Ellen Miller | Author
Your Labor Day 2026 Weekend Itinerary
Aug. 29, 2026
Before the kids go back to school, there’s time for one last hurrah over Labor Day weekend! From a Moomers sailing trip to the Mackinac Bridge walk, here are 10 events to keep the whole family busy.
DAILY
Brethren Days Aug. 15, 2026 Celebrity baker Martin Sorge grew up making Bisquick biscuits with his mom. This might not seem like the most auspicious beginning (especially when you factor in his first solo baking attempt involved only flour, water, and a 20-minute microwave episode that ended in disaster). In fact, Sor…
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July 25, 2026 Ceramicist Meghan Merkey probably could have fallen in love with any art form. And yet as a young creative, it was clay that drew her in. “I grew up in a house that was very creative,” she says. “There were always projects to do; there was always a craft around.”&nbs…
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July 4, 2026 1. Robin Hood: Naught in Nottingham, The MATCH, Traverse City June 20, 2026 For tourists and locals alike, the construction at the Traverse City State Park has been a big change. Normally at this time of year, its parking lots and campsites are packed with cars and campers as folks from downstate (and further away) head up north to experience the great outdoors dur…
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May 16, 2026 Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle’s journey has always been deeply informed by her community, who supported her and helped raise her, buying from her lemonade stand to help her go to college. She wanted to give back, but wasn’t sure how. “When I…
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Dec. 6, 2025 Local arts and community center Crooked Tree Arts Center—with locations in Petoskey in Traverse City—has no shortage of offerings from classes to exhibits to shows. And their dedication to cultivating the arts Up North shows. “Our biggest success in 2025 has been s…
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Nov. 15, 2025 Since Traverse City Front Street newcomer Surfaces Art Supplies opened this July, they’ve hit the ground running, curating a mix of craft and fine art supplies alongside art experiences for tourists and locals alike. Owner Liz Kennington opened Surfaces in pursuit of a longsta…
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Oct. 25, 2025 Leaves are turning and the shelves are stocked with Halloween sweets…but skip the chain store aisles this year and instead, get your sweet tooth fix close to home. Below, explore the offerings at local candy purveyors before the first trick-or-treater rings the doorbell. Sept. 20, 2025 The Brengmans are a third-generation hospitality family from the Detroit area. “Our grandfather and dad operated restaurants in the east side mostly of the Detroit area and downtown,” says Robert Brengman. “It was pretty cool to be able to go to all those places as a young…
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Aug. 23, 2025 Labor Day weekend marks a seasonal shift Up North. The weather is still beautiful (we hope!), and “locals’ summer” is about to kick off. On the flip side, kids are headed back to school and the long summer days are fading. So take advantage of the holiday weekend by checki…
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Aug. 9, 2025 The Old Mission Inn has seen a lot in its years on the peninsula. Established in 1869, the inn has only had four owners over the course of its life and is the oldest continually-operating hotel in Michigan. Current owners Angie and Bruce Jensen bought the inn in 1998; they had been …
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July 26, 2025 With the beauty of the coastline front and center, you could be forgiven for not knowing that Traverse City has a robust public arts scene. Walk around town, though, and you’ll be met with a rich artistic experience, from gallery walls to public art on buildings to TART Trail sculptur…
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July 12, 2025 Michigan has almost 4,200 miles of coastline, more than any other state except for Alaska. And in recent years here in northern Michigan, the swing in lake levels has been particularly apparent, with high water causing major damage in 2020. There have always been fluctuations in the…
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June 27, 2025 For many, the National Cherry Festival Air Show is synonymous with big jet teams like the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds. Last year, however, news broke that neither group would be back in 2025. Never fear—the Air Show still has plenty on offer! From a tribute performance to …
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June 7, 2025 Folks in Petoskey craving authentic Italian need look no further than Leto’s Osteria, which opened in April in the heart of downtown. From general manager Todd Chinnock and chef Ray Kumm, Leto’s Osteria takes the place of POUR, which had a loyal following among locals an…
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May 24, 2025 For those who love being outdoors (and during Traverse City’s beautiful and fleeting spring, who doesn’t?), the TART Trails are a well-known community asset. This local network includes several multi-use trails in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties, as well as a cross-town bik…
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May 10, 2025 For the past 15 years, TC Roller Derby has been tearing up the rink and building relationships on and off the track. Back in 2010, a group of interested potential derby players met up to discuss the possibility of forming a team. They met at public spaces downtown, including Horizon…
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April 19, 2025 Craving a pizza or a hearty bowl of pasta? You’re in luck: Nittolo’s Little Italy, from restaurateur Eric Nittolo, is slated to open downtown in the Warehouse District in this April, pending licensing and approvals. The new spot was built out in the space where Cut &…
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April 5, 2025 Jennifer Weiner was on a vacation with her husband in Alaska when she had the vision that sparked her new book. “We were talking to lots of people, eavesdropping on conversations,” she remembers. “I got this image in my head of a woman wearing a giant puffy parka and carry…
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Dickson Township Park,…
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In the Kitchen with Martin Sorge: Recipes, Reality TV, and Really Great Bakes
Finding Freedom in Process
10 Summer Theater Shows
June 26-July 17 | $15
Student players from Old Town Playhouse’s one-week Spring Break camp present this interpretation of Robin Hood, packed with anachronisms.
oldtownplayhouse.…
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The Latest on the Traverse City State Park Construction
Women Are the Backbone of the Tribe
Traverse City’s Crooked Tree Arts Center Looks Ahead
More than an Art Store
Candy Land
Tra…
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Café Exalt Shifts with the Seasons
Labor Day 2025 in Northern Michigan
Old Mission Inn: Then & Now (and Now For Sale)
Bringing Art to Community
Shoring Up Coastal Resiliency
The Air Show Must Go On
Simple, Scratch-made, and Seasonal at Leto’s Osteria
TART Super Bikers
Skate, Jam, and Roll
Nittolo's Little Italy Comes to Downtown TC
The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits