Features

A Bird's-Eye View of Skegemog Raptor Center

From mice guts to medicine, broken wings to biofield tuning, we go behind the scenes with northern Michigan’s raptor rescue

By Todd VanSickle | March 22, 2025

Photo by Tyler Franz On a cold, rainy April day in 2021, James Manley received a phone call about an injured bald eagle near a small lake in Wexford County. At the time, he was in the process of creating the Skegemog Raptor Center (SRC) and was awaiting approval of its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. When he arrived at the scene, the bird jumped into the lake and swam away. It was getting … Read More >>

Your Staycation Itinerary: Spring Break Fun for Families

10+ affordable events across northern Michigan

By Abby McKiernan | March 22, 2025

Spring break is here, and if you’re looking for fun, family-friendly activities that won't break the bank, we’ve got you covered! From free movies and outdoor adventures to creative crafts and hands-on experiences, here are daily events happening from March 21 through April 3 across northern Michigan. Free Movies at the State Theatre Friday, March 21 – Thursday, March 27 | State Theatre, Traverse City | Free It’s safe to say that … Read More >>

Looking Back at March 2020

Five years after COVID hit, what has our community learned?

By Art Bukowski | March 22, 2025

It’s been just over five years since the world was turned upside down by the full onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, which by March of 2020 had led to widespread and major restrictions on work, socialization, and much more. While this may feel like a distant memory for some, the effects of both the virus itself and resulting lockdowns are still very much felt by many people. Northern Express reached out to … Read More >>

Laughing Out Loud: TC Comedy Fest Returns in April

New date, new venues, and a new lineup

By Anna Faller | March 22, 2025

The Traverse City Comedy Fest is preparing for its rambunctious return April 10-12, 2025. Now entering its third year, TCCF was launched in 2023 in part to tick the local arts box (especially with other high-traffic events like the Traverse City Film Festival now defunct), but also to stimulate local tourism in the off-season. “Our goal for the festival, from the get-go, was to bring world-class talent to Traverse City and really … Read More >>

Too Young to Scroll?

How (and why) schools are dialing down distractions for young learners

By Kierstin Gunsberg | March 22, 2025

The human brain is a magnificent thing, capable of unconsciously processing millions of bits of stimuli every second—the cool glow of overhead fluorescents, a teacher’s shoes clicking against linoleum, and the woody aroma of a freshly sharpened pencil. What the brain isn’t so great at is consciously handling all that stimuli at once. Instead, it filters through what’s most relevant in the moment and offloads the rest using its reticular activating system … Read More >>

Film Review: The Electric State

2 Stars

By Joseph Beyer | March 22, 2025

With a $320 million budget (the largest single content investment in Netflix history); the multi-hyphenated creative duo Joe and Anthony Russo behind it, alumni of directing four Marvel Cinematic Universe hits; a storyline with ROBOTS ROBOTS ROBOTS, and a cast with more stars than the Milky Way…what could go wrong? It turns out, a lot. And with such spectacular spending behind just one 2 hour 8 minute film, Netflix might just have … Read More >>

Civic Center Improvements Starting

March 22, 2025

Those who love to walk laps at Traverse City’s Civic Center will see some disruptions on their path in the coming months as the walking track gets a much-needed overhaul. This starts with the removal of the bridge over W. Civic Center Drive, which will begin the week of March 24. The crossing is expected to be unavailable until mid-June as the new bridge is installed. Meanwhile, work on the paved track … Read More >>

Shipwreck Discoveries in Lake Superior

Stuff We Love

March 22, 2025

More than 132 years ago, a 300-foot steel steamer called Western Reserve sank in Lake Superior following an August storm, tragically claiming the lives of 27 crew members and part of the captain’s young family, leaving only one survivor. After searching for the ship for several years, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) made an initial discovery of Western Reserve this past summer. According to their press release, “Subsequent ROV (remotely … Read More >>

Pop Culture Con Returns

March 22, 2025

The 10th annual Cadillac Pop Culture Convention returns to the Wexford Civic Center on Saturday, April 5! Past years have seen Trekkies and Ghostbusters with massive displays in the arena, along with comics, characters, and merch from the worlds of X-Men, Batman, Looney Tunes, Spider-Man, Scooby-Doo, Xena, The Avengers, and many more. According to organizers, you can also expect “Magic the Gathering tournaments, Dungeons & Dragons, … and geeky goods from vendors … Read More >>

Sleeping Beauty Ballet Dances into Traverse City

March 22, 2025

The Northwest Michigan Ballet Theatre brings a new classical interpretation of The Sleeping Beauty to Dennos Museum’s Milliken Auditorium in Traverse City. Follow the life of Princess Aurora, from her christening to her 16th birthday, along with the curse placed on her, all the way to her big wedding celebration. Produced by artistic director Thomas Morrell and company manager Marleigh Bucenell, performances take place at 2pm and 7pm on Saturday, April 5, … Read More >>