Community Calendar

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.

"I wanna be in the room where it happens. I've got to be in the room where it happens." - Aaron Burr, Hamilton

"America, you great unfinished symphony, you sent for me. You let me make a difference. A place where even orphan immigrants can leave their fingerprints and rise up.”— Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton

Be in the room where it happens at our Hamilton Sing-along! Join fellow fans to watch and sing along with the hit Broadway musical about the “ten-dollar founding father.” All voices welcome—costumes encouraged!

This event is part of our 2026 Civics Celebration - tadl.org/democracy

New Hope Community Church will host Night to Shine, a global celebration for people with special needs, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. The event takes place Friday, February 13, 2026, 6p-9p, and includes a red-carpet welcome, dinner, dancing, and a crowning ceremony where every guest is honored as a King or Queen.

More info: newhope.cc/shine

Performers: Louise Brodie, Tim Joseph, Laura Miller, Andy Rockwood, Marley Demers
Caller: Pat Reeser

Join us for an afternoon of contra dancing! No partners or experience needed. The first half hour will be a workshop to teach and practice some of the basic steps.

Dancing is not required. You are welcome to come listen to the music. Chairs will be set up around the perimeter of the room.
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What is the Benzonia Area Community Emergency Fund?
The Benzonia Area Community Emergency Fund will financially assist an individual or a family that has fallen upon hard times. This is done on a one time basis through the payment of a known expense such as a medical, housing or utility bill. Funds are collected and administered through the Mills Community House Association.

For more information on the Benzonia Area Community Emergency Fund, our service area, how funds will be dispersed, and the nomination form, please visit our website: www.millscommhouse.org

When it comes to movers and shakers in the bluegrass world, Full Cord is a super-group on the rise. After winning the prestigious 2022 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition in Colorado, the Michigan-based group followed that with another much-coveted honor when the International Bluegrass Music Association named Full Cord its “Momentum Award Band of the Year.” Visuals by Super Nuclear.

The Grand Traverse Audubon Club and Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy are collaborating to bring you this special winter field trip.

Join us to participate in the global Great Backyard Bird Count happening February 13th - 16th, an annual bird census conducted throughout the world by volunteers like you. You’ll help count birds and enter the data into the eBird app.

The Basics

We will start at Medalie Park on Boardman Lake from 9 am to 11:00 am, then move to Mitchell Creek Meadows: The Don and Jerry Oleson Nature Preserve (2846 3 Mile Rd) for a nature walk on the universally accessible Looyenga Family Trail from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.

What should I bring?
- Sturdy hiking shoes or snow boots are recommended
- Dress for the weather! Winter attire is a must. Always check the forecast in advance.
- Water bottle
- Consider bringing your camera or binoculars
- Download the eBird app in advance

Registration is required and limited to 20 attendees; updates or cancellations will be emailed to registered participants. If you're completing registration for multiple people, please register each individually. Thank you for your interest in joining us! If you have any questions, please contact us at (231) 929-7911 or info@gtrlc.org.

For more details and information, contact Leader Kathie Wiley - (dujour1@gmail.com)

Please click here to register!

Join a conversational tour of the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s current exhibits on February 14, 1 pm. GAAC Gallery Manager Sarah Bearup-Neal leads a Walk + Talk of INteriors, and Small Accomplishments.

INteriors brings to the GAAC Main Gallery work that explores interior spaces real and imagined, in the home and mind. In the GAAC’s Lobby Gallery is Small Accomplishments, a group of acrylic paintings by Leelanau County artist Harvey Gordon that capture unremarkable events with remarkable technique.

The February 14 Walk + Talk is free and open to the public. Read more about both exhibits, and look at the artwork online at GlenArborArt.org / EXHIBITS.

Intermediate/Advanced Beekeeping classes will begin on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 1 PM at the Betsy Valley library in Thompsonville and will meet a minimum of every two weeks. Enrollment is limited to 15 beekeepers, with each student having a minimum of one year beekeeping experience. We will concentrate on bee biology, advanced methods of swarm control such as the Demeree, splits/divides, Snelgrove board use and others. We will also learn multiple ways of rearing queens, including cell grafting, although cell punch, the Miller method and others.

Each student will be able to keep the queens that they reared in class.

Classes at the Library at 14744 Thompson Ave., Thompsonville, MI 49683.

The fee is $75.00 for the entire course.

A syllabus will be available at the Library when you register.

Please call the library or stop in person to register.
Questions, please call 231-378-2716.

Join us for a special edition of Dead Poets Society, reflecting on devotion. Devotion to self, to others and beyond.

Details:
Date: Feb 14th and Every 2nd Saturday of the Month
Location: Blessed Be Tea and Apothecary 116 E Front St
Time: 6PM - 7 PM

Suggested Donation: $5-$10 (Donations help keep our community events going, but they are not required to attend.)

Upon arrival, we will gather in a circle and take turns reading poetry in a round-robin style. Poetry may come from poets dead or alive, and our favorites are your own original works! Participation is encouraged but not mandatory—you’re welcome to pass if you don’t have a poem to share. However, it’s always more fun to join in!

Dead Poets Society is a community-based, open-mic style poetry reading event. At Blessed Be, we believe in the power of words and the importance of creating a sacred space for expression. While our group focuses on poetry, we also welcome writers, musicians, and all performance artists to share both mainstream and original works.

Important Note: This event is not specifically geared for children. We ask that parents use discretion when bringing kids, as poetry can sometimes touch on sensitive topics. The event is recommended for ages 15 and up.

What to Expect: Led by Allie Robinson-Ollila, this gathering forms organically, and all are welcome! Walk-ins and tag-a-long friends are always welcome.

Come and be part of our poetic community, where words come alive and everyone’s voice is heard!

A night of virtuosic acoustic guitar and unmistakable melodies will take over Traverse City's historic City Opera House on Valentine's Day. Guitar Dreams featuring Jake Allen and Ryan David Green will be performing on Saturday, February 14, 2026, starting at 7:30pm. Tickets are $30 for general admission; $20 for students 18 & younger, seniors and military.

Jake Allen has toured globally, is endorsed by Takamine Guitars, and has shared stages with guitar legends such as Andy McKee and Mike Dawes. As a solo artist, Allen utilizes impeccably timed live looping to create a captivating one-man show, with his hypnotic command of the guitar bringing every inch of the instrument to life.

Ryan David Green has been called “a full blown shredder” by Acoustic Guitar Magazine. A graduate of Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music, his instrumental “Time Is Not What You Think It Is" was awarded 1st place in the 2024 American Songwriter Song Contest and his original compositions have received numerous film and TV placements, including shows on E!, Lifetime, and ABC Family/Freeform.

Together, performing a blend of beautiful instrumental guitar pieces and delicate vocal tunes, they’ll be taking audiences to a place both otherworldly, and somehow surprisingly intimate.