view archived features Winter Checklist: What to Do? A Few Suggestions from the Express Fun Files...
If you’re an adrenaline addict looking to party-hearty this winter in Northern Michigan, a quick look at the event calendars on local Chamber of Commerce websites could make you want to slit your wrists in despair. They’re loaded with happenings like Rotary Club chicken dinners and elementary school plays. Fortunately, however, there are some more erstwhile events happening in the Land o’ Ice & Snow this winter. You just have to know where to find them. Here, for instance. The following pages offer the results of our deep digging to find out what’s hot between now and St. Paddy’s Day. So, get your hi-liter out along with your sense of anticipation; you’re going to have a great time this winter in spite of the season.
DECEMBER
10 -- Friday Night Live, downtown TC. The winter version of the super popular summer streetfest with ice carving displays, music, entertainers and store specials, 6-9 p.m. 11-12 -- Snowcross racing at the Otsego Club, Gaylord. Check out big-time snowmobile racing & hill climbs as part of a national circuit. www.wsaracing.com. 16 -- Noel Night in downtown Harbor Springs, with entertainment and store specials. 18 -- Empire Winter Holiday Get-Together with fun & specials downtown. 18 -- Leinenkugel’s Party with music, games, prizes and giveaways at Caberfae Peaks, Cadillac. 18 -Jan. 2 -- Festival of Trains. A model train extravaganza featuring G, HO, N, O, and Z gauges, all laid out at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center. 19 -- Harry Goldson Trio, 2-4 p.m. in the dining room of the Silvertree Deli, Suttons Bay. 19 -- Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra performs at the First Presbyterian Church of Harbor Springs. 21 -- Men’s Night, Downtown TC. Finally, men get pampered on “their” night in this grand tradition, with Nolan’s cigars at the Mackinaw Brew Pub, free wrapping, drink specials, hor d’oeuvres and other fun for guys. 5:30-9 p.m. 22 -- Elk Rapids Men’s Shopping Night. 26 -- Motor City Madman and sometime NoMich resident Ted Nugent performs his annual New Year’s bash a wee bit early at Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt. Pleasant. 29 -- Survivor plays classic rock at Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt. Pleasant. 31 -- Blues at Midnight New Year’s Eve Party, includes a five-course dinner at the Trillium with big band-style jazz by The Harry Goldson Quintet followed by the West Coast swing blues of Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers. Grand Traverse Resort. 31 -- Fireworks for New Year’s Eve. Major ski resorts throughout the region offer torchlight parades, fireworks and top bands for New Year’s.
JANUARY
1 -- Na-Tah-Ka Snowmobile Poker on the Irons trail system, 50 mile ride. Na-Tah-Ka Tavern, Bass Lake, www.ironsarea.com. 1-2 -- Snowcross snowmobile racing at the Otsego County Fairgrounds with national competitors on a roller-coaster course. www.wsaracing.com. 7-9 -- Molson Rocks the Mountain: entertainment, prizes and fun at Crystal Mountain, Benzie County. 8 -- Boogie-woogie piano man Mr. B & Monty Alexander perform at Dennos Museum Center, TC. 8 -- Family Day concert with the TSO Percussion Ensemble along with interactive art at Dennos Museum Center, TC. 9 -- Downtown TC Bridal Show. See the latest fashions, menus, music and venues for the bride in your family. Bridal fashion show, food samples, wedding workshops and door prizes. 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. at the Park Place Hotel. 14 -- The Nylons perform a cappella vocals at Interlochen. Formed originally by four out-of-work actors who could sing, the quartet has released 13 albums with a mix of original material and retooled of hits from artists such as Sting, James Taylor and Paul Simon. 14-16 -- Mackinaw City Winterfest offers frozen chicken bowling, kid’s games, buffalo chip hockey, sleigh rides and gigantic snow sculptures. Also, the Paradise Lake Ice Fishing Tournament for the heaviest pike, walleye and pan fish. Plus, vote for your favorite gumbo at the annual Gumbo Cook-Off. 14-16 -- Bay Harbor Ice Festival. Watch as blocks of ice become works of art at the 5th annual Bay Harbor Ice Festival at the wealthy enclave south of Petoskey. 14-29 -- “Proof” – Old Town Playhouse, TC. 15 -- Iowa Rose performs folk and bluegrass at the Gopherwood concert series, Cadillac. 15 -- Sassy Lassies, a women’s weekend at Crystal Mountain. 15 -- Downtown Chili Cook-Off. A gustatory tradition in downtown TC. Taste the top chili samples in the region as chefs vie for top honors, featuring local restaurants and chilies. $8 - 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. At the Park Place Hotel dome. 15 -- Folksinger Rachel Davis performs at Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. Originally from Cadillac, Davis hit it big in Boston with her exceptional voice. 15 -- Grass River Natural Area Winterfest, noon - 3:30 pm, between Bellaire & Alden. 15-16 -- Snowcross snowmobile racing at the Otsego County Fairgrounds. www.wsaracing.com. 18 -- The Tony Award-winning musical “My One and Only” comes to Interlochen, featuring a Gershwin score and classic songs in a tale of love lost and found. 21-- With a name like Rascal Flatts, it’s gotta be country at Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt. Pleasant. 22 -- Grass River Natural Area “Moonlight Ski,” 7 pm, outside Bellaire. 22 -- 11th Annual Snow Ball with champagne and dancing while dining on extensive gourmet hors d’oeuvres at the Chippewa Room at Audie’s Restaurant, Mackinaw City.
22 -- Billy Branch & The Sons of the Blues perform at Milliken Auditorium, Dennos Museum Center, TC. 23 -- Cedar Winter Fest offers fun with Polish pizzazz. 25 -- Shielding Tree Nature Center Full Moon Snowshoe Hike. Glen Arbor. 28-29 -- Road trip: The Blind Boys of Alabama headline the first night of the Ann Arbor Folk Festival at Hill Auditorium, with Keb Mo the next evening. 29 -- Miss Hawaiian Tropic State Finals brings a bevy of lovely ladies to Boyne Mountain. 30 -- Road trip: comedian George Carlin at De Vos Hall, Grand Rapids.
FEBRUARY
4 -- Mardi Gras Celebration at Pearl’s restaurant in Elk Rapids. Always fun with a zydeco band, beads and New Orleans specialties. 5 --Black Lake Sturgeon Shivaree. Get your big fish on at the annual shiverfest on ice. 5 -- Rory Block plays slide guitar and rootsy blues at Milliken Auditorium, Dennos Museum Center, TC. 5 -- White Pine Stampede. Northern Michigan’s original XC ski race kicks off 25-50k’s from Mancelona to Shanty Creek. 5-6 -- Mackinaw Mush Sled Dog Race brings hard-drivin’ dog teams together from all over the North for a doggone exciting competition. 6 -- Women’s Ski Tour at Timber Ridge (see photo). 10-13 -- “The Wizard of Oz,” a show for kids at the Ross Stokes Theater, Petoskey. 11-26 -- “Wives of an American King,” an original play by Anne Marie Oomen at the Studio Theatre, TC. 12 -- Winterfest Beulah, including a winter carnival downtown and a mountain bike race, with fun on Crystal Lake. 15 -- Joe Cocker brings 35-years of blues-rock hits to Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt. Pleasant. 15 -- BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet brings Cajun music, zydeco, New Orleans jazz and more to Interlochen in what Garrison Keillor calls “the best Cajun band in the world.” 18 -- Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the Ramsdell Theater, Manistee. The legendary jazz band has been called “a bridge across the ages - a link between the present day and the heyday of traditional New Orleans music.” 19 -- Clumsy Lovers band plays bluegrass and Celtic rock in a Blissfest concert at Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. 19 -- Grass River Natural Area’s “Moonlight Ski & Owl Calling,” 7 pm. Near Bellaire. 19 -- Alden International Extreme Snow Volleyball Tournament, 9 am - 4 pm. Alden Bar & Grill. 23-25 -- Shielding Tree Nature Center’s Full Moon Snowshoe Hike. Glen Arbor. 26 -- Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra at the United Methodist Church of Petoskey, performing “Faure Requiem.” 26-27 -- Hoot-En-Anny Big Air Competition offers high flying skiers, snowboarders and fun at Boyne Mountain. 27 -- Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra performs “Faure Requiem” at the Indian River Cross in the Woods. 27 -- Charlevoix Ladies Ski Tour on the golf course at Mt. McSauba with gourmet snacks, chocolates and beverages on the trail (see photo).
MARCH
1 -- Road trip: Josh Groban at De Vos Hall, Grand Rapids. 5 -- Triple Play offers jazz & folk at Milliken Auditorium, Dennos Museum Center, TC. 5 -- Mardi Gras celebration at Crystal Mountain. 5 -- Garland Gals Getaway offers XC skiing and chocolates in Lewiston. 5 -- Antique Show at Little River Casino, Manistee. Furniture, glassware, pottery, china, toys, books, pictures, tools, and more. 5-6 -- Snowcross snowmobile racing at the Otsego County Fairgrounds. 8 -- The Dirk Powell Band presents an evening of traditional Appalachian music at Interlochen. Dirk’s playing has been featured in the film “Cold Mountain” and in “Riverdance: The Show,” for which he chose and arranged traditional American material. 11-12 -- Twin Bays’ Skating Club’s Annual Ice Show features guests and local skaters in a “Holiday on Ice” style extravaganza. At Centre ICE Arena, TC, 7 pm. 11-26 -- A mini play extravaganza at the Studio Theatre, Old Town, TC. Including Three Classic One Act Comedies of Moliere (“The Pretentious Young Ladies”), Shaw (“Overruled”) and Chekhov (“The Brute”). 12 -- Eddie from Ohio offers acoustic pop at the Gopherwood concert series in Cadillac. 12-13 -- Spring Fling and Slush Cup in a weekend-long party at Crystal Mountain. 12-13 -- Snowcross snowmobile racing at the Otsego Club, Gaylord. 16 -- A Taste of Gaylord offers samples from the town’s finest restaurants. 16 -- Ladysmith Black Mambazo brings its Grammy Award-winning sound to Interlochen. The South African supergroup first gained international acclaim for its harmonies on Paul Simon’s “Graceland” album, and has since gone on to record with everyone from Dolly Parton to Eric Clapton. 17 -- Elk Rapids’ Taste of Home Cooking Show, 7 pm, Elk Rapids High School. 17 -- St. Patrick’s Day, with annual Pub Crawl, downtown TC. 18 -- Pat Donohoe, the house guitarist for Prairie Home Companion, performs a Blissfest concert at Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. 18-19 -- Hawaiian Tropic Weekend at Caberfae Peaks in Caberfae, with music, party and swimsuit contest. 18-19 -- Carnival Weekend, Boyne Mountain. 19 -- Crazy Daze offers big end of ski season party at Boyne Highlands. 19 -- Saffire the Uppity Blues Women at Milliken Auditorium, Dennos Museum Center, TC.
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