Crooked Tree Art Center Hosts 3rd Annual Summer Super Swirl (Wednesday, August 19)

The season may be winding down, but the fun summer vibes are still going strong at Crooked Tree Arts Center. Wednesday, August 19, marks the 3rd Annual Summer Super Swirl – the big summer send-off put on with the help and generosity of D & W Fresh Market. The event runs from 5:30-8pm. Tickets for this 21+ age event are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the event.

Mingle within the three summer exhibitions, The Hours, Wind & Sail, and The CTAC Kitchen Painters: A Passion for Painting, while enjoying fine wines, craft beers, savory appetizers, and sweet treats. Watch live art demonstrations, take part in art activities, and walk CTAC’s indoor and outdoor spaces. Several artists will be on hand providing demonstrations including members of the CTAC Kitchen Painters, and ceramic artists, Jim Beckering and Stephen Stuchell.

The line-up for musical entertainment is long and provides a variety of genres. Performing artists will include, Alex Vance, Jim Owen Duo, Charlevoix Sax Quartet, Jeff Pagel, the CTAC Jazz Ensemble featuring CTAC’s Music Education Assistant Director, Kevin Richardson, and strolling minstrel, Robert Dudd, CTAC Music Education Director. A new addition to the performance docket will be musician Michelle Chenard and artist Martina Hahn in their new collaborating configuration, Music meets Canvas.

The popular raffle of 6x6 “Little Gems” by CTAC’s Kitchen Painters is back again. It’s a “your choice” raffle – purchase some tickets and drop them in the jar of your choosing in hopes of winning the piece that catches your eye. Whether you’re in the market for new art or not, don’t miss viewing these beautiful works of art created by local artists. Additional “your choice” raffle items include foodie baskets, courtesy of D & W Fresh Market.

The event covers all of the Arts Center’s square footage, encompassing the galleries, theater, lower level studios, Carnegie Building, Bidwell Plaza, and even the grassy space behind the Carnegie Building. Think of New Year’s Eve, but in the summer. The Summer Super Swirl’s capacity maxes out at 700 – CTAC will surely be bursting at the seams. This event is for those of 21 years and up.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Crooked Tree Arts Center at 231-347-4337 or visit www.crookedtree.org. The Crooked Tree Arts Center is located at 461 E. Mitchell Street, downtown Petoskey.

Petoskey Celebrates Annual Festival on the Bay — Activities Planned August 14-15

Several new activities are planned for this year’s Festival on the Bay, August 14-15, in Petoskey—nestled along the shores of Little Traverse Bay. Activities are presented by the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce.

• BBQ on the Bay (Saturday | 3-5pm) is an amateur grilling competition open up to 10 area teams with a tasting event that is open to the public for just $5 per person.

• The Paladin Paddle Regatta (Saturday | 5pm) is a cardboard boat race meant to instill fun and excitement on the bay. No matter how fast, slow, big, small, sensible or outrageous your boat is, the first rule is that everyone have fun!

• Wine on the Water (Saturday | 5-8pm) this is your chance to sample wines from the 9 wineries of the Bay View Wine Trail. Taste tickets are just one dollar. Try award-winning wines in this special area.

• Silent Disco (Friday & Saturday | 7pm to Midnight). It’s all the rage! Step on into the tent, put on a set of headphones and enjoy great dance hits all night…all in your own little world. Those looking in will just see random dancing, because each person in the tent is listening to their own music on their own headset…inside the tent is quiet (except for the singing and laughing of those inside). On Friday night, Hits 106 KHQ DJ Jimmy Hot Keys will be broadcasting live from 7-9pm.

Live entertainment continues to be a major draw for festival-goers. Friday night, The Jelly Roll Blues Band kicks things off at 5pm, followed by the Petoskey Steel Drum Band at 7pm, Billy Strings and Don Julin at 9pm and The Cookies at 10pm. On Saturday, entertainment gets under way at 4pm with Knuckle Fuss, followed by Stereo Artifacts at 5pm, The Drift at 6pm, Mike Logan Comedy at 7pm (and again at 9:30pm), Galactic Sherpas at 7:30pm; The Accidentals at 8:3pm and Detroit Soul Revue closing out the evening from 10pm until Midnight.

Kids’ activities include a large petting zoo, Petoskey stone hunting, face painting, arts and crafts, card games, a youth fishing derby, bouncy house and more. The Children's Area will be open on Friday from 1-7pm and Saturday from 10am to 5pm Entry Fee is $2 per child, per day (adults free). Teenagers aged 14-18 will enjoy the Friday Night Sunset Band Jam, with local bands perform from 9-11pm including Multiverse and Orion Brill. On Saturday night, it’s the Club Electro Sunset Dance Party from 9-11pm with music from DJ DomNom and DJ Krave of D313Gation. The entry fee is $5 per person, each night.

Other events throughout the weekend include The Big Art Show, Chalk and Chocolate Festival, Canoe & Kayak The Bay, YMCA Color Fun Run, Waterball Competition, Vendors on the Midway and more. Find the daily schedule of events here.

Festival on the Bay continues its efforts to “Go Green by the Blue” with a commitment to environmental and conservancy issues and recycling efforts. Glass and plastic bottles, paper and plastic cups, and aluminum cans are recyclable at Festival on the Bay through an on-going partnership with Emmet County Recycling. Look for the recycling stations around the festival site and do your part to keep the waterfront and this community clean and green!

For hotels and lodging packages in the Petoskey area, click here.

The Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization which has been working for Northern Michigan since 1920. Currently more than 780 businesses are invested as members of the organization and those members are served by a full-time staff of 4. Member businesses benefit from chamber services in the areas of business promotion, networking, advocacy, economic development, tourism promotion and community enhancement.

www.facebook.com/petoskeyfestival

Beards Brewery Named Boyne Highland’s Brew-Ski Festival “People’s Choice Award” Winner for 2nd Consecutive Year

For the second year in a row, Petoskey-based Beards Brewery took home the “People’s Choice Award” from the Boyne Highlands Brew-Ski Festival, held March 14 in Harbor Springs. More than 65 breweries from Michigan and beyond served up nearly 300 different beers to over 2400 people in attendance at the 6th annual event.

Beards Brewery opened in August, 2012 by two friends—Ben Slocum and Peter Manthei—who had a common passion: beer. What began as a homebrewing partnership evolved into a small 1bbl brew house at 207 Howard Street, Suite A, in downtown Petoskey. A larger, 4,000-square-foot production brewery is scheduled to open this summer off Ferry Road in nearby Charlevoix. This new facility will allow for 15 times the capacity of the original pub location, giving the brewery enough product to handle draft demand around the state.