Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau

08/03/2025

🎨 Want to try your hand at pottery? Thoreson Farm (Glen Arbor) and Oliver Art Center (Frankfort) are offering hands-on ceramics classes all summer long—no experience needed!

🌀 Wheel throwing
👨‍👩‍👧 Family workshops
🔥 Raku glazing
🗓️ Weekly open studio + 6-week series

Create something beautiful in a serene Northern Michigan setting. 🌿

👉 Learn more & sign up: https://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/blog/post/try-your-hand-at-clay-thoreson-farm-oliver-art-center-offer-ceramics-classes-open-to-all/
✍ Marla R. Miller

✍

The picturesque backdrop of Sleeping Bear Dunes has lured artists, potters, and crafters here for a century, creating a vibrant arts scene in the quaint coastal communities up and down the Lake Michigan coast. But you don’t have to be a professional artist to find inspiration among the water and t...

08/01/2025

Dreaming of a weekend escape? Discover the magic of Northern Michigan with our curated Leelanau County itinerary—from dreamy beach days at Empire and Van’s Beach to panoramic views at Pyramid Point and Pierce Stocking Overlook.

🏖️ Hunt for Petoskey stones at Empire Beach
🌅 Chase unforgettable sunsets at Overlook #9
🍒 Sample fresh cherries at Cherry Republic
🍻 Cozy up in Fishtown with a Chubby Mary
🍷 Wind down at Farm Club with charcuterie and sparkling wine
🛌 Stay at The Homestead, America's Freshwater Resort

Whether you're craving outdoor adventure or a relaxing farm‑to‑table afternoon, there’s something here for every kind of traveler. Tap to explore the full guide—and plan the perfect getaway!

🔗 https://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/blog/post/the-perfect-weekend-itinerary-for-leelanau-county/
✍ VanDuzen

07/01/2025

🎆 Fireworks, parades, and patriotic fun — over the water and through our favorite small towns! 🎇

The Sleeping Bear Coast is ready to celebrate! From Glen Arbor’s anything-goes parade to Frankfort’s beachside fireworks, and boat parades on Glen Lake, this is what a Pure Michigan Fourth of July looks like. 🇺🇸🌊

✨ Don your red, white, and blue.
🚗 Gather your crew.
🎇 And experience Independence Day, Up North-style.

👇 Discover what’s happening in Glen Arbor, Leland, Frankfort, and Northport in this ultimate guide:

🔗 Read the full blog: https://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/blog/post/celebrate-fourth-of-july-with-parades-beach-days-fireworks-over-the-water/

✍Blogger: Marla R. Miller ()



The Sleeping Bear Dunes region is ready to celebrate! From Glen Arbor’s anything-goes parade to Frankfort’s beachside fireworks and boat parades on Glen Lake, this is what a Pure Michigan Fourth of July looks like. 🇺🇸🌊

06/25/2025

📸 Got a favorite photo from Overlook #9?

The beloved boardwalk at Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive has officially been removed due to erosion and shifting sands. While the view remains as stunning as ever, Overlook #9 has a new look — missing the platform that once perched us high above Lake Michigan.

🌀 Let’s keep the memories alive.
👉 Share your favorite throwback photos of Overlook #9 in the comments or tag us. Let’s celebrate the boardwalk that gave us countless unforgettable views.

✍ Blog by: Hanna Vanduzen ()
📖 Read more: https://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/blog/post/pierce-stockings-overlook-9-will-look-different-this-summer/

📍 Empire, MI |

06/15/2025

🎶 Live Music + Lake Breezes = Pure Summer Magic 🎶
Looking for the soundtrack to your Northern Michigan getaway? From front porch concerts in Glen Arbor to riverfront jams in Leland and beachside shows in Frankfort, the Sleeping Bear Dunes area is bursting with free and ticketed live music all summer long.

Grab a lawn chair, bring a picnic, and come feel the rhythm of summer. 🌅🎻🎤

👉 Read more and plan your musical adventure!
https://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/blog/post/enjoy-eclectic-music-free-concerts-all-summer-long/

06/13/2025

🌸 Little Garden Club’s 2025 Garden Tour is June 26!
Tour 6 stunning gardens across Leelanau from 11–5, rain or shine! 🎟️ Tickets $20, available at:

📍 Greystone Gardens Gardens (Empire)
📍 Northwoods Hardware (Glen Arbor)
📍 Leelanau Books Leelanau Books , Old Art Building (), Two Fish Gallery ()(Leland)
📍 Pennington Collection () (Northport)
📍 The Front Porch (The Front Porch), Plantmasters () (Suttons Bay)
📍 Four Seasons Nursery (), Garden Goods () , Pine Hill Village Gardens () (Traverse City)

🎨 Includes access to the Art of the Garden exhibit at the Old Art Building!

👉 Full details: https://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/blog/post/2025-little-garden-club-garden-tour-coming/

🖋Kandace Chapple ()

The Little Garden Club invites you to visit six inspiring Leelanau Peninsula gardens from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 26. The six homes feature sprawling gardens, stunning homes and you-can’t-help-but-stop-and-smell roses.

06/04/2025

🩷 Michigan Wine Month may be over, but the celebration continues 🍷

Dune Bird Winery's () limited-edition Pink Plover Rosé is still pouring strong — and it’s more than just a summer sip. Made in partnership with Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, this wine helps protect the endangered Piping Plover, a beloved Great Lakes shorebird nesting right here in Northern Michigan.

🎉 The rosé launched with a party full of music, community, and conservation — and the story behind it is just as meaningful as the flavor.

👉 Learn how you can support the plovers while sipping wine this summer: https://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/blog/post/saving-the-piping-plovers-one-bottle-at-a-time/

📝Blogger: Hanna VanDuzen

06/03/2025

🐿️🦉 Tiny patients. Big hearts.
When most rehab centers say no to injured baby wildlife, Samantha Wolfe and Justin Grubb say yes. Meet the duo behind Sleeping Bear Wildlife Fund and their mission to help the smallest creatures in need. 💚 Sleeping Bear Wildlife Fund

Read more: https://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/blog/post/opossums-oh-my-wildlife-rehabbers-take-on-the-little-ones/

🖊: Kandace Rae Chapple

There’s nothing worse than the sinking feeling of coming across an orphaned or injured rabbit, raccoon or other woodland creature… especially because most rehab centers won’t take them on. Enter Samantha Wolfe and Justin Grubb, co-founders of Sleeping Bear Wildlife Fund in Beula...

05/15/2025

Welcome Spring! 🌸 Your guide to cherry blossom tours, art exhibits, concerts, and more!

Click below for a blog by Marla R. Miller

May marks the season of renewal and inspires a sense of wonder and creativity. Signs of new life are everywhere as the trees bud and birds chirp a cheerful song. The cherry blossoms burst with pink flowers, and the delicate trillium blankets the forest in white.

03/14/2025

Head to the national lakeshore on March 22 for Maple Sugaring Days, where you can take part in special activities highlighting the tree-tapping process and exploring the historic Dechow and Olsen farms.

Click to learn more!

Blogger: R. Miller

March is the best month for maple syrup production in Michigan due to the weather conditions. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore celebrates maple sugar season with live demonstrations, family activities, and samples of Michigan-made maple syrup at the historic farms in the Port Oneida Historic

02/10/2025

The art of wintering! Blogger Marla R. Miller takes us through the winter festivals, art and music events to enjoy yet this winter!

Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail
Old Art Building
Oliver Art Center
Glen Arbor Arts Center
Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce

Keep winter fresh in February with winter festivals and snow-filled fun around Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Snowshoe the vines. Sample chili on an outdoor deck. Hit the slopes at The Homestead. Hunt for the Yeti. Venture into the snowy woods. Play a game of pick-up hockey. Or warm up with

02/07/2025

Winter recreation abounds in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and conditions are fabulous! 🦉❄️🏂⛷⛸🛷

Click to learn more!

Blog by Marla R. Miller
https://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/blog/post/winter-recreation-abounds-in-the-heart-of-sleeping-bear-dunes/

The Sleeping Bear Dunes region is blanketed in winter white, making it the perfect playground for a snowcation. February brings several reasons to celebrate and several long weekends with school winter breaks, Valentine’s Day, and Presidents’ Day For snow sports enthusiasts and people....