Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau Announces “Manitou Moments” Photography Contest

The Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau is proud to announce the “Manitou Moments,” a photography contest designed to encourage visitors to the Sleeping Bear Dunes to share their unique visions of what makes this area so special. The contest follows the launch of a substantially redesigned website, intended to encourage tourism by providing easy access to information about the recreation, dining, and lodging options around the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Users of the site will find in-depth information about the historical and natural resources in the region, as well as detailed databases of lodging, shopping, and dining establishments in the bucolic small towns around the dunes.

Beginning immediately, the Visitor’s Bureau will accept submissions to “Manitou Moments,” a seasonal photography contest that aims to investigate the theme of “New Beginnings.” The winning photographs will respond to the theme by sharing photos of their travels to the area that document the spirit of spring and the new awakenings that it provides - Whether pictures of the natural landscape, of new family traditions, or of new friendships, the photographs should focus on the fresh starts provided by spending time in a stunning natural landscape.

Photos can be submitted to the Visitors Bureau’s Facebook page and click on the Manitou Moments tab. The contest will open immediately and will accept entrants until the 1st of September. Prizes will be awarded at the end of September. This will be the first of a series of four annual seasonal contests designed to highlight conducted annually to promote travel to the region. Each season’s contest will begin immediately following the closing of the previous season’s contest. Entrants are encouraged to submit a caption to explain their photograph and how it reflects the contest’s theme. Ten finalists will be determined by a jury of Visitors Bureau staff and the final prizes will be awarded based on the number of “likes” each photo receives on Facebook. For more information please visit, http://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/contest-rules/.

Manitou Moments Photography Competition

This is your Manitou. The place that you come to escape, the place where you rediscover the joys of spending time with the people you love, and who love you. The place where you remember how important it is to spend time in the great outdoors, and where you allow yourself to be indulged with fine food, world-class shopping, or a great massage.

This is your Manitou, but we’re asking you to share it with us. The first seasonal “Manitou Moments” photography competition is looking for your photographs of the landscape, amenities, and people who make the Sleeping Bear Dunes special to you. More specifically, we’re looking for photographs that capture the theme of “New Beginnings.” Send us pictures of the date that made you fall in love with your partner; of children discovering the joys of the dunes; of new friends; or of the landscape coming back to life after a hard winter.

Submissions for each seasonal contest will begin immediately following the close of the previous contest. Entrants are encouraged to submit a caption to explain their photograph and how it reflects the contest’s theme. Ten finalists will be determined by a jury of Visitors Bureau staff and the final prizes will be awarded based on the number of “likes” each photo receives on Facebook.

Schedule for Seasonal Contests
Spring: April 1 to June 15
Summer: June 15 to September 1
Fall: September 2 to November 30
Winter: December 1 to March 30

At the conclusion of each seasonal contest, 10 finalists will be selected by a jury. The winner will be the finalist with the most public votes on Facebook and will receive $100 gift card. The finalists will be featured on the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau website and the winner featured in the bureau’s annual publication Manitou, the Magazine of Leelanau.

For more information about the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau or Manitou Moments Photography Contest, contact Jamie Jewell, Public Relations 231.334.5524 | jamie@thehomesteadresort.com.