The art of David Barr tour, wellness in the woods series, Kubo and the Two Strings kids’ matinee, and more. 
Happy Tuesday, 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 week ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: A Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins combo replacing an old Taco Bell, a 137 room boutique hotel proposed downtown, and tremors rippling beneath Lake Michigan — catch up here.
State-level stories: Have your say on farm odor standards, cheer as 140 miles of trout habitat reunite after dam removals, and visit MLK’s relocated Selma headquarters — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: New SSA tech offers more reliable service, national recalls, and a housing market update — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Explore accessible acting, singing, and dancing
- Bring household hazardous waste for free collection
- Discover muscle and visceral fat’s brain impact
- Writers gather weekly for a creative writing workshop
- Get $400 off Windows with Renewal By Andersen
🫶 We got your back
Decor: Statement pieces can take your living room from meh to magazine-worthy on a budget. Head to Traverse City, where boutiques and showrooms cater to every style, and check out these decor destinations for exactly what you’ve been dreaming of.
Travel: Ditch beaches and the usual sights. Trade them for giant chainsaws, gravity-defying mystery spots, and even a house made from beer bottles. These quirky pit stops in Michigan will have you plotting your next detour.
Cleaning: Cleaning the whole house can feel like climbing Everest in flip-flops. Seriously, who has the energy for that? This cleaning checklist breaks the job into manageable bites so you can crush it room by room.
Furniture: Need décor with a backstory deeper than your latest streaming binge? Antiquities Warehouse of Grand Traverse is the gallery that’ll turn your living room into a time capsule… just bring a sharp eye and an appreciation for pieces that only improve with every chapter of history.
Finance: Ready to break up with debt for good? National can help you cut ties, pay up to 30% less than you owe, and finally get some peace. This isn’t your average debt relief advice… it’s a financial fresh start, complete with a happy cry or two when your balance hits zero.
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📆 Around town this week
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.
This week
🎨 The Art of David Barr @ The Dennos Museum Center | Thursday (8/14) at 3:00pm – EMU’s Ken Stevens is guiding us on a whirlwind tour of David Barr’s masterpieces, from oversized murals at Michigan Legacy Art Park to the former Villa Barr turned art playground. It’s local lore, global vision, and all the insider jokes you didn’t know you needed.
🎉 Mural Opening Celebration @ Presbyterian Church of Traverse City | Thursday (8/14) at 5:00pm – Patio weather can wait. Swing by the church’s Mural Opening Celebration to catch indigenous artists unveiling “We are ONE People,” a mural rooted in Anishinaabek wisdom that invites reflection on history and healing through indigenous perspectives. Think honest art, local beats, and snacks worth skipping dinner.
🌲 Wellness in the Woods Series | Thursday (8/14) at 5:00pm – Give your inbox a break and swap it for forest Wi-Fi at Brown Bridge, where a naturalist-led stroll resets your senses and lets you finally remember what fresh air feels like. It’s only five bucks for legit therapy and an excuse to hug a tree.
✈️ Ford Tri-Motor Flight Experience | Friday (8/15) at 9:00am – Think you’ve seen Traverse City from every hilltop and beach? Swap your usual lookout point for a seat aboard a roaring ‘20s Ford Tri-Motor, admire the cherry orchards from America’s first mass-produced airliner, and finally get that flying time-machine flex on your bucket list.
🏐 Fresh Coast Frenzy Tournament 2025 | Friday (8/15) at 5:00pm – If you need more excitement than your usual farmers market route, our Traverse City squad is hosting roller derby teams from Chicago, Harrisburg, Minnesota, and Maryland for three days of high-speed elbow clashes. Expect thrashing boots, sketchy calls, plenty of jabs. Bring your loudest cheers.
This weekend
🎬 Kubo and the Two Strings Kids’ Matinee @ The State Theatre | Saturday (8/16) at 10:00am – Grab the little ones and head to the State Theatre for a $1 kids’ matinee of Kubo and the Two Strings, where origami magic tangles with samurai ghosts. It’s the perfect way to claim family culture credits without mortgaging your morning coffee budget.
🎸 Live Music: Delilah DeWylde @ Bel Lago Winery | Saturday (8/16) at 12:00pm – Think of Bel Lago as your lakeside living room, complete with Delilah DeWylde’s honeyed vocals, a glass of your favorite vintage, and postcard-ready Lake Leelanau views. It’s the perfect excuse to ignore household chores in favor of genuine grown-up fun.
🎻 The Boardman River Band @ Jacob’s Farm | Saturday (8/16) at 6:00pm – Jacob’s Farm is hosting the Boardman River Band in an open-air set, delivering easygoing favorites the entire family can hum along to. Snag a taco from the roaming food truck, claim your patch of grass early, because Dad’s twinkle-light dance moves deserve front-row seats.
🚢 Brunch Cruise @ Traverse Tall Ship Company | Sunday (8/17) at 10:00am – This brunch cruise turns French toast into an open-water affair aboard our century-old schooner, complete with mimosas, fresh fruit, and lake breezes. It’s the perfect escape for anyone who’s fed up with stiff napkins and wants to see swans judging your life choices.
🎸 Live Music: Larry Perkins @ Bel Lago Winery | Saturday (8/17) at 3:30pm – Slide into the weekend with Larry Perkins’ gritty guitar riffs and classic rock vibes, all with a lakeside view. With over 40 years of stage swagger, he’s bringing the kind of sound that pairs perfectly with a glass of wine and Northern Michigan sunshine.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/12 Pinter Whitnick @ Bel Lago Vineyards – 5:30 pm
- 8/12 Luke Woltanski @ Broomstack Kitchen – 5:30 pm
- 8/12 Eggy @ Interlochen Center for the Arts – 7 pm
- 8/13 Zinnia Dungjen @ Dune Bird Winery – 3 pm
- 8/13 Luke Woltanski @ Chateau Fontaine – 5 pm
- 8/14 Larry Perkins @ French Valley – 4 pm
- 8/14 Luke Woltanski @ Apache Trout Grill – 6 pm
- 8/14 Concerts on the Lawn @ Grand Traverse Pavilions – 7 pm
- 8/14 The Count Basie Orchestra @ Corson Auditorium – 7:30 pm
- 8/14 DJ Ras Marco D @ 7 Monks – 8 pm
🏠️ This house is wild
Listed by: Kyle O’Grady (REMAX Bayshore – Union St TC)
Perched on Old Mission Peninsula in the private Peninsula Shores enclave, this custom O’Grady build pairs sleek architecture with a dash of lakeside swagger. Designer furnishings fill every room, while windows frame blue-water views that never get old. The kitchen is a showpiece, the bathrooms are spa-worthy, and the vibe is pure Northern Michigan luxury.
Step outside to private sandy frontage, stroll the beachfront trails, or claim your own boat slip on East Grand Traverse Bay. With downtown Traverse City and the airport just minutes away, seclusion and convenience finally call a truce.
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