Winter Fun Calendar

Winter festivals, concerts, plays, family fun... Here’s the rundown on what’s up in Northern Michigan for the frosty months:

DECEMBER

Dec 10 - Mar 4: “A Terrible Beauty: Bugs as Art” exhibit of insects in wildly creative repeating patterns at the Dennos Museum Center, TC. Plus, a retrospective curator’s show featuring the best of the Dennos.
12/16 - 1/1: Festival of Trains extravaganza of model railroads at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center, TC.
12/21: Men’s Night Downtown: shopping, hors d’oeuvres, cigars and drink specials just for guys in downtown TC.
12/31: New Year’s Parties ‘round the region: see Northern Express’s 12/28 New Year’s issue for details.

JANUARY

1/7: 12th Annual Downtown Bridal Show with over 35 local experts in all phases of wedding planning. Park Place Dome, TC.
1/7: Boyne Highlands Classic 5 and 11k Ski Race.
1/12-13, 18-21: Two-faced con man “Tartuffe” gets his comedic comeuppance at Old Town Playhouse, TC.
1/13: 13th Annual Downtown Chili Cook-Off at the Park Place Dome in downtown TC. Sample some of the best from local restaurants.
1/13: Mr. B. and Bob Seeley play blues and boogie-woogie piano at Milliken Auditorium, TC.
1/13: The Traverse Symphony Orchestra’s string quartet performs “Vibrations on a String” for kids at the City Opera House, TC.
1/13-3/13: 26th Annual Juried Photography Exhibit at Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey.
1/13: The Interlochen Arts Academy presents Playwright’s Showcase.
1/13: Alden Grass River Natural Area Winterfest Free Family Event. 
1/13: Michigan Cup XC Ski Marathon, Hanson Hills, Grayling.
1/19-21: Bay Harbor Ice Festival offers a chili cookoff and ice carvings in Petoskey.
1/20-21: Kallkaska Winterfest & Sled Dog Races, with volleyball tournament, fishing contest, sleigh rides, dog pull contest, chili cookoff and hockey. Kalkaska Fairgrounds.
1/20: The Hackensaw Boys -- BlissFest concert at Crooked Tree Arts Center.
1/23: NPR’s From The Top at Corson Auditorium, Interlochen Center for the Arts. Live recording of popular radio variety show.
1/26: Miss Hawaiian Tropic 25th anniversary State Finals at Boyne Mountain.
1/26-28: Winter Surprise Concert with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Corson Auditorium, Interlochen.
1/27: The Gin Blossoms perform modern rock at the Leelanau Sands Showroom.

FEBRUARY

2/3: White Pine Stampede 10, 20 and 50k XC Ski Race, Mancelona.
2/2-3, 8-11, 15-17: “The Heidi Chronicles,” Wendy Wasserstein’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play is an unflinching portrayal of the Baby Boom generation’s coming of age as Heidi, an intelligent and well-educated woman, uses her ability and wit to make it in a society dominated by men. Old Town Playhouse, TC.
2/2: Joe Bonamassa, rising blues star, performs at Milliken Auditorium, TC.
2/2: The Nylons do the doo-wop at Interlochen’s Corson Auditorium.
2/3-4: Mackinaw Mush 18th annual sled dog race in Mackinaw City.
2/2-4: Women’s Winter Tour Weekend, Crystal Mountain.
2/10: Winterfest, Beulah/Benzonia, with carnival fun, fishing, races and more on Crystal Lake.
2/10: North American Vasa XC 12, 12 and 50k Ski Race. TC.
2/11: Gran Travers 16k XC Ski Race, TC/.
2/12: Jimmy Heuga Express ski bash at Boyne Mountain.
2/13: Song of the Lakes 25th anni-versary concert, Corson Auditorium, Interlochen.
2/15-25: “Proof,” a murder mystery by the Little Traverse Theatre, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey.
2/16: Langston Hughes Project. Celebrate the African American experience with “Ask Your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz” at Milliken Auditorium, TC.
2/17: Greensky Bluegrass performs a BlissFest concert at Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey.
2/18: Sizzling Espana show offers Spanish guitar sounds with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Corson Auditorium, Interlochen.
2/21: “Pirates of Penzance” performed by the Carl Rosa Opera Company at Corson Auditorium, Interlochen.
2/24: Encore Wind Symphony kicks off its season with ‘’A Night at the Theatre’’ at Milliken Auditorium, TC.
2/24: Cross Country Winter Feast at Crystal Mountain, Benzie County.
2/24: Alden Grass River Natural Area Moonlight Ski & Owl Calling.
2/24: Mardi Gras Celebration and Cardboard Classic, Crystal Mountain.
2/18-19: Home Builders Expo at Traverse City East Junior High School.

MARCH
3/1: Soprano Sari Gruber performs in Dendrinos Chapel, Interlochen.
3/2-3, 8-11, 15-18: “The Full Monty” tells the story of six out-of-work steelworkers who stage a striptease show to raise money. Old Town Playhouse, TC.
3/3: Banu Gibson sings swinging New Orleans jazz from the 1920s-’40s at Milliken Auditorium, TC.
3/2-4: Interlochen Arts Academy presents their Winter Dance Concert in Corson Auditorium.
3/6: Dancer-illusionists of Momix present an amazing array of light and sound effects with their ‘’Lunar Sea’’ show at Corson Auditorium, Interlochen.
3/9: Teada & Grada perform Celtic tunes in a BlissFest concert at Harbor Springs Auditorium.
3/10: Nub’s Nord ski festival for telemark and XC skiers at Nub’s Nob, Harbor Springs.
3/17: Michigan SongFest, show-cases the state’s best minstrels with Seth and Daisy May, Dick Siegel and others in a BlissFest concert at Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey.
3/17: Krazy Days winter carnival at Boyne Mountain.
3/18: “The Mark of Zorro” offers an appearance by the Spanish swashbuckler with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra at Corson Auditorium, Interlochen.
3/22-31: “The Great Cross-Country Race,” staged by the Little Traverse Theatre, Petoskey.
3/24: Mardi Gras spring fling at Nub’s Nob, Harbor Springs.
3/21: Spring Fling Weekend at Crystal Mountain.

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