Features

The Valleys and Hills of Doon Brae

The making of Boyne’s new par-3 short course

By Al Parker | April 20, 2024

Whether you’re a single-digit handicap or a duffer who doesn’t know a mashie from a niblick, there’s a new northern Michigan golf course where the focus is on fun. Doon Brae is a new par-3 short course being built in Harbor Springs by Boyne Golf, which operates 10 other courses. This new beauty is just a short stroll from the Highlands Main Lodge and set to open this summer. “We’re excited by ... Read More >>

Now Hiring: Spring & Summer 2024 Job Openings

70+ jobs to explore around northern Michigan

By Northern Express Staff & Contributors | April 20, 2024

Welcome to our Spring 2024 “Now Hiring” section! Here you’ll find more than 70 jobs open across northern Michigan—some seasonal, some part-time, some full-time. Explore away! Please note: Some jobs may be filled by the time you read this! Featured Jobs BrittenTraverse CityHuman Resources Coordinator Are you passionate about making work better for your fellow humans? Britten, the creative production studio known for its signs and displays, is hiring a human resources ... Read More >>

Amazon Is Coming to Town

Inside the e-commerce giant’s arrival in Gaylord

By Craig Manning | April 20, 2024

One of the world's biggest companies is setting up shop in northern Michigan. In January, details emerged about Amazon's plans to build a new distribution center in Gaylord. Since then, the e-commerce giant and its contractors have been hard at work on the new 42,500-square-foot facility, which will occupy eight acres of land in the Gaylord Industrial Park and should be open for business by the end of summer. What will this ... Read More >>

The Making of an Opera

Behind the scenes at Interlochen as they prepare to debut 'Edmonia'

By Al Parker | April 20, 2024

The campus buzz is palpable as Interlochen Arts Academy gets ready to host the largest, most complicated performance in the school’s history. It’s not a Shakespearean drama, nor a ballet or a Broadway classic. It’s an opera. And it’s the world premier of Edmonia, which tells the story of Edmonia Lewis, the 19th-century Black and Ojibwe sculptor who carved out an artistic identity against all odds. Performances are May 3-5, 2024. The ... Read More >>

Film Review: Civil War

3 Stars

By Joseph Beyer | April 20, 2024

In the not-so-futuristic landscape of domestic unrest, the United States of America (as seen in the dystopian thriller Civil War) has been fractured. Why, how, and what exactly the new insurrection is about you will have to piece together yourself. That’s because in the hands of writer and director Alex Garland (Ex Machina), the why is not important. What is, it seems, is taking you on an elaborate journey of metaphors so ... Read More >>

The Garden Theater’s Green Energy Roof

Stuff We Love

By Ross Boissoneau | April 20, 2024

In 2018, Garden Theater owners Rick and Jennie Schmitt and Blake and Marci Brooks looked into installing solar panels on the roof of the Frankfort landmark. Just one problem: The engineer told them the roof was so compromised it could collapse from the weight of a heavy snowfall. That led to the creation of a non-profit, which purchased the theater and raised funds to renovate the aging structure. Fast-forward six years, and ... Read More >>

A League of Extraordinary Letters

April 20, 2024

The year is 2020, and we’re all stuck at home. Craving connection, Traverse City artist Heather Spooner starts a pen pal program for adults around the globe to stave off the isolation and loneliness. Fast-forward to 2024, and those letters have inspired the new documentary The Letter League. The film shares the beautiful stories between pen pals, and if Spooner has her way, will “inspire a pen pal, letter-writing revolution.” Catch the ... Read More >>

Earth Day Up North

April 20, 2024

Happy Earth Day! If you want to celebrate our favorite planet, here are a few activities happening around the North. On April 22, stop by Oryana in Traverse City; they’ve partnered with Archangel Ancient Tree Archive to give away free champion black willow trees cloned from the trees at the Grand Traverse Commons (pictured). Also April 22, Grass River Natural Area in Bellaire has their “Big Nature Sit” ($10) and White Birch ... Read More >>

Picturesque Paddling

By Jamie Kauffold | April 20, 2024

GT County Parks and Recreation presents the only Michigan screening of the 2024 Paddling Film Festival World Tour at Howe Arena in Traverse City on Thursday, April 25, at 6:30pm. Catch some of the world’s best paddling films of the year—whitewater, sea kayaking, canoeing, and more—filmed in more than 120 cities and towns. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door and are available online and at several local outdoors/recreation ... Read More >>

What’s Trending in Weed

Low prices, older users, edibles, and convenience products are driving the market

By Craig Manning | April 13, 2024

Cannabis culture is alive and well in Michigan. According to the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA), 2023’s marijuana sales averaged out to $305 in cannabis spending per Michigan resident, a higher per capita rate than any other state in the country. What are all those customers buying, and what will the next 6-12 months hold for the industry? Higher Sales & Lower Prices Michigan is a marijuana titan, at least if you ... Read More >>