Ready for all things Asparagus!?

SAVE THE DATE:

Saturday, June 6, 2026

We are back for another amazing asparagus filled day in downtown Empire! Lots of incredible local asparagus eats, great music, and fun activities to come! Including the Kick-Yer Assparagus 5k Fun Run/Walk! Link below to sign up!

Sign up for the 5k HERE!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

10am: Kick-Yer Ass-paragus 5k Fun Run/Walk

11am-3pm: Glen Lake Community Library Pop Up Book Sale

12pm: Recipe Contest in Empire Town Hall

12pm-6pm: Asparagus Eats with food vendors, local breweries and live music!

• FOOD VENDORS: Arts Tavern, Plevas Meats, Shipwreck Cafe, Birria Taco Truck,  Red Top Gourmet Hot Dogs, Squeeze ‘Em Lemonade Shack, Norconk’s Asparagus and Lively Neighborfood Market!

• DRINK VENDORS: Right Brain Brewery, Lake Ann Brewery and St. Ambrose Cellars!

• LIVE MUSIC: Zinnia Dungjen, Andre Villoch, and 5th Gear Band

2-4pm: Queen Asparagus on Stilts

3-4pm: The Magic Lady Family Magic Show

2pm: Ode to Asparagus Poetry Contest at the Glen Lake Community Library

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Empire Asparagus Festival On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the Empire Asparagus Festival Page On Facebook.

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Visit Empire Asparagus Festival Page >>>

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The Grand Traverse region, known for its world-record tart cherry harvest, bursts with visitors eager to savor the flavor of cherries tucked into everything imaginable. Each day Festival goers find cherry delights along with parades, family and kids events and entertainment. In all, there are more than 150 events along the shores of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay.

The Festival has been named in USA Todays top ten festivals for several years running.

Free Family Fun!

The National Cherry Festival has over 150 events and activities and 85% are free for all! Kids of all ages can enjoy events like cherry pie eating, parades, pet show and more!

We want to thank our growers, partners, vendors, sponsors, volunteers, and community leaders for their commitment to the National Cherry Festival. There is a lot of good happening throughout the Traverse City area and we are proud to be a part of this unique community that holds the title Cherry Capital of the World. We can’t wait to see you June 28 to July 5, 2025!

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Visit National Cherry Festival Website >>>>

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National Cherry Festival On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the National Cherry Festival Page On Facebook.

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a member at your favorite Leelanau Peninsula winery? What if you could enjoy membership at all the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail wineries?

During our annual Harvest Days event, locals, visitors, and existing wine club members alike, can experience how it feels to receive exclusive benefits at all the wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail.

All September long, participants can take advantage of the exclusive wine club benefits unique to each winery. Benefits include everything from complimentary flights and tastings, to case discounts and more!

Details for each winery benefits can be found directly on their websites (some exclusions may apply) Click on the icons below for more information.

We look forward to kicking off the fall season with you!

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Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Page On Facebook.

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Visit Harvest Days Website >>>>

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Leelanau UnCaged is a place for the community to gather and enjoy inspiring music and dance performances in one day on the streets of Northport.

* 4 performance areas, 40+ acts

* Kids’ UnCaged art activities

* Artisan, Food & Nonprofit Vendors

* Water Blessing

* Restaurants and Shops

* Marina availability

* Shuttle Service from Traverse City​

UnCage takes place after Labor Day when the vibe changes to a more relaxed pace, with weather that can be like summer or fall, but gorgeous, nonetheless. Festival goers enjoy being outdoors strolling from venue to venue through an array of art vendors filling the streets. Food options are plentiful throughout the day.

The festival kicks off with a beautiful water blessing over the bay, a time to honor and give thanks for these precious waters, followed by a procession to the festival center where music and dance performances begin.

Leelanau UnCaged is free to festival goers thanks to the generous donations from businesses and patrons.

Please Save the Date for Saturday, September 27, 2025!

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Leelanau UnCaged On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the Leelanau UnCaged Page On Facebook.

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It may seem unthinkable, even sacrilegious, to make any changes to a course designed by the great Arnold Palmer. Originally opened in 1998 as King’s Challenge, the course languished a bit when Sugar Loaf Mountain Ski Resort closed (the course is built alongside the ski hill), so it needed some rejuvenating and updating. The new owners, headed up by Robert Kuras of The Homestead Resort, have done an excellent job.

From the first turn in the drive and glimpse of the renovated clubhouse, the place feels welcoming. Once you’re on the 1st tee, nestled among trees, natural landscaping, and that big looming “mountain,” you know you’re in for a classic “up north” golf adventure.

Palmer said during the course construction that it was one of the most dramatic sites he’s ever worked with, and he made full use of the extreme terrain. After a few fairly flat holes, he takes the track up the side of the mountain, perches a few holes up on the plateau, and then plunges back down to dramatic effect. The redesign has increased playability by enlarging many of the tee boxes, taking some severity out of a few doglegs, and widening some landing areas. The excellent bunkering throughout the course has been cleaned up and re-cut, giving it the crisp look such a monumental design deserves.

One of the most noticeable and dramatic changes is the No. 8 tee box, where some earth was moved to raise the surface and give golfers a better view. Now, a glimpse of Lake Michigan between Pyramid Point and South Manitou Island is visible, the namesake Manitou Passage. Those who know the historical significance of the Passage and its nickname “the Graveyard of the Great Lakes” can treat this as a sign to “batten down the hatches” and not let their round get shipwrecked.

It’s a beautiful view to begin the course’s signature and probably most challenging hole. The downhill par 5 drops like a black-diamond ski slope, and when it finally flattens out, the dogleg reveals a water-guarded green — with your approach shot dead into the prevailing wind coming onshore from the aforementioned Passage. The pond is teeming with plants and wildlife, you can see the “mountain” in the background, and landing your approach shot dry is a major accomplishment and a great finish to one of northern Michigan’s most exciting golf holes.
Maybe the most striking thing about this course is the variety — of terrain, of fairway slope, of green shape — there is always a surprise and always an interesting feature. On No. 4, you break out of the woods with a sweeping dogleg right that ends at a huge amphitheater green — not a tree in sight. The next two links-style holes are high and dry, a brief respite before you duck back into the forest.

If you’re looking for a golf adventure in one of the most unique settings in northern Michigan, this is the course for you. Be prepared to cast off, trim your sails, and have a rollicking good time navigating this great Arnold Palmer creation at Manitou Passage.

Manitou Passage Golf Club Photos (Click on photos for slideshow view)

 
Visit Manitou Passage Golf Club Website >>>>

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Dunes Golf Club – Hole #18 – A great finishing hole with a dramatic approach shot over the water.

By Jim Barnes

The Dunes Golf Club is one of the hidden gems of northern Michigan golf. Lying just a few miles east of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore visitor center in Empire, the course is carved out of the deep woods and rolling hills that helped earn the Sleeping Bear park its title of “Most Beautiful Place in America.”

Although conveniently located on highway M-72, all but a few holes are isolated in the forest, and once you tee off you’re left with only the sounds of birds and wind in the trees.

The fairway grass is lush, the rough is fair, and the greens roll smoothly and hold approach shots well. It’s a wonderful place to get away from it all and find that relaxing “zen” zone of golf.

“Here at the Dunes we’re all about bringing accessible, reasonably priced golf to the area,” says Chris Wall, the course owner/operator. “We encourage families, kids, and players of all levels to come out and play and have a great time. We’ve always tried to keep it affordable, enjoyable and playable.”

Chris’s father Dean Wall designed and built the course, opening the first nine in 1983 and the back nine in 1991. His mother Joy ran the clubhouse until retiring in 2013. The whole operation has a welcoming, friendly feel that is perfect for a vacation outing or an after-work twilight round.

On a recent holiday weekend visit the course was filled with players of all ages, and when I asked some of the golfers for their impressions, the most prominent comments were “fun” and “beautiful.”

At 5,730 yards, there are some pretty short par 4’s and 5’s that can be real ego-boosters — but only if you keep it “down the middle.” The moderate length combined with tight fairways and dogleg angles make it a balanced and challenging experience.

Bottom line: this is really fun golf course to play.
 

Hole #8 – Longish par 3 with a receptive green.

Hole #13 – Short par 4. Batman shaped bunker. A classic.

Hole #15 – Final par 5 and it’s the shortest.

 
Dunes Golf Club Photo Album
For a hole-by-hole tour of the Dunes Golf Club, visit the Dunes Golf Club Photo Album and click on the photos for a slide-show view of each hole.

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Visit Dunes Golf Club Website >>>>

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That’s why this resort is celebrated, both near and far, as The Homestead, America’s Freshwater Resort.

Lake Michigan Resort

Though expansive, the resort is quite simple to picture.

It was designed, built and is managed to help you enjoy the Most Beautiful Place in America.

On its west are miles of sandy beaches on which you can walk for hours. The beaches are soothing by day, spectacular at sunset, remarkably romantic on starry nights. To its east is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the area chosen by the viewers of ABC’s Good Morning America as “The Most Beautiful Place in America.”

Within the resort, neighborhoods separated by nature provide a wide range of high-quality accommodations. Some are perfect for couples, some for families, and some for groups. All are beautiful. There are shops, restaurants, and recreational facilities. There are places for weddings, , and meetings. All of them are staffed by caring and attentive professionals.

You could be pampered at the spa or salon, sit by a pool, play a round of golf or hike in the National Lakeshore. Or, you could teach your kids to swim, play tennis or golf, ski or snowboard.

Simply said, you decide how you want to spend your time in the Most Beautiful Place in America. We take care of the rest.

The Homestead
1 Wood Ridge Road
Glen Arbor, MI 49636
231-334-5100

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The Homestead Resort Photos (Click on photos for slideshow view)
 

The Homestead Resort On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from The Homestead Resort Page On Facebook.

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The Homestead Resort – Photos via Instagram

The latest photos from the instagram account of The Homestead Resort.
 

northguide

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Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Michigan Travel and Recreation - #mackinacisland, #traversecity, #leelanau, #petoskey, #harborsprings, #ontonagon

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It’s full-on summer on the Pink Pony patio… ...

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Jun 9

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It’s full-on summer on the Pink Pony patio… #mackinac #mackinacisland #pinkpony #pinkponymi ...

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northguide

Lilacs are in full bloom today (Wednesday) in ...

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Jun 9

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Lilacs are in full bloom today (Wednesday) in Marquette Park on Mackinac Island. Beautiful lilac blossoms combined with the delicious fragrance of lilac in the fresh Lake Huron breeze - we’re calling it “Peak Lilac” season on Mackinac Island. Lilac Festival events and activities continue through this weekend… #mackinac #mackinacisland #lilacfestival ...

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LILAC UPDATE: The lilacs on Mackinac Island seemed...

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Jun 3

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LILAC UPDATE: The lilacs on Mackinac Island seemed to be perfectly in sync with the Lilac Festival this year. They are starting to blossom nicely now and peak blossom time should happen sometime during the festival. The Mackinac Island Lilac Festival kicks off tomorrow, June 4, 2021 and continues through June 13, 2021... #mackinac #mackinacisland #lilacs #lilacfestival ...

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northguide

It’s Lilac Time on Mackinac Island! The Lilac ...

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Jun 3

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It’s Lilac Time on Mackinac Island! The Lilac Festival kicks off tomorrow, June 4th, and the lilacs are ready and starting to bloom here in Marquette Park and across the island. ...

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northguide

The Adirondack chairs are out on the great lawn at...

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May 26

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The Adirondack chairs are out on the great lawn at Mission Point Resort. A wonderful spot for watching the freighters pass by on Lake Huron. #missionpoint #mackinac #mackinacisland ...

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northguide

A little windy and a bit chilly but looking like ...

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May 26

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A little windy and a bit chilly but looking like summer on the Pink Pony patio on Mackinac Island… #mackinac #mackinacisland #pinkponymi ...

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northguide

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took ...

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May 26

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Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one to the Secret Garden…. Always a beautiful spring treat to see at Grand Hotel. #grandhotelmichigan #mackinac #mackinacisland ...

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You gotta love that welcoming view of Mackinac ...

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May 26

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You gotta love that welcoming view of Mackinac Island as you come into the harbor. Yes, you have arrived. #mackinacisland #mackinac ...

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northguide

We’re getting an early start on the Memorial Day...

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May 26

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We’re getting an early start on the Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a beautiful Wednesday morning on the Straits of Mackinac. Here’s a view of the Mackinac Bridge shining in the morning sun. #mackinac #mackinacisland #mackinacbridge ...

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northguide

Beautiful fall day on Torch Lake...

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Oct 24

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Beautiful fall day on Torch Lake... ...

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Still some good late season fall color in the ...

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Oct 24

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Still some good late season fall color in the Petoskey area. Looks like a good last-call fall color tour weekend ahead. #fallcolors #petoskey ...

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Some clouds, some fog, some rain and the Mackinac ...

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Oct 22

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Some clouds, some fog, some rain and the Mackinac Bridge in the distance. The boat ride to Mackinac Island is always an adventure. (Some whoop-tee-doos too) #mackinacbridge #mackinac #mackinacisland ...

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The Homestead – Photos From Instagram

Here are the latest photos of The Homestead via instagram. If you have an instagram photo to share of your visit to The Homestead, choose “The Homestead” as your location and your photos will appear in the photo stream below.
 

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