The Festival of the Senses

Sept. 12, 2007

At the Northern Express we celebrate a “festival of the senses” each week in every issue. There was a time when options were limited here in the northwoods; but with growth has also come additional offerings in the areas of culture and entertainment.
For those of us who have lived in Northern Michigan most or all of our lives, there was a time when we wondered what we were going to do on any given evening because it appeared that “nothing was happening.” But those days are over, and now there are literally more options than humanly possible to participate in each and every day.
Last year Northern Michigan was introduced to Festival of the Senses, a fall celebration of the region’s arts, culture, winemaking, heritage and culinary creativity.
So why a special celebration? Because at times, we can forget what is in our own backyard, and we think that we have to travel down and or out of the state to find what’s new and interesting. But Northern Michigan is loaded with talented people, from musicians to artists to winemakers to chefs to actors and athletes, who have contributed to the cultural landscape that exists here. So we celebrate to serve as a reminder that we literally are able to walk out into our backyard and be entertained, enjoy great food, view art, taste great wines and beers and experience the great outdoors.
The Festival of the Senses is a collection of independently coordinated events, festivals and celebrations throughout Northern Michigan that have joined together to educate residents and visitors about the diverse year round offerings in the region. There is no board of directors or formal structure; any group, individual, association or business that offers an event that appeals to the “senses” is eligible to participate. *
Areas rich in cultural talent like ours attract other talent. National musical acts, international artists, world class chefs, and best-selling authors all come to Northern Michigan; and some will be here during this 10-day period that we are calling the Festival of the Senses. Remember that the celebration doesn’t end on the September 23 - it continues daily throughout the year. Our promise to you from the staff at the Express is we will do our best to keep you informed of all the “culture” that our region has to offer.

Here’s just a sampling of what will be available:

Traverse Epicurean Classic Sept. 13-15
Food lovers can mingle with 30 of America’s top chefs, cookbook authors and wine experts - including seven James Beard award winners - in three days of cooking classes, international wine, beer, spirits and cheese tasting classes and receptions, exquisite dinners, tours of Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsula wineries, a kitchenware and specialty food expo, and other events. Returning this year will be the popular International Wine Tasting Pavilion on both Friday and Saturday. The closing night Grand Reception is by far the best culinary reception in Northern Michigan, with wines and beers from all over and food stations with tantalizing Tapas size portions prepared by the visiting chefs and several of the region’s top chefs. Again this year several new cookbooks from top authors and chefs will be released at the Epicurean Classic, with the authors doing book signings and preparing recipes from their books. This annual event is a must whether you are a foodie, kitchen gourmand, chef, or collector of cookbooks, and it all happens at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute. (231) 933-9688.
7th Annual eddi Awards
Friday, Sept. 14
Hosted by the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey, the eddi Awards honor local individuals and organizations that work to keep the arts alive in northern Michigan.
The eddi Awards will be presented to:
June and David Otis of East Jordan - Visual Artists sponsored by Gaslight Gallery
Christopher Koury of Petoskey - Performing Artist sponsored by CMU Public Broadcasting
Northern Michigan Chorale - Arts and Cultural Organization sponsored by Bay View Association
Constance Ford of Charlevoix - Arts in Education sponsored by TBA
Fran and Jim Kochensparger of Harbor Springs - Arts and Cultural Leadership sponsored by Odawa Casino Resort
Dale Hull of Petoskey - Individual Patron sponsored by Korthase Flinn
Jennifer Eis and Don Ward, Ward and Eis Gallery of Petoskey - Benefactor sponsored by Little Traverse Civic Theatre
Meredith Richter of Petoskey - Lifetime Achievement sponsored by Northern Michigan Regional Hospital
The evening will include presentations, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dessert.
(231) 347-4337.

Odawa Casino Resort Blues Weekend: Sept. 15-16
Featuring blues-rocker guitar virtuoso Kenny Wayne Sheppard on Saturday and the Mid-North Michigan Blues Society Blues Challenge on Sunday, Northern Michigan’s newest casino resort will create a blues lovers’ paradise weekend. (877) 442-6464.
Tour de Leelanau: Sept. 15
This European-style bicycle road race- 104 miles for men and 66 miles for women - is the largest event of its kind in Michigan, weaving through the lovely hill country of the Leelanau Peninsula. Spectators are welcome to line the roads, watch the race, and participate in the competitive environment. (231) 922-5926.

Leland Heritage Celebration/Boats on the Wall: Sept. 15
The Leelanau Historical Museum, Leland Chamber of Commerce, and Old Art Building hold their annual celebration of Leland’s history next Saturday (Sep 15). The Museum hosts the annual Wood Boats on the Wall classic boat show on the river and inside offers a selection of Leelanau art & literature. Next door, the Old Art Building will celebrate the 85th birthday of the building and the 75th anniversary of the Michigan State University Art Department. A panel discussion will consider the impact of the former MSU Summer Art School on the evolution of artists; works from 1939 to 1989. A free public exhibition of selected works, past and present, will be held Saturday and Sunday. And, across the street, Van’s Garage is sponsoring the Leland Classic, an exhibition of classic cars. (231) 256-0079.

Leelanau Harvest Bike Tour: Sept. 16
Hosted by the Cherry Capital Cycling Club, this noncompetitive cycling tour of the Leelanau Peninsula features lightly traveled roads, rolling hills through farms and orchards, panoramic views - plus homemade goodies at numerous food stops! Participants can choose from routes of 25, 45, 65 or 100 miles. (231) 941-4300.

Leelanau Peninsula Wineries Harvest Stompede: Sept. 22 – 23
Enjoy wines, gourmet pasta and other culinary delights while touring the 13 wineries of the beautiful Leelanau Peninsula. For those wanting a close up of the vineyards, just participate in the Sept. 16 Run/Walk Thru The Vineyards. Choose either the 7-mile “Grape Buster,” 5K “Stinger” or the 3-mile “Harvester” walk. Participants even receive a logoed event shirt. (231) 938-1811.

Traverse City Downtown Art Walk: Sept. 21
Explore the galleries, shops and restaurants of downtown Traverse City during this evening tour, designed to display the creative forces at work in this growing art mecca. Downtown businesses will be festooned with artworks, and food and wine will be available. Walking maps will be available at participating galleries and the Downtown Traverse City office. (231) 922-2050

Old Town Playhouse – Angel Street: Sept. 14-15, 20-23, 27-29
The Old Town Playhouse inaugurates its 2007-08 season with Angel Street, a Broadway hit first produced in London under the title Gaslight. The play tells the story of the Manninghams who live on Angel Street in the 19th Century. When the curtain rises, all appears to be peaceful. It is soon apparent that Manningham, a suavely sinister and handsome man, is slowly torturing his gentle, lovely wife into insanity under the guise of kindness. While he is out, Mrs. Manningham has an unexpected caller; amiable, paternal Rough from Scotland Yard. Rough is convinced that Manningham is a maniacal criminal wanted for a murder committed fifteen years ago in this very house. Gradually the hearty and understanding Rough restores Mrs. Manningham’s confidence in herself, and they build up evidence against Manningham, managing this exciting and fascinating task shrewdly, but not succeeding until the author has built up and sustained some of the most brilliant suspense in the modern theater. The secret of the dimming gaslight and the mystery of the hidden rubies will captivate all. (231) 947-2210

Greg Brown at the Traverse City Opera House: Sept. 21
Many have lauded Greg Brown’s songwriting, and Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana, Michael Johnson, Shawn Colvin, and Mary Chapin Carpenter have performed his songs. He has also recorded more than a dozen albums, including his 1986 release, Songs of Innocence and of Experience, when he put aside his own songwriting to set the poems of William Blake to music. One Big Town, recorded in 1989, earned Brown three and a half stars in Rolling Stone magazine and Brown’s first Indie Award from NAIRD (National Association of Independent Record Distributors). The Poet Game, his 1994 CD, received another Indie award from NAIRD; his critically acclaimed 1996 release, Further In, was a finalist for the same award. Rolling Stone’s four-star review of Further In called Brown “a wickedly sharp observer of the human condition.” 1997’s Slant 6 Mind (Red House Records) earned Brown his second Grammy nomination. His latest CD, One Night (Red House), is a re-release of a 1983 live performance originally on Minneapolis’ Coffeehouse Extemporé Records.

Yousuf Karsh Photographs: Sept. 23-Jan 6
The Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City will host an exhibition of Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh. For over sixty years Yousuf Karsh (1908- 2002) photographed world famous figures from the realms of politics, theology, and the arts and sciences. These “contemporary historical documents,” as Karsh referred to them, are often the images by which the subjects are best known. This show consists of thirty black and white photographs, including portraits of artists, writers, architects, scientists, and musicians. A key work is a well-published image of Winston Churchill (1941) that became the symbol of the British Empire’s resistance to Nazi Germany. (231-995-1005

Additional events and more info can be found at www.festivalofthesenses.org; some events are no charge, others require a ticket. Work is already underway for the 2008 Festival of the Senses, so if you like your event or organization involved,
e-mail rcoates@northernexpress.com or call (231) 947-8787.

* Festival of the Senses is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Northern Express, Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Traverse Area Arts Council.