A Traverse City Fourth To Remember:

This Forth comes 10 years after 9/11, it is a constant reminder of how important our liberty and freedom is to us. Traverse City residents and tourist alike unified and waited until 10:30pm, and although the fireworks only lasted 30 minutes, it was still a half hour of visual bliss.

 

Stella’s in Building 50, Grand Traverse Commons

Enjoy the area’s freshest food while dining at Stella’s in the renovated “State Hospital,” now the Grand Traverse Commons.

People watching on Bay Street

Unicyclist, Tim Cairns, Traverse City Cherry Festival

 

People watching is half the fun while sitting by or walking, biking, or roller blading along the  Bay Street during Cherry Festival. Bay Street runs parallel to the Grandview Parkway. Here, Tim Cairns from Traverse City enjoys the Air Show on one wheel.

Fireworks over West Bay

Fireworks over the water, a photo by moumukherjee on Flickr.

FIREWORKS

DATE: July 4 AND July 9, 10:30 pm

WHERE: Over West Grand Traverse Bay

Traditionally, the Fourth of July and Cherry Fest Grand Finale Fireworks have been set off near the Maritime Academy just to the east of the Holiday Inn (Front Street). Watch them from any beach on West Bay, or get a seat up close by watching them from the Open Space or Westend Beach or from a boat in the bay. Growing up in Traverse, we would watch them from the roofs of our houses on the Old Mission Peninsula, but the trees blocked most of the view. The best spots are really right in the middle of it all along the Parkway, Bryant Park or Westend Beach. Traffic can be very congested on Fireworks days, so come early, try parking near Sleders Family Tavern then walking to the beach with your blanket or chairs. Enjoy!

OTHER Fourth of July Fireworks in the area: JULY 3, Leland JULY 4, Northport

Presidential Pancake Breakfast

On the opening day of Cherry Festival, July 2, 2011, come to the all-you-can-eat cherry pancake breakfast with the past Cherry Festival Presidents! According to the National Cherry Festival Facebook page, breakfast includes “pancakes, sausage, coffee, milk and juice. Live entertainment, raffles…lots of fun for the whole family!!”

Saturday July 2, 2011 8:30 am – noon $6 per person or $20 per family (max) Tickets available at the door ONLY. Proceeds benefit the Festival Foundation.

Cherry Festival featured in Pure Michigan Blog

View from Ferris Wheel

The Pure Michigan Connect Blog recently featured a post on the National Cherry Festival. Read more!

Cherry Idol 2011

Pre-register (April 1-July 1) for the 4th Annual Cherry Idol Competition by contacting the National Cherry Festival at 231-947-4230. Registration is $15, and broken into four divisions: Adult (18 and up); Teen (15-17); Pre-Teen ( 12-14) and Youth (8-11).

Sing a sone of your choice a cappella (no background music) for the preliminary auditions, and then if selected for the final round, you will sing another song of your choice with background music.

Clinch Park/Open Space Stage

Auditions: Thursday, July 7, 11:00-3:00 pm

Auditions: Friday, July 8, 11:00-3:00 pm

Finals: Saturday, July 9, 2:00-4:00 pm

Air shows over the bay!

Cherry Festival Air Show 2011, Photo by Event Apps

Air Show Gala:

The Park Place – Top of the Park

Saturday, Jul 02, 2011 12:00 PM – Saturday, Jul 02, 2011 3:00 PM

 

Watch the Cherry Festival Air Show from the best seat in town!

 

(Sorry, the Blue Angels won’t be here this year.)

(More Info)

Do you have an “Ultimate Air Dog”? You might!

NCF Ultimate Air Dog009, a photo by bbodjack on Flickr

Enter your dog in the Ultimate Air Dog Competition, or just come and watch the fun!

Thursday, July 7

Clinch Park Marina

Start Time: 11:00 AM
End Time: 3:00 PM

Registration: http://ultimateairdogs.net/How_To_Register.html

More Details: http://ultimateairdogs.net/

Pledge to Spend $10 on Locally Grown Produce

You have traveled many miles to get to Traverse City Nation Cherry Festival, so please purchase your cherries from local growers. Purchasing at grocery stores does not always ensure the cherry comes from Traverse City. Support this great town and use one of the farms listed below:

1. Wilson Orchard (Joseph and Ann Riley), 575 Wilson Rd., TC 49686 (231-946-3607)

Farm stand and u-pick open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

2. Walnut Lane Farm (Richard C. Wagner; dikndori@gmail.com), 1340 Three Mile Rd. N., TC 49686 (231-947-6595)

Tart and sweet cherries. Raspberries and apples. Tomatoes, pumpkins, squash, and misc. vegetables. Spring vegetables and flower bedding plants.

Farm stand open 8-8 Mon.-Sat. (Located .6 mile south of Hammond Rd. on the east side of Three Mile Rd.)

3. Tootsie Roll Farms (Bill and JoAnne Schutz), 19515 Center Rd., TC 49686

Fruit, including several varieties of cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines, and apples. Summer vegetables, including sweet corn, tomatoes, and gourmet lettuces. Maple syrup.

On Old Mission Peninsula. We are the last farm on west side before lighthouse on Center Rd. at Tompkins Rd.

4. Shangri-La Too (Lou Santucci, santucci.louis@gmail.com), 12602 Center Rd., TC 49686 (231-499-0106)

Take Center Rd. (M-37) north up Old Mission Peninsula. Our farm is on right, just past Island View Rd.

Open 9 a.m.-dark in picking season: July: cherries; Aug.: raspberries; Sept.-Oct.: apples.

5. Ocanas Farm (Leo Ocanas), 14792 Peninsula Dr., TC 49686 (231-223-7913 or 231-883-8669)

Farmers Markets, Farm Stand (Call to arrange farm sales!)

6. Leelanau Produce Farm Market and Bakery (Meeghan Siera and Sons), 9606 E. Cherry Bend Rd., TC 49684 (231-932-7571)

Take M-22 to Cherry Bend Rd., then 2.5 miles on Cherry Bend. Next to DeYoung Natural Area

Farm market on Cherry Bend Rd open 10 a.m.-6 p.m mid-May thru Oct. Closed Mondays

7. Hoopers Farm Gardens (Terry and Bruce Hooper, hoopgard@pentel.net), 2399 Kroupa Rd., TC 49686 (231-223-7627)

From US-31, follow M-37 (Center Rd.) north 13 miles to Kroupa Rd. Go thru first stop sign. Farm is third house on right

Farm Stand; Free garden touring 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, April-Oct.

8. Groleau’s Farm Market (Louis and Lynn Groleau), 2100 Hammond Rd East, TC 49686 (231-929-9654)

Staffed farm stand 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily late June-Aug. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily in fall.

9. Grey Hare Inn Vineyard B & B (Jay and cindy Ruzak, greyhareinn@hughes.net), 1994 Carroll Rd., TC 49686 (231-947-2214)

Go 7.2 miles north on M-37 to Carroll Rd., sign on right; turn left and go for .3 mile to first driveway on left.

Farm stand open 10 a.m.-noon and 4 p.m.-6 p.m. June-Oct. Wine grape orders must be placed in advance but orders can be placed year-round. Call ahead for u-pick availability.

10. Gallagher’s Farm Market (Maria and Sid Lammers, gallaghersfarmmarkettc@gmail.com), 7237 E. Traverse Hwy., TC 49684

Click Here for the Web site

Located 3.5 miles west of Traverse City on M-72. Call ahead for U-pick availability.

Open daily 8-6 June, September, and October. 8-8 daily July and August. Petting farm, corn maze, pumpkin patch, U-pick and school or group tours available seasonally.

11. Cherry Center Farm Market (Nancy Heller), 13542 Center Rd., TC 49686

From Traverse City, take M-37 (Center Rd.) about 9.5 miles north to 13514 Center Rd.

Farmers Market or open daily for on-farm sales.

12. Center Road Farm Market (Jen and Ben Bramer, centerroadfarm@hotmail.com), 13130 Center Road, TC 49686

Farmstand is located about 11 miles out Old Mission Peninsula on Center Road (M-37)on the east side of the road, just South of Blue Water Road.

Farm stand open daily May-October.