Jillian Manning | Author

24 Ways to Celebrate the Arrival of 2024

Dec. 23, 2023

Out with the old, in with the New Year’s Eve parties. From a five-course dinner to a throwback 2000s bash to a classic ball drop, it’s time to bust out the sparkles and sequins (and kazoos) at events around the North.

Get an Artful Start

1. Crooked Tree Arts ... Read More >>

How the Mural Gets Made

Nov. 25, 2023

Brianne Farley is no stranger to turning a boring old wall into a vibrant, eye-catching mural. When she’s painting on that massive version of a canvas, she says it really feels like “the world is your oyster.”

You can find Farley’s whimsical works around no... Read More >>

Shopping for Luxe

Oct. 14, 2023

Get your wallets ready...these local goodies are too good to pass up. Let the shopping spree begin!

1. Moraine: Spire Earrings

You can buy a diamond ring or a tennis bracelet just about anywhere. That’s why we love shopping the works of Moraine by Kelsey McQuown, b... Read More >>

Film Review: Flora and Son

Oct. 14, 2023

Sometimes, life doesn’t go as planned. That’s been Flora’s experience, from getting pregnant at 17 to separating from her husband to struggling to connect to her rebellious teenage son. She lives in a dingy shoebox apartment in Dublin, works as a nanny, and takes out her... Read More >>

Film Review: Sitting in Bars with Cake

Sept. 30, 2023

With a slate of spooky movies headed into theaters over the next few weeks, this scaredy cat searched for a new release that promised no jump scares or exorcisms. I landed on Sitting in Bars with Cake, an Amazon Prime adaptation of…a cookbook memoir.

Yes, that was ... Read More >>

Your Guide to Up North Pride Week 2023

Sept. 23, 2023

Up North Pride, a Traverse City-based nonprofit “collective of 2SLGBTQIA+ humans [and] allies looking to build a more inclusive and welcoming northern Michigan,” has made September their new go-to month for their annual Pride Week events. Here’s what’s on the sched... Read More >>

The Water Guides: See the Boardman River, Cedar Lake, and Power Island from a New Perspective

July 15, 2023

Skip the magic carpet ride: Local kayak guides can show you the world…or at least the watery part of it. From the urban landscape of downtown Traverse City to quiet inland lakes to an island wilderness, these guided tours show you a slice of northern Michigan you haven’t seen... Read More >>

Your Nautical Shopping Guide

July 8, 2023

Ready to get out on the lake? So are we! But as always, we hope to do so in style, so we’ve put together a list of a few retailers across northern Michigan that offer the coolest suits, hats, shoes, and accessories you need for a day on the boat, at the beach, or in the waves.

Keep Showing Up: Up North Pride leaders reflect on June events, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and allyship

June 17, 2023

Nearly 53 years ago, the first Pride march was held in New York City, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. In Traverse City, Up North Pride (UNP) hosted its first Pride march in 2014 and has since grown to offer one of the biggest Pride celebrations in the sta... Read More >>

Highs and Lows of the High Season

May 20, 2023

We’re approaching the most wonderful time of the year in northern Michigan. Summer can be downright magical, with quiet morning hikes, afternoons at the beach, and endless entertainment opportunities for a night on the town. But all that fun in the sun also means increased traffic, ... Read More >>

Building Blues

April 29, 2023

The construction industry has been on a roller-coaster ride for the past three years, from an all-time low in jobs and projects in spring of 2020; to a flurry of building activity to meet pent-up demand; to frustrating snafus with supply chain issues.

And that’s to say nothi... Read More >>

Will Travel for Weed: The Growth of Cannabis Tourism

April 15, 2023

Each year, thousands of visitors flock to northern Michigan for our beaches, our wineries, our trout streams, and our Nordic ski trails…just to name a few.

But are they also coming for our cannabis?

Canna tourism has taken root in states like Colorado, Oregon, and C... Read More >>

10 Years of Fascinating People

March 4, 2023

2023 marks the tenth year of the Northern Express Fascinating People list, and as we looked back through the archives, we were blown away by the 180 people we had featured over the years. (Plus 20 more in this issue!)

While we can’t go back and interview each of the... Read More >>

The Accidental Novelist

Feb. 25, 2023

You can take the girl out of Interlochen, but you can’t take Interlochen out of the girl.

Perhaps that’s why New York Times bestselling young adult author Brittany Cavallaro set her hugely popular Charlotte Holmes series in a boarding school. Or why Hello ... Read More >>

Wing Women: Beside Every Great Woman Is Another Great Woman