Eastport, MI

A permanent ban on parties. That’s what Airbnb says it’s imposing on renters, ahead of the busy 4th of July holiday weekend. In northern Michigan, vacation rentals have increased in recent years, along with noise and traffic, upsetting some full-time residents. Ray Draeger owns some short-term rentals near...

Traverse City has long been known as the “Cherry Capital of the World.” The first National Cherry Festival was hosted here in 1925, and the rest was history. Nearly a century later, northern Michigan’s biggest tourist draw remains that same grand celebration of the cherry industry. But have a conversation with a local cherry farmer and you’ll likely come away with a much different portrait of cherry commerce. Behind the scenes, the local cherry industry is struggling to fight off a slew of threats—from climate change to invasive pests to competition from foreign growers—and those issues are making the practice of growing cherries here a challenging business proposition.

Recreational cannabis sales have been legal in Michigan for nearly three years, but establishing public spaces to legally consume weed is still in its infancy. The first two state-qualified “consumption lounges” opened this year: Hot Box Social in Hazel Park and Kalkushka Lounge in Kalkaska. Michigan is among seven states to allow legal cannabis consumption lounges. Nineteen municipalities across Michigan have opted into allowing these businesses to varying degrees, and two municipalities have not specified whether they will allow the use, according to the latest state data.

What is more American than fireworks and cherry pie?. For many, there’s no better place to celebrate than at the National Cherry Festival. Cherry Pie Eating Contests and Orchard Tours in “Cherry Country” kick off today. Fourth of July Fireworks begin at dusk. Our On The Road...

Northern Michiganders demonstrated on June 25 at the Traverse City Open Space after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade the day before. Photo by Zoe Phend. As we approach Independence Day, I wonder at the concepts of “freedom” and “equality.” At the ways our governing bodies have historically made laws that only represent a portion of our population. From the inception of our country, wealthy white men have been protected by the laws they created for themselves, but people of color, women, children, and impoverished people have not received the same protections. Take a step back, and the roots of our country’s laws become clear. They are not guided by morality, not made in the constituents’ best interests. No, our government is built upon the maintenance of power for a small group of people at the expense of the rest. Control, not care or empathy, is the ruling doctrine of the United States of America.

Here’s a roundup of recent news and photos around the Old Mission Peninsula…. 4th of July Celebration in Old Mission. Help celebrate an American Holiday with a Patriotic Walk Around the Block in the village of Old Mission. Everyone is invited to either take part or cheer on the participants. Line up on Grand Street on Monday, July 4, at 11:45 a.m.; the route will go from Grand Street to Traverse Street to Swaney Road to Bay Street to Woodland Avenue and back to Traverse Street, ending at the Legion Hall. (Note: If it’s pouring down rain, the event will be canceled.)

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) -- 16-year-old Matthew Grose has been missing since the night of Friday, July 1, according to a family member. Grose is 5'9 and was last seen by Chums Corners in Traverse City, a family member told UpNorthLive in an email. Grose was last seen wearing...

It’s cherry season and you know what that means here in Northern Michigan…. The 96th Annual National Cherry Festival is finally underway in Traverse City!. There is no shortage of cherries or visitors this weekend—several hundred thousand are expected out to watch the return of the Blue Angels airshow.

Shawn Colvin, Leftover Salmon, Laith Al-Saadi, Donna the Buffalo, The Accidentals and others bolster the lineup for the first Blissfest since 2019 north of Harbor Springs. The preview at Local Spins. It’s been nearly three years since the last Blissfest Music Festival unfolded in northern Michigan. On Friday (July...

A $4 million-plus capital campaign to eventually fund major property enhancements and renovations at Mt. Holiday is just getting started, with the goal of restoring and reviving one of the area’s snowsports gems. “It’s a Traverse City tradition, and a community gem,” says Nathan Noyes, the executive director at...

Cadillac, 8:30 am to 1:30 pm, July 4, LifeHouse Assembly of God Fellowship Hall, 1120 W. Division St. Lake Ann, 3-7 pm, July 5, United Methodist Church Community Center, 19900 First St. Northport, 1:15-5:30 pm, July 6, Northport Village Marina- Blood Bus, 105 N. Rose St. Traverse City, 2:30-6 pm,...

Lily Guiney is a rising junior at Michigan State University, where she studies journalism and international relations. Lily is a Traverse City native and spent her grade school years performing with the TC West band and orchestra programs in concert at Interlochen, and she is excited to now call the campus her workplace.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – For a second consecutive game, the Traverse City Pit Spitters used a big inning to overpower the Wausau Woodchucks. This time, it was a six-run fourth inning which proved decisive as the Pit Spitters defeated the Woodchucks 9-4 in Northwoods League baseball action on Saturday.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI (WSAU) – For a second consecutive game, the Traverse City Pit Spitters used a big inning to overpower the Wausau Woodchucks. Saturday night, a six-run fourth inning proved decisive in a 9-4 Pit Spitter win. The Woodchucks (16-18) erased an early 2-0 deficit with a game-tying...

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – For seven innings Friday night, the Wausau Woodchucks kept the Traverse City Pit Spitters from scoring an earned run. But that changed in the eighth, as a seven-run rally pushed Traverse City (16-17) to an 8-2 victory over the Woodchucks (16-17) in the Northwoods League series opener at Turtle Creek Stadium.

TRAVERSE CITY – The Traverse City Pit Spitters completed a two-game sweep of the Wausau Woodchucks on Saturday night with a 9-4 win. In the first game of the series on Friday, the Pit Spitters scored seven runs in the eighth inning to win 8-2. It was another big inning on Saturday that propelled Traverse City to victory as the Pit Spitters scored six runs in the fourth inning to open up a 7-1 lead and never looked back.

From decades-long volunteers to can’t-miss festival events, here are all the details and stories you need to celebrate Traverse City’s National Cherry Festival and the 4th of July in style this summer in Northern Michigan. This will be Denny and Jeri Braun’s 39th year volunteering at the National...