Spring Book Sale!

Friday, April 10th | 5:30 PM-8:00 PM
Members Only Pre-Sale
(Membership Sign-Up Available at the Door)

Saturday, April 11th | 9:00 AM-6:00 PM
Sale Open to the Public
Members receive 50% off!

Sunday, April 12th | 12:00 PM-4:30 PM
All Day Fill a Bag for $5

Hardcover Books: $4
Paperback Books: $2
Children’s Books: $2

Friends of the Library = ½ OFF ALL WEEKEND

Become a member at tadl.org/friends