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It’s Friday, Traverse City! Let’s finish this week strong.

In today’s can’t-miss-weekend-plans edition: Fresh Coast Film Festival poster, Anna Quindlen talk, and a star party + a stacked lineup of events this weekend.

Today’s sponsor (FinanceBuzz) built a free comparison tool that helped me cut my car insurance premiums in half. It took about 3 minutes, and honestly… I wish I’d done it sooner. If you haven’t shopped around in a while, you can easily check the best rates here.

📰 In the news

Art spills beyond the screen: Traverse City native Geoffrey Holstad unveiled the 2026 Fresh Coast Film Festival poster, celebrating Great Lakes life. Festival will run April 30 to May 3 with art partnerships downtown — discover the collaborations and extras.

Northern Michigan air travel upgrade: Cherry Capital Airport’s $190 million “Gates to the Future” expansion will start in April, adding four gates to ease crowding, with completion expected in spring 2028 and a possible hotel — get all the details.

Behind the artisan wheels: Leelanau Cheese Company near Suttons Bay has found success with online sales, bringing Alpine-style Raclette and fromage blanc to customers as rounds of cheese age in a European-style cave — read the full story.

Gold & silver are hot: Coming off gold’s best year since 1979, the momentum is carrying well into 2026 with silver remaining one of the most talked-about assets. Curious why they’re back in focus? American Hartford Gold has a free guide that explains what’s happening and how people are approaching it today. It’s free – and definitely worth a read.

Someone Googled you this week: Whether you’re dating again, selling something locally, or just meeting new neighbors… people are going to look you up. Like it or not, the internet has a way of surfacing past mistakes and outdated information that no longer reflects who you are. Thankfully, there’s a really easy way for you (or someone you care about) to clean up all that up – learn more here.

Highlights this week:

• Warm up at family-friendly winter fest
• Groove to Jesse Jefferson live blues-rock
• Craft three classic cocktails with experts
• Over 62? See how to turn home equity into tax-free cash

🚗 Are you quietly overpaying for car insurance?

Together with our sponsor FinanceBuzz

Auto insurance premiums have been climbing across the country… and most folks won’t notice until it’s time to renew and they’re hit with a higher bill.

The frustrating part? Loyalty rarely gets rewarded. Insurers adjust prices constantly, and new customers often qualify for better rates than long-time policyholders.

I learned that the hard way. I had the same policy for half a decade. Autopay was on, I saw the charges come in every month and never thought twice about them. Turns out I was paying well above the national average ($175/mo) for a single car… for years.

This free comparison tool lets you check rates from multiple insurers in just a few minutes. It costs nothing to look, and it could save you hundreds this year.

🫶 We got your back

Treats without the trade-offs: Craving dessert that loves you back? Third Coast Bakery delivers celiac-safe bakes, plenty of vegan sweets, and a 100% dairy-free coffee bar. Think pastry-and-latte moments that feel good, taste better, and keep things simple, satisfying, and safe.

Four floors to roam: Whether you’re hunting mid-century or primitive, Wilson Antiques fills four floors and two mezzanines with furniture, jewelry, art, and oddities. It’s the place you pop in and suddenly lose an hour… and thanks to free parking, hauling home the lamp you didn’t need feels perfectly reasonable.

Clasp-free sparkle, anyone? At Cherry Capital Ink, welded permanent jewelry means bracelets or anklets that keep up with daily chaos, no fussy clasp in sight. One quick zap, and you’re set. It’s a surprisingly fun little errand to share with a friend, effortless and durable.

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.

📆 Around town this weekend

Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →

All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.

🧚 A Midsummer Night’s Faery Tale @ Milliken Auditorium | Friday (3/6) at 7:00 PM – Skip the couch and wander into a faery garden where Sneezlewort and Twig outwit a crown-snatching sorceress in an original youth ballet set to Andreas Vollenweider and Joanie Madden. Midsummer magic, no bug spray needed. Reserved seating, $22 adults, $12 students, via MyNorth Tickets.

🔭 The Barnard Album & Star Party @ Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory | Friday (3/6) at 8:00 PM – Trade the couch for the cosmos at NMC’s Rogers Observatory as GTAS hosts Jerry Dobek unveiling The Barnard Album, a love letter to vintage stargazing. If the clouds behave, stick around for telescope time and March sky highlights. Free, open to all, and gloriously nerdy.

📚 An Evening with Anna Quindlen @ Traverse City Central High School – TCAPS | Saturday (3/7) at 2:00 PM – Consider this the best book club you don’t have to host. Anna Quindlen returns to NWS to talk More Than Enough, friendships that shape us, and the mess in between. Smart conversation, Q&A, a signing, and tickets supporting Horizon Books, plus signed copies.

⭐ Pathfinder Prom 2026: Written in the Stars @ Delamar Traverse City | Saturday (3/7) at 5:00 PM – Dust off your prom shoes, Pathfinder’s big night is taking over the Delamar with auctions, dinner, drinks, and enough sparkle to excuse your dance moves. It’s prom for grown-ups, and every ticket, bid, and toast fuels hands-on learning and access for local families.

🐾 Glass Art Class: Pet-Themed Plant Stake @ Contigo Dogs | Sunday (3/8) at 12:00 PM – This hands-on glass class at Contigo Dogs lets you craft a dog or cat plant stake, because your pothos deserves a pet, not more pep talks. $60 covers materials, N/A drinks, small bites, a goodie bag, and discounts, or make two for $75. Limited spots.

🧼 Soap Making Workshop @ The Workshop Brewing Company | Sunday (3/8) at 1:00 PM – Make the good, smugly satisfying soap at The Workshop with Lee Ann from Wild Daisy Creative, a cold process class where you leave with eight bars, a reusable mold, and a drink. Bring an old towel and a baking sheet, pick a scent, register, $48.

💍 Silver Ring Making Workshop @ Surfaces Art Supplies Traverse City | Sunday (3/8) at 3:00 PM – Surfaces Art Supplies in Traverse City is hosting a beginner silversmithing class where you turn sterling into a ring you can brag about. Pick your band style, floral, hammered, twist, and your $85 covers the silver, tools, and guidance. Cheaper than therapy, shinier than brunch.

Live music & entertainment:

• 3/6 Chris Sterr @ Traverse City Whiskey Co. Stillhouse – 6:00 PM
• 3/6 Jazz Jam @ The Workshop Brewing Company – 6:00 PM
• 3/6 Around the World on Ice 2026 @ Centre Ice Arena, Traverse City – 7:00 PM
• 3/7 A Midsummer Night’s Faery Tale @ Milliken Auditorium – 2:00 PM
• 3/7 HFP @ Traverse City Whiskey Co. – 3:00 PM
• 3/7 Jeff Socia @ Chateau Grand Traverse – 4:00 PM
• 3/7 Pathfinder Prom 2026: Written in the Stars @ Delamar Traverse City – 5:00 PM

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🔥 Worth a peek

We’re always on the hunt for useful resources, deals, services, and products we think you’ll love. Here’s what caught our eye this week.

• Thinning hair? Don’t wait – here are 3 treatments that work
• This free tool helps connect you with the right financial advisor
• Got debt? You may be able to pay less than you owe
• You can own physical gold and silver in your retirement account
• Treat yourself: Save on self-care during the CVS Epic Beauty Sale

📻 Traverse City report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 55°F – Low: 44°F – Precip: 81%

Patchy fog before 7am, then rain showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 55, with temperatures falling to around 51 in the afternoon. South wind 0 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Later: Rain showers before 7pm, then showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

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Tomorrow – High: 56°F – Low: 30°F – Precip: 98%

Showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Later: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Something in your house is about to break 🏠

It might be your AC, your water heater, your fridge… doesn’t matter. Every major system and appliance has an expiration date, and when it goes, you’re staring down a repair bill that can climb into the thousands fast.

It never happens at a convenient time, and most homeowners just eat the cost because they don’t realize there’s a better option.

American Home Shield covers repairs and replacements on most of your home’s major systems and appliances — old or new, no inspection required.

The best part? Select plans are 50% off now through March 9th.

This house is wild

This standalone 1800s brick building sits in the Neighborhood Center at The West End Beach, offering more than 5,000 square feet and a deeded scenic easement of West Bay. A rare mixed use opportunity with two upstairs apartments, a flexible main floor ready for creative plans, and historic character that anchors a prime coastal corridor.

Take a peek inside →