Let’s Rock! The official Northern Express summer 2026 concert guide
Friday - 3PM
STEAM Challenge - Bridge to Shark Tooth Island
Join Challenge Island Northwest Michigan for this fun STEAM Challenge. Your family can shark attack…Friday - 4PM
Sol of the Lost Tamarack Music Festival
Forty acres, one stage, 17 bands, & movement and healing arts scheduled throughout the weekend.…Friday - 5PM
45th Annual Ellsworth Pig Roast & Festival
June 19-20. Fri. night includes a remote control airplane demonstration & flight simulator, gia…Friday - 5PM-7PM
Artist Reception - Where Flowers Bloom
See the work of local artists who celebrate the beauty, resilience & optimism to be found in fl…Friday - 5PM
Sound of Music
Friends of PCL kick off the concert season with free ice cream & the music of Mark DeNoyelles.Friday - 6PM-9PM
Boyne City Stroll the Streets
Held every Fri. evening. Includes live music, entertainment, children's activities & much more.Friday - 6PM-8PM
Red Drive Concert Series
Featuring The Luke Woltanski Band. Enjoy this folk/rock jam band, complete with Luke's wild stories…Friday - 7PM
Author Veronica Roth
Help Veronica celebrate her newest book, "Seek the Traitor's Son."Water 101 Up North
What the Watershed Center wants you to know about our waterways
As summer rolls around and … Read More >>Get Ready for The Golden Beet
Cold Creek Farm’s offshoot eatery-slash-market opens in June
If you know Benzonia’s Cold … Read More >>Special Needs Funding Under Fire
Charlevoix’s Bergmann Center closes, reopening in the works
A Charlevoix nonprofit dedicated to … Read More >>Asparagus for All: June Recipes
Inside the Ingredients
The road marker to summer … Read More >>20 Northern Michigan Summer Festivals
Local fun in the sun in for June, July, and August
With summertime comes summer festivals—big, … Read More >>
The State of Foster Care in 2026
Shortages of foster homes, funding, and mental health resources are causing pain points
In a world of increasing … Read More >>
Feature
Your 2026 Summer Race Calendar
Competition—friendly or otherwise—abounds this summer throughout the North. Whether you want to run or walk, SUP or kayak, road or mountain bike, there’s something for every racer this season. On your mark, get set, …June 13, 2026 |
Dining
Palette Bistro’s Crab Cakes
Petoskey’s Palette Bistro hadn’t planned on being closed for most of the winter, but a January deep freeze and a burst pipe forced them to close for several months of repairs. After a grand …June 13, 2026 |
Opinion
Real Patriots Face Reality
"The best friend of a nation is he who most faithfully rebukes her for her sins—and he her worst enemy who, under the specious … garb of patriotism seeks to excuse, palliate or defend …June 13, 2026 |
Virtual Express
Trending
Still Targets
The question gets frequently asked: Why do veterans only get one day of celebration when the LGBTQ+ community gets an entire… Read More >>
The First Annual Dune Jam
The Manistee Amphitheater Foundation (MAF) is fundraising for an outdoor arts and entertainment venue—dubbed The Dune&… Read More >>
Art & Connection's Creativity Cruiser
Art & Connection of Elk Rapids is taking to the open road this summer with their brand-new Creativity Cruiser. Their bri… Read More >>