Jillian Manning | Author

Makers Market Hits the Mark

May 28, 2022

Try saying that title 10 times fast. Or don’t, and instead make your way to the Northwestern Michigan Fairgrounds in Traverse City June 3-4 for the Red Dresser’s Barn Market, a vintage flea and makers extravaganza. (Complete with live music and food trucks so you can dance, eat,… Read More >>

Concert for a Cause

May 28, 2022

This Friday, June 3, Mt. Holiday in Traverse City will be rocking. The popular ski hill and summer adventure zone is hosting The Steel Wheels—a Virginia-based Americana/roots/folk-rock band—in support of Less Cancer Bike Ride America. Less Cancer (also known as the Next Generati… Read More >>

How to Recycle an Elementary School

May 28, 2022

What do you do when a school building gets too old or out of date? What about when there aren’t enough students to fill the classrooms? These questions are becoming more common across northern Michigan, and we’ve seen elementary schools have to make major changes to adapt to fai… Read More >>

We See Beer and Brats in Your Future

May 21, 2022

The 15th annual Michigan Beer and Brat Festival is making a comeback Saturday, May 28, at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville. Brews, ciders, wine, and spirits offer a taste for everyone while the heady scent of gourmet brats from NoMi markets fills the air. Go for VIP admission ($75) startin… Read More >>

Restaurant Week Is Happening Now in Petoskey

May 21, 2022

Play hooky before the long weekend and make a stop in Petoskey for their spring Restaurant Week, running May 20-27. Three-course menus are offered at $15, $25, and $35 price points with some establishments offering 2-for-1 options. Who’s participating? You have 11 choices with Barrel … Read More >>

Traverse City Going Green(er)

May 21, 2022

After years of limbo, Traverse City’s City Commission voted to move forward with allowing retail recreational marijuana in town. Adult-use recreational cannabis was legalized in Michigan in November 2018, and medical marijuana businesses have been permitted in the city since spring 20… Read More >>

Into the Wild

May 21, 2022

Many of us trolls—yes, we’re owning the term for those who live below the Mighty Mac—think of the Upper Peninsula as an unspoiled wilderness paradise. There is good beer there, we know, and pasties too. The deer may outnumber the humans. We’re a bit wary of visiting … Read More >>

Gear Up for Running Season in Gaylord

May 14, 2022

Coming soon, Northern Express will be sharing the 2022 race calendar full of running, biking, and paddling races across northern Michigan. (Reminder: If you’re a race organizer, be sure to drop us a line about your race at events[at]traverseticker[dot]com.) If you’re pr… Read More >>

5 Years of Helpful Beers

May 14, 2022

Restaurants have endured some of the greatest staffing and operational challenges of any industry in the last few years. But through all those ups and downs, a Traverse City movement to give back has kept its wheels turning.

Tina Schuett, co-owner of Rare Bird Brewpub in Traverse Ci… Read More >>

Mmm, Morels!

May 7, 2022

The National Morel Mushroom Festival is…almost…here. The fun guys (get it?) take over Boyne City May 12-15 for a weekend of celebration in honor of the North’s favorite mushroom. Yes, we do know our beloved, spongy little friends have only just started to return after th… Read More >>

Off to the (Art) Market

May 7, 2022

Let’s face it. Winter was loooong this year. Extra long. You need to treat yourself. Your artistic neighbors also need a boost, which means it’s the perfect time to hit up the Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City for their Spring Art Market on Saturday, May 14. From 11am to 5pm… Read More >>

Birch & Maple’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich

May 7, 2022

Honestly, it’s hard to pick one thing to order off the Birch & Maple brunch/lunch menu. (This has led Northern Express staff to order five entrees for two people, less from hunger and more from sheer enthusiasm.) Whether you’re ordering in bulk—did someone say leftover… Read More >>

$1M Grant Headed to Little Traverse Bay Bands

April 30, 2022

Funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) continue to be distributed around the country, and here in northern Michigan, the latest recipient is the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTTB), which was awarded a $1 million grant to support economic development strategies. The welcome… Read More >>

Don Your Derby Hat

April 30, 2022

The fifth annual Hats & Horses Kentucky Derby Party returns to Iron Fish Distillery on Saturday, May 7, from 3pm to 8pm. Known as the two most exciting minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby will, in fact, be overshadowed by the Dirt Road Derby, starring the horses and riders of Benzie a… Read More >>

Together for Ukraine

April 30, 2022

The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts and the Pines of Arcadia artist-in-residence program in Manistee are putting on a special benefit concert on Friday, May 6, at 7pm to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Tickets are $20, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to Razom, a Ukrai… Read More >>

A Fish Story

April 30, 2022

It’s been almost a decade since Northern Express covered the opening of Blue Fish Kitchen + Bar in 2013, and we were hungry to see what’s new. We’re not alone—according to Talia Miller, the restaurant’s newly-minted general manager, the business has se… Read More >>

Your Weekend Is Booked

April 23, 2022

Saturday, April 30, is Independent Bookstore Day, a national celebration of the hometown stores that connect us with the written word. These are the shops that bring authors to your town, find that rare book you can’t get on eBay, and employ literature lovers in your community. Indepe… Read More >>

Take a Hike, History

April 23, 2022

It’s (finally) starting to feel like spring around here, and just in time. On Friday, May 6, the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society is hosting a “Natural Harbor Springs” walking tour starting at 1pm. Doug Fuller, former director of stewardship at the Little Traverse Co… Read More >>

The Artistry of Artisan

April 23, 2022

Those who work at Artisan all agree: This is not your average hotel restaurant.

“[Artisan] is a restaurant that just happens to be at a hotel,” says Brandon Sheldon, general manager at Delamar Traverse City. “Artisan represents craftsmanship, hard work … the… Read More >>

We Speak for the Trees

April 23, 2022

The warehouse that Archangel Ancient Tree Archive (AATA) calls home is unassuming, a green and white affair nestled in the small village of Copemish in Manistee County. The town’s name means “big beech,” and in that sense, it’s a perfect place for a nonprofit like AA… Read More >>