Ross Boissoneau | Author
Motown Magic at Cherry Festival
June 22, 2019
“Bring over some of your old Motown records,” sang Rod Stewart in “The Motown Song.” The National Cherry Festival is going one better, with a July 4 show featuring the Four Tops and The Spinners.
The Four Tops have been Motown royalty since the 196...
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Cherry Fest Top 10
June 22, 2019
Nearly a half-million people hit Traverse City during the National Cherry Festival — this year, June 29–July 6 — and the festival delivers seven jam-packed days of good and fun: amusement park rides, concerts, parades, races, contests, games, get-togethers, and mor...
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Pack a Picnic for Parallel 45’s Outdoor Summer-theater Series
June 22, 2019
The tradition of summer stock theater — productions usually staged outside in the heat of summer — is an old one, harkening back to a handful of American cities (and their outskirts), circa 1920.
But what’s brand spanking new in Traverse City this July: Parallel ...
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Matt Younkin never intended to be a stunt pilot — until his dad died in an airshow.
June 22, 2019
For Matt Younkin, flying isn’t the only thing, but it is the best thing. Especially when he’s in his Beech 18.
While some aeronautic shows feature planes known for their breathtaking speed or maneuverability, Younkin instead flies a Twin Beech that was n...
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Wheels Up!
June 22, 2019
Eight — count ’em, eight — different airshows will take to the skies over West Bay as the 2019 National Cherry Festival takes flight. The shows take place beginning at 1pm both Saturday and Sunday, June 29 and 30, and run till 4pm, with no letup. Headlining the show will...
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The Fabulous Miss Peppermint to Headline Drag Night
June 15, 2019
A fixture on the New York nightlife scene, Miss Peppermint will headline Drag Night at The Little Fleet on June 21. Peppermint has starred on TV and the Broadway stage and will be bringing her talents to Traverse City as part of Pride Week, June 17–23.
Peppermint is...
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Paula Poundstone Returning to Boyne City
June 15, 2019
Paula Poundstone is bringing her smart, observational humor and spontaneous interaction with the crowd to the Boyne City Performing Arts Center. Again. Her upcoming June 29 date will be the third time the comedian has performed in Boyne City. “My manager asked, ‘Would you work...
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Polish for a Day — or a Weekend (recommended) — at Cedar Polka Fest
June 15, 2019
Pennsylvania has nothing on Cedar. Sure, it boasts the Pennsylvania Polka, but Cedar has the Polkafest. And can you get kielbasa, golabki, or pierogies in Pennsylvania? Well, yes, you likely can, but Cedar is much closer, and besides, there’s the parade, dancers, and yes, plenty of ...
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Polka Fest Spotlight: Larry & His Larks
June 15, 2019
Larry Fleis can’t kick the polka habit. President and chairman of the board of directors of the multi-state engineering company he helped found, Fleis, on the night of June 20, will pick up his accordion and bring back one of northern Michigan’s finest family polka bands, Larr...
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4 Can’t Miss Events for Wine Lovers
June 8, 2019
No, the entire region has not become a wine trail. But thankfully for oenophiles, with some four dozen wineries between Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas to the south, and the Petoskey Wine Region to the north, you don’t have to travel far to taste or toast the Nort...
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2019 EDITION
June 8, 2019
Hear that? There’s a twang in the air, voices raised in song, the beat of the drum, squealing saxophones, and the rumble of bass lines. It’s the sound of summer, from music in the park to vast auditoriums filled with people shouting out choruses.
From folk to bar...
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New Life for Teen-Parent Mentoring Program
June 1, 2019
It’s a truism that no matter how hard one might try, no one is ever completely prepared to be a parent. The challenges for those who are still in school are even more daunting. Trying to keep up with studies while caring for a newborn can be overwhelming.
That&rsquo...
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Crowd Faves from SXSW, America's Got Talent Coming to Bay View
May 25, 2019
The Bay View music festival of the summer-only community north of Petoskey is the longest-running such festival in the U.S. Its combination of performances by music faculty, students, community members, and guests presents a broad mix of sounds, from voice to instrumental, rock to classic...
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Vintage Holiday
May 25, 2019
Turn of the century ambience, elegant dining, Victorian quaintness, maybe even a ghost or two — the Terrace Inn seems to have everything contemporary hotels lack. Owners and proprietors Mo Rave and Patty Rasmussen try to ensure that’s the case.
“This place is all...
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The Grapes That Could Change Everything
May 25, 2019
Years ago, people thought it was too cold to grow grapes in this region. Then in 1964, Bernie Rink planted some grapes — and soon, an industry was born. Today, with more than three dozen wineries and three wine trails — Leelanau, Old Mission, and Petoskey — it’d be...
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Go North of the 45th, Young Man
May 25, 2019
Your trip begins — well, wherever you are. But where it heads is the lush and lively region north of the 45th Parallel, running east-west just north of the tip of Old Mission Peninsula. So we’re looking at you, Charlevoix. And Petoskey. And Harbor Springs. And you too, Gaylord...
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Criss Angel to Appear — and Probably Disappear
May 18, 2019
Criss Angel is revered as one of the best magicians out there. Among his accolades, he’s been named the Magician of the Decade, the Magician of the Century, even the Greatest Of All Time. The escape artist, illusionist, and sleight-of-hand master is bringing his bag of tricks to Lee...
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Go Big. Go UP This Summer, Eh?
May 18, 2019
Summer isn’t summer without a trip to the Upper Peninsula. Huge forests, wee towns, long stretches of uncrowded beaches, and endless character (and, some ight say, characters), the UP is home to a unique host of delights you can’t readily find in our neck of the woods. This su...
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Lawyer-Turned-Author Showcases the Women History Hides
May 11, 2019
For Marie Benedict, the opportunity to explore and share her vision of female pioneers overshadowed the perks of her day job. A magna cum laude graduate of Boston College and cum laude graduate of the Boston University School of Law, Benedict was a successful litigator with two of the cou...
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Don’t Ride 100 Miles for a Banana
May 11, 2019
The Kentucky Derby is over, but race fans are just getting started in northern Michigan. And among the myriad races of all stripes is the 11th Annual Bike Up North, which takes place June 1.
If you’re not yet a road biker, this might be your reason to become one.