Bookmobile visit to Friday Night Live, Moana 2 kids’ matinee, Make It, Take It Summer Camp, and more. 
Happy Friday, Traverse City. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let TC Brief serve up everything you need to know for the weekend ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: State crews are overhauling four intersections, a nine-year-old is banking college cash by flipping brats and burgers, and Indigenous artists are creating a unity mural — catch up here.
State-level stories: Fifty-four Special Olympics hopefuls gearing up for 2026, Yuengling beers hitting Detroit and beyond, and full moon dune hikes calling adventurers to northern Michigan — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: Federal judge orders fresh review of gray wolf safeguards, OPEC+ output increase pushes oil under seventy dollars, and a mislabeled pasta recall — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Swim to protect Grand Traverse Bay
- Purchase flowers to benefit Peninsula Housing
- Riders compete in major league show jumping
- Floral designs highlight Japanese artistry tradition
- Compare home equity loans for free
🫶 We got your back
Pizza: You could settle for a plain cheese slice, but why would you… These pizza spots in Traverse City dish out Detroit-style squares and wood-fired pies loaded with gooey goodness.
Golf: Michigan’s golf scene hits different, with over 650 public courses from windswept Lake Michigan links to granite-lined Upper Peninsula fairways. Pack your best clubs and explore these must-play courses.
Organization: If you spend a weekend lining up matching containers only to find chaos three weeks later, these sustainable organization tips are the real-life hacks that work with your messy, beautiful life.
Florist: In need of a last-minute gift, a romantic gesture, or just some color in your life, Lilies of the Alley arranges petal-powered masterpieces that speak volumes without saying a word.
Family: An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial fee just to be seen to x-rays, surgery, medicine, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could get up to 90% cash back on your vet bill with this pet insurance plan.
👀 Why just read it when you could be in it?
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📆 Around town this weekend
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
Today
🚌 Bookmobile Visit to Friday Night Live @ Traverse Area District Library | Friday (8/8) at 5:00pm – Downtown’s Bookmobile is rolling up to Friday Night Live, flanked by its feathered sidekick, Pigeon. Some of your favorite librarians are dishing out free books, crafts, and library cards, so you can pretend you’re cultivating a literary persona. Think of it as cultured people-watching.
🎸 Lucas Paul Band @ The Little Fleet | Friday (8/8) at 6:00pm – Swing by The Little Fleet on International Cat Day for the Lucas Paul Band’s return, where basement-rehearsal legends play your favorite pop hits and a handful you’ll need lyrics for. First 200 guests snag a free kitten, because rock shows need feline sidekicks.
This weekend
🎬 Moana 2 Kids’ Matinee @ The State Theatre | Saturday (8/9) at 10:00am – Grab the kids and a dollar apiece for a morning screening of Moana 2 at the State Theatre, of course. It’s part seafaring epic, part reminder that ancestor calls can be annoying, and entirely worth witnessing with popcorn in hand. Bonus, your wallet actually smiles.
📚 J.R. Erickson at the Village @ Grand Traverse Commons | Saturday (8/9) at 10:00am – Mystery lovers, this one’s got your name on it (probably signed, too). Author J.R. Erickson will be slinging spooky paperbacks and good vibes at the Outdoor Craft and Vendor Show, set on the hauntingly beautiful grounds that inspired her Northern Michigan Asylum series.
💣 The Timebombs @ Jacob’s Farm | Saturday (8/9) at 6:00pm – Think your backyard barbecues have charm? The Timebombs roll into Jacob’s Farm for their first barnside blowout, and not even cow pies can spoil the fun. Expect gritty riffs, friendly nods, and farm-fresh revelry that leaves any bar stage feeling sterile.
🐎 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival VI @ Flintfields Horse Park | Sunday (8/10) at 8:00am – Whether you think barns are for tractor naps or you live for a good jump-off, this multi-ring horse fest delivers top-tier riders, buzzy team competitions, and enough barnyard chic to make your flannel feel underdressed. No muck boots required, but they sure do help.
🎵 Live Music: Chris Smith @ Bel Lago Winery | Sunday (8/10) at 3:30pm – Bel Lago is hosting Traverse City’s own Chris Smith, who’ll fill the lounge with looped, folk-tinged melodies that feel like summer evenings by the lake. He’s toured the world, yet somehow still talks your ear more than your in-laws. Grab a glass, settle in, enjoy.
😂 Comedy Lab @ The Workshop Brewing Company | Sunday (8/10) at 7:00pm – Think you’ve seen it all on stage? Comedy Lab rolls out new acts and experimental bits from wide-eyed rookies and sly veteran jokers alike. It’s quirky, it’s unpredictable, it’s like stand-up meets mad science, minus the lab coat, of course.
Next week
🛠️ Make it, Take it Summer Camp | Monday (8/11) at 1:00pm – Slide this into your summer lineup: a camp where kids swap screen time for paint, tie-dye, beading, and real-deal science experiments. They’ll haul home one-of-a-kind conversation-starting creations, leaving your fridge art gallery feeling downright neglected.
🎶 Music Mondays on East Bay @ Blush Rooftop Terrace | Monday (8/11) at 4:00pm – Ease into the week with live acoustic sets by John & Madeline Piatek, craft cocktails in hand, and a golden-hour view you’ll want to bottle. Blush Rooftop is serving up chill vibes, seasonal bites, and just the right amount of sparkle to make your Monday feel like a mini staycation.
🍷 Alex Mendenall & Pinter Whitnick @ Bel Lago Vineyards & Winery | Tuesday (8/12) at 5:30pm – Sunset views, smooth tunes, and wine with serious personality — what more do you need on a Tuesday? Alex Mendenall and Pinter Whitnick are bringing their soulful sound back to Bel Lago for an evening that hits all the right notes.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/8 Andre Villoch @ Bel Lago – 5 pm
- 8/8 Levi Britton @ Rove – 5:30 pm
- 8/8 Jazz Jam @ Workshop Brewing – 6 pm
- 8/9 Luke Woltanski @ Bel Lago Vineyards – 3:30 pm
- 8/9 Darrell Boger @ Mico’s Torch Riviera – 7 pm
- 8/10 Liz Landry Trio @ Dune Bird – 3 pm
- 8/11 Billy & The Kid @ French Valley Vineyard – 4 pm
- 8/12 Pinter Whitnick @ Bel Lago – 5:30 pm
- 8/12 Luke Woltanski @ Broomstack – 5:30 pm
- 8/12 Alex Mendenall and more @ Bel Lago – 5:30 pm
🏠️ Price is right – Traverse City edition
How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).
Listed by: Matthew Geib (Viewpoint Realty)
Old Mission Peninsula views steal the show in this Dave Whiteford original, where 600 feet of shared sandy East Bay frontage and a private dock make spontaneous paddleboarding a daily possibility. Nearly every room frames the bay, while a multi-level deck with hot tub and a slate patio set the stage for sunset-watching or impromptu gatherings.
A double-sided fieldstone fireplace anchors the open living spaces, and the kitchen’s soaring ceilings keep things light. Downstairs, movie nights get an upgrade with a projector and theater seating, plus there’s a sauna for post-adventure unwinding. The grounds are as polished as the design details inside.
Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →
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