Kristi Kates | Author

Electric Forest Festival announces lineup 

Dec. 1, 2016

The Electric Forest Festival in Rothbury announced the first set of performers for its 2017 edition, which will take place over two weekends, the first being June 22-25 and the second June 29 to July 2. As expected, the fest will welcome back The String Cheese Incident and Bassnectar, and h… Read More >>

Bottoms Up: Pedaling Beans candy cane mocha

Dec. 1, 2016

In Lake Leelanau just east of the Narrows, you’ll find Pedaling Beans Coffeehouse, a favorite stop for cyclists traveling through the Leelanau Peninsula and a great cafe in its own right. Once the orchards and vineyards of summer make way for the holiday season, Pedaling Beans’ … Read More >>

Scovie’s serves up fresh food in a bistro atmosphere 

Nov. 30, 2016

Five doors down from the iconic Charlevoix drawbridge on Bridge Street, with views of boats traversing the Round Lake Channel, you’ll find Scovie’s Gourmet, the deli and cafe that Vi Keller opened in 2003 with her former husband after moving Up North from Chicago (they combined … Read More >>

12 cool winter concerts 

Nov. 30, 2016

The off-season may be devoid of outdoor music festivals in our neck of the woods, but that just means you’ve got more time to hop in the car and head downstate for a show at one of Michigan’s big venues. Get your tickets now, because these are poised to become some of the cooles… Read More >>

Traverse City duo catches wave of surf rock

Nov. 30, 2016

MEET THE BAND: Traverse City’s Parking Lots played its first show in September 2015, and in just a little over a year started a local buzz as one of the few (only?) surf-rock bands in northern Michigan.

Chris Hancock plays guitar and sings; T.J. Hall serves as drummer, bass pl… Read More >>

Play lights up with history at Wellington Farm

Nov. 30, 2016

When you visit Wellington Farm in Grayling, you’ll find yourself smack dab back in the middle of the Great Depression, whether you’re old enough to have experienced it the first time or have only read about it in history books. And if you visit Wellington Farm during the winter … Read More >>

Bring a mate, lace up your skates

Nov. 30, 2016

INDOORS

Centre Ice Arena, Traverse City 

The dual rinks primarily host team ice sports, so if you’re into hockey and/or curling, this is your destination. Hockey teams congregate here, including the local Midwest Junior Hockey League, and you might spo… Read More >>

Dap-Kings lose Miss Jones

Nov. 27, 2016

After fighting a long-running battle with cancer, Sharon Jones, vocalist for the revivalist R&B band Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, passed away last week. Jones, known for her raucous, energetic performances and soulful voice, leaves behind seven albums with the Dap-Kings, the band tha… Read More >>

FourScore

Nov. 27, 2016

The Weeknd — “Starboy” — Republic Records 

The much-anticipated return of The Weeknd, aka Abel Tesfaye, is here, staking its claim to electrified alt-R&B on the title track, which finds the artist collaborating with Daft Punk as the tune … Read More >>

How to be a docent: The perfect volunteer job for art fans

Nov. 27, 2016

If you can’t get enough of museums and love sharing knowledge with others, you just might want to be a docent. A docent is a combination of trained museum guide, informal teacher and enthusiastic volunteer. It can be an opportunity to dig deep into what your favorite museum has to off… Read More >>

New ballet awakens at Interlochen: ‘The Sleeping Beauty’

Nov. 27, 2016

“The Nutcracker” is known worldwide as the traditional Christmas ballet and a must-see for many. But this year, Interlochen Center for the Arts has decided to do something a little different for the holiday season and will be telling the story of “The Sleeping Beauty&rdquo… Read More >>

Ride the rails with Santa Claus at Castle Farms 

Nov. 27, 2016

Santa Claus has been visiting Castle Fams every Christmas season since 2009. But over the past several years, ol’ Saint Nick has been taking something of a backseat to his train collection, which has been drawing a big crowd of adult model train aficionados right alongside the kids.Read More >>

‘A Christmas Story’ comes to Cadillac

Nov. 21, 2016

A lamp shaped like a stockinged leg, with a garish fringed shade and a black high-heeled shoe at the base. A Little Orphan Annie secret decoder pin. And a Red Ryder range model air rifle that’s spoken of with the foreboding warning, “You’ll shoot your eye out.”  

Treetops Resort to sparkle with Lights Spectacular

Nov. 21, 2016

If you’re easily distracted by twinkling, festive things, you’ll have a tough time deciding what to do first at Treetops Resort’s Lights Spectacular.

The seasonal event, back for its third year, offers a throwback to simpler times with traditional Christmas act… Read More >>

2016 Gift Guide

Nov. 21, 2016

It’s never too early to start thinking about what gifts to buy this holiday shopping season. Here are 20 suggestions available at local shops or online for everyone on your list from art lovers to that certain someone who aspires to live in northern Michigan.

5 gifts for a… Read More >>

Beneficial backpacks: Two local programs help children

Nov. 21, 2016

The four divisions of Petoskey’s Manna Food Project, the nonprofit that helps feed the hungry in Emmet, Charlevoix and Antrim counties, complement each other well.
The first three are the food bank; the food rescue program, in which Manna rescued and redistributed a half-million… Read More >>

The past, present and future of a ‘Christmas Carol in Prose’

Nov. 21, 2016

The title, as Parallel 45 Theater’s executive director Erin Anderson Whiting explained, is as traditional as it gets.

“The original story is actually called ‘A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas,’” she said. “It just … Read More >>

Tastemaker: Boyne City Bakery’s kouign-amann

Nov. 21, 2016

When the head baker hails from Brittany, France, you can pretty much expect exceptional pastries, and that definitely rings true at Boyne City Bakery.
One of the bakery’s most popular items is the kouign-amann (pronounced kween a-mon) as baked by Gildas Berrou. He has more than 3… Read More >>

‘An Irish Christmas in America’ arrives at Dennos

Nov. 17, 2016

Five years ago, Oisin Mac Diarmada and his traveling variety show, “An Irish Christmas in America,” made not one, but two journeys — one by plane across the Atlantic to get from Ireland to America, and the second a two-hour boat ride to Beaver Island, Michigan’s own … Read More >>

Adult Classes At Interlochen Ignite Artistic Ambitions

Nov. 11, 2016

Interlochen is synonymous with all things artistic for no less than five reasons. Four different divisions of Interlochen &ndash… Read More >>