This Week in Leelanau: February 17, 2011

Yep. It’s all in there. You just need to get out and enjoy it!

The Run Across Ethiopia Celebration happens next Thursday night at the Park Place. Come down to meet and talk with the runners and crew and hear about the schools that will be built as a result of community efforts! Get all the details here!.

Is it a little warm in here?

The photo above was taken a few days ago. For a view of what the Leland Harbor looks like today, head over to The Leland Report (that’s Keith’s photo to the right too!). Our Ski Leelanau! report isn’t great. While the Homestead and Crystal have decent conditions and there are trails with snow, we’re also seeing bare ground in places and considerably less winter wonderfulness.

From the “let’s kick Old Man Winter when he’s down” department, here’s your new record high: 52 degrees at Leelanau Coffee We ARE roasting up here!! The good news? A cool-down starts tomorrow!

The weather isn’t the only thing that’s funny…

Through Absolute Michigan we have a report from the Traverse City Comedy Festival. Check it out – we’re pretty proud of it!

Thanks to the Leelanau Coffee Roasting Co for sponsoring Leelanau.com and this email!

"September Gale" Grand Haven Breakwater Lighthouse is located in the harbor of Grand Haven, Michigan

Absolute Michigan loves WATER and is helping to sponsor the first-ever Benzie Water Festival on Saturday, March 19, 2011 in Frankfort. The day will be a family-oriented, community-centered experience that will feature all kinds of Michigan organizations, water experts and musicians celebrating what definies Michigan (our water) and helping you make the connections that will protect our state’s treasure, all with plenty of local food & drink and (of course) ice fishing!

Over on Michigan in Pictures there’s waves crashing, ice melting and a great photo of the best ice in Michigan – the ice at the Joe Louis Arena!

If you have a Michigan business, you can add your link for free to Michigan’s largest site for Michigan news & links, absolutemichigan.com!

This week’s photo – Ice blue. by John Levanen– was taken just a week ago. Keith at the Leland Report has a shot from today and we’ve definitely seen Old Man Winter rocked back on his heels this week! See it bigger and see many more shots in John’s Leelanau slideshow.

Want a chance to have YOUR photos featured here? Click the Flickr button above to join our photo group!

If you’d like to sponsor Leelanau.com and our weekly emails, please contact us at lci@leelanau.com or call 231-421-1172. Leelanau.com is a great way to connect with locals and travelers alike!

The Leelanau Calendar

If you’ve got a Leelanau event, you can add your information (for free) to the Leelanau Calendar. Not only will it be listed in this newsletter every week, but we may do a feature story on your event on Leelanau.com!

FEATURED EVENT
Glen Arbor, Empire & Northport Winter Festivals
The Glen Arbor Winterfest is sponsored by the Glen Lake/Sleeping Bear Chamber and takes place Friday February 18 & Saturday the 19th. Highlights include a perch fishing contest, a chance to “fish” for deals at Glen Arbor stores and the Chili Cookoff at Boonedocks. (click below for a cookoff video )

Also on Saturday the 19th is Empire Winterfest, featuring the infamous South Bar Polar Bear Dip at 2 PM SHARP! If you haven’t been, you need to get out and check out one of the greatest displays of collective insanity in Leelanau County! See photos from Jim Sorbie (who shot this one) and others in the Leelanau wi
nterfest slideshow.

Click to the Leelanau Blog for information about the Glen Arbor & Empire Winterfests (this weekend) and Northport’s Winter Festival on February 26th.

Just a thought for the folks in Glen Arbor & Empire: Why don’t you call up the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and do a big old “Sleeping Bear Winterfest”??

Winter Wine & Wow!

Tomorrow night from 6-10 PM (Friday, Feb 18) enjoy local wines (including ice wines) from the Leelanau & Old Mission Peninsulas, craft brew & spirits, food, art, and entertainment event under a heated tent Your $10 entry ticket includes a wine glass and your first taste of wine. Additional tastes of wine, beer, vodka, and food. Click for more.Run Across Ethiopia Celebration

On the Ground invites everyone (young and old) to the Run Across Ethiopia Celebration next Thursday evening (February 24 at the Park Place Dome in Traverse City. The event is free and features a chance to talk with the runners and the rest of the team (there were several children who went as well, so please bring your own). Enjoy cash bar, appetizers, music by Seth Bernard and May Erlewine and a sneak preview of the RAE Documentary film. More at onthegroundglobal.org!

Snowshoe Hikes in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Join a Park Ranger at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore every Saturday and Sunday through the month of February for a guided snowshoe hike. Read more from the Glen Arbor Sun and even if you don’t do the guided hikes, DO get out and ski or snowshoe in the Dunes and on other trails around the county!!

MORE EVENTS FROM THE LEELANAU CALENDAR

Feb 18 – Talk about Art (Glen Arbor Art Association)
Feb 20 – City Opera House Volunteer Orientation (City Opera House)
Feb 24 – Dr. Phillip Siemer – Car (Family Council of Tendercare)
Feb 24 – The Aluminum Show (Castle Carpet Care and David and Jill Hall)
Feb 26 – Northport’s Seventh Annual Winter Carnival (Northport Omena Chamber of Commerce)
Mar 4 – Chanticleer (WTCM)
Mar 5 – ART in the GARDEN (Master Gardener Assn. of NW Michigan)
Mar 7 – Fundraiser for Third Level’s Transitional Living Program (Third Level Crisis Intervention Center, Inc.)
Mar 12 – The Irish Comedy Tour (none)
Mar 12 – Leapin’ Leprechaun 5k (National Cherry Festival)

Advertise on Leelanau.com – call us at 421-1172!

Support these and other sponsors of Leelanau.com!

Did we mention you could add your events forfree? Get busy folks!

Ethnic Nights at the Bluebird in Leland happen every week on Wednesday & Thursday nights. Next week is New England featuring Clam Chowder-Bluebird Style, Long Island Duck Breast, Maple Sea Scallops and Fried Oysters. March 2-3 is Southwest – The “real”Tex/Mex!

Now Playing at the Bay Theater in Suttons Bay: Starting Friday is The King’s Speech (r). Coming soon is The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon. In March, the Bay Film Series brings Waste Land (Check out the web site – looks amazing!. Mid-Week Specials are available!! Tuesdays – Free Popcorn (one medium corn with ticket purchase), Wednesdays – $5.50 for all seats (Specials are not valid for special events or film series). Bay Theatre Gift Certificates: ‘Say it with a Movie’ gift certificates provide a memorable and enjoyable experience all year ’round. Check the web site for details!

The Weather

Ken writes: Faith played a huge role in getting this shot … I was out there for the sunset, knowing there was paper work to tend to (taxes : and I turned to leave three times, but kept coming up with excuses to stay a little longer … even though it looked like it would be a dud of a sunset … just gray skies . . . but something kept nudging me to hang on a little longer … after the third turn to go home, I glanced over my shoulder once more and … eYoW … it was just a small area, but it was lit up like I’d never seen before . . . once again, faith, intuition … was right on . . . after this I treated myself to a beer at Stubbs : ) I guess that’s what they say about those who wait … they get beers at Stubbs!

It’s 52.2 degrees under cloudy skies at 8:00 PM at Leelanau Coffee Roasting in Glen Arbor. The record low for a February 17th is an unbelievable -37 from 1979. The record high was 48 in 1981, but at 52 degrees RIGHT NOW we have shattered that record! It will be foggy, windy and rainy overnight with temps in the upper 30s. Expect temps to keep dropping Friday and Friday night as snow and fierce northwest winds at 30+ remind us of who really owns February. Saturday will be sunny but lots colder – highs in the mid 20s, and then snow and upper 20s on Sunday.

Click for the news & weather from last year!