Leland lights up on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Glen Arbor's tree lighting is the day after Thanksgiving, on Friday, Nov. 27. Suttons Bay follows on Saturday, and Northport rounds out the weekend with a crafts sale and a Sunday concert. Each village picked its own night, so the peninsula's opening week plays out like a relay. A resident with a free week and a full tank can attend almost every event.
The only day the events overlap is Saturday, Nov. 28, so that's the day that needs a plan. Before Thanksgiving week arrives, the wine trail gets November started this weekend.
November Opens on the Wine Trail, Starting Tomorrow
The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail's Toast the Season runs the first two weekends of November, Friday through Sunday: Nov. 6 to 8 and Nov. 13 to 15. Each ticket gets a pour of a selected wine with a food pairing at every participating winery, plus "Cork Cash" you can spend at any winery on the trail. The trail reminds guests that tickets cover tastings but not gratuity, and it asks people to tip their tasting room hosts.
The participating list covers most of the peninsula. It includes 45 North, Aurora Cellars, Dune Bird, Leelanau Cellars, Silver Leaf, Verterra, Amoritas, Bel Lago, Boathouse, Chateau Fontaine, Cherry Republic, French Valley, Good Harbor and Laurentide. That's two weekends of pairings at wineries spread across the county, and they wrap up a week before the village calendars begin.
The first local event after the wine weekends has a giving angle. On Saturday, Nov. 21, the Suttons Bay Chamber holds Pack the Pantry. Participating businesses offer storewide discounts, and shoppers are asked to bring non-perishable food and personal-hygiene items for Leelanau Christian Neighbors, as The Ticker's fall guide to Leelanau County reported.
Thanksgiving Week, Night by Night
From Wednesday through Sunday, the village events fall on separate days, with no overlap until Saturday.
Wednesday, Nov. 25: Leland goes first
Light Up Leland runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, hosted by the Leland Chamber of Commerce, according to the Leland events calendar. It's the only lighting before the holiday itself, which suits anyone hosting family on Thursday or expecting guests on Wednesday afternoon.
Friday, Nov. 27: Glen Arbor on the morning after
Leland stays open for Black Friday in Leland from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That evening the action moves to Glen Arbor. The Glen Lake Chamber's Holiday Market starts with a tree lighting and caroling outside Glen Arbor Town Hall at 6:15 p.m., followed by a preview of the market inside from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The preview night lets you shop the vendors before the Saturday crowd arrives.
Saturday, Nov. 28: the day everything overlaps
This is the only day of the week with more going on than one person can attend.
- Glen Arbor: The Holiday Market returns to Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with more than 25 vendors.
- Northport: The Northport Arts Association holds its Holiday Arts and Crafts Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 301 Mill Street, with artisans set up at both the association and Willowbrook Mill. The Northport Omena Chamber says the village traditionally holds its tree lighting on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
- Leland: The Leland Chamber lists Small Business Saturday on its calendar.
- Suttons Bay: Holiday in the Village & Santa at the Bay fills the whole day, with the main events in the afternoon and evening.
Suttons Bay's schedule makes Saturday workable. According to the Suttons Bay Chamber, the all-day activities include event-day specials in village shops, a mailbox for letters to Santa in front of Bahle's, voting for the best-decorated Christmas tree, and photos in front of a vintage fire truck. A free family movie plays at The Bay Theatre at 2 p.m. At 5 p.m., Santa arrives by fire truck to light the village tree, then greets visitors at the theater.
Because Suttons Bay's two scheduled events come late in the day, the morning is free. The Glen Arbor and Northport markets both open at 10 a.m., so you can spend the morning at one of them and still make the 2 p.m. movie or the 5 p.m. lighting in Suttons Bay. The hard choice is between the two morning markets. If you made the Friday preview in Glen Arbor, Saturday morning is open for Mill Street in Northport.
Sunday, Nov. 29: Northport finishes the week
The Community Band and Village Voices give a holiday concert at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Northport Public School, 104 South Wing Street. It's the last event of the opening week and the only one indoors on a Sunday afternoon, so it works as a low-key end after three busy nights.
What's Already Closed for the Season
Holiday events are filling the calendar just as the National Lakeshore winds down. By publication day, the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is closed to vehicles; its last day was Nov. 1. The Dune Center and the Glen Haven General Store closed for the season on Oct. 31, according to the Sleeping Bear Dunes current-conditions page. The Park Service lists Lakeshore trails as open. D.H. Day Campground is now self-serve, with its office closed for the season. On both Manitou Islands, facilities, docks and utilities remain closed while docks are relocated and infrastructure is repaired.
So for the next two months, life on the peninsula centers on the villages more than the dunes. Some local businesses have set up specifically for the colder months. At Dune Bird Winery in Northport, the Leelanau Paddle Club offers platform tennis on a raised, heated court built for outdoor play through winter, according to The Ticker's off-season guide. Dune Bird is also on the Toast the Season list, so a weekend there can include both.
Heartwood Ciders, at 13775 S. Lautner Rd., is in its first season. Its posted fall hours are Wednesday and Thursday 3 to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday noon to 6 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday. Hot apple cider is served Friday through Sunday.
December Belongs to Leland
After the opening week, most of the remaining dates on the county's December calendar are in Leland.
| Date | Event | Time | Host |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Cocoa Crawl | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Leland Chamber of Commerce |
| Thu., Dec. 17 | Leland Sip and Shop | 4 to 8 p.m. | Leland Chamber of Commerce |
The Cocoa Crawl is on a Saturday afternoon and suits families. The Sip and Shop is on a Thursday evening, eight days before Christmas, which makes it the last organized shopping night on the county calendar.
In Glen Arbor, the Strolling Lights Festival at Crystal River Outfitters is raising money for LIFT, Leelanau Investing for Teens, this year. Businesses and families can sponsor a festival tree for $150, and donations to the Giving Tree are accepted online through Crystal River Outfitters.
Our team at Traverse City Real Estate lives on this calendar too, from Light Up Leland to the last Sip and Shop. If a walk through a Leelanau village this season leaves you wondering what it would be like to live there year-round, Schedule a Consultation and we'll talk it through with you.
