Where Water Falls by Mark S. Carlson

Today on The Daily Michigan we're giving away a custom giclee printed image of your choice from photographer Mark S. Carlson. You can choose from any on his website or his artist Facebook page. The 12 X 18" image will be archivally printed on 13 X 19" matte paper, personally signed beneath the bottom, right-hand corner of the image, accompanied by a description label ready to be adhered to the back of the print finished image, then packaged in a heavy cardboard tube and Priority mailed to you!

Mark was born in Lansing and has explored the natural beauty of the Great Lakes State from shore to shore all his life. His work has appeared in magazines & books, and he also conducts guided photo tours all around the Great Lakes region.

To whet your appetite, here's Mark's Giclee printed photos album on Facebook. Many more in his Facebook albums and on his website.

Click here to sign up

Share this:

Wheresoever you go,
go with all your heart. - Confucius
by Church of One

Next Tuesday, February 14th is Valentine's Day - a day for lovers, sweethearts, paramours ... and chocoholics. Like it, love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is an annual tradition that will see over one billion valentines will be given out worldwide, 85% of those by women. However you choose to celebrate the holiday, consider making it a little more special with something from Michigan.

There's plenty of delicious Valentine's Day recipes from Pure Michigan at Michigan.org. The Food Network also offers up some culinary advice for Valentine's Day complete with a full Valentine's menu. Lansing's WLNS CBS channel 6 website has a complete Valentine Day section on their website where you can learn all kinds of useful information including (who knew?) that chocolate is an aphrodisiac. The folks at the Grand Rapids Press and mlive.com have some tips for Valentine's Day cooking with kids.

We have to remind you that February is National Cherry Month and cherries make a great and healthy way to bring the distinctive Valentine red into your celebrations. An affordable and tasty non-alcoholic beverage are cherry sparklers made with Michigan cherry juice and sparkling water.

On the adult beverage front, a whopping 95% of wine drinkers agree that wine makes a perfect gift, and you can't go wrong with a  Michigan wine or  Michigan beer! The folks at MyNorth offer a listing of Northern Michigan sparkling wines to set the tone for your celebration. While bubbles are big, beers can also be appreciated. Dianna at Promote Michigan has let us in on her Love Affair with Michigan Beer, which features all kinds of special and regular brews from Michigan's brewmasters. You can stay awake Ann Arbor Brewing's Espresso Love featuring coffee, cozy up to the Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale from Atwater Brewing or go a little lighter with Dragonmead's Redwing Raspberry Wheat. This is a great feature so definitely check it out!

Ginny, You Are My Shining Star by docksidepress

If you're left scratching your head over what to buy him or her, check out the 'Valentine's Day Gift Giving Guide' from WLNS.com.  Don't forget the furry friends in your life either! You can be a homeless pets Valentine when WXYZ-TV 7 in Detroit hosts their Annual Valentine's Day Telethon to support the Michigan Humane Society. Tune in or donate online with the Michigan Humane Society!

If that's not enough and you really want to get your Valentine on, check out Absolute Michigan keyword Valentine for food & gift ideas.

For a little eye candy, you should check out the Valentine slideshow from the Absolute Michigan flickr pool!

We also have a large number of Michigan web sites to check out (though if we're missing one, be sure to add a link to it).

Flowers & Florists - say it with flowers

Chocolate - there's also candy companies

Candles - lighting the way for romance for thousands of years

Jewelry -silver & gold, platinum and bronze, pick your favorite.

Wow, you actually made it to the end of this post - don't forget to buy yourself a little something for Valentines Day!

Share this:

Sooo... the person we selected to win 2 tickets to the Traverse City Winter Microbrew and Music Festivalhasn't contacted us. The festival is this Saturday, February 11th - just days away. That means we have to give these away and give them away quickly to someone who wants to make the trip to Traverse City!If this is you and if you are 21 years of age, all you have to do is either:

1. Go to the Absolute Michigan facebook and find the comment that says If you want to go to the Traverse City Winter Microbrew and Music Festival Read This! and post a comment saying you want to go - feel free to add your favorite Michigan beer or something you're looking forward to.

2. Post a comment below! Include the part where you say nice things about a craft brew, musician or polkas!

3. If you're shy or not a Facebooker, no problem - just reply to this email - and please feel free to share your thoughts about what excites you about the festival or Absolute Michigan!

We will put them all into a list, head over to random.org at 6 PM tomorrow and find out who wins. Share it with friends who might be interested too - maybe they'll take you along if they win!!

Share this:

Today's offering in The Daily Michigan is a pair of tickets to the 3rd Annual Winter Traverse City Microbrew & Music Festival (must be 21 to win). The festival has so much to offer that probably the best thing we can do is give you the poster above to click on!

Click here to sign up

Shadows on Ice by farlane

This annual festival is produced by Porterhouse Productions and features over 40 breweries, wineries, cideries, and meaderies - most from Michigan - along with local food vendors and beer and cuisine pairings. A highlight of the festival is a wide range of entertainment featuring Funktion, Heatbox, The Crane Wives, Whitney Morgan and the 78s, Dragon Wagon and Rootstand.  There's also fire dancers, live polka music and a silent disco.

It all benefits Bay Area Recycling for Charities, a non-profit company providing comprehensive recycling services to residents and businesses in the Grand Traverse Bay area. BARC allows customers to get top-quality recycling services and give back to the local community through the charity of their choice.

Click the button for their Facebook and some photos and info, order tickets and get more details from Porterhouse Productions. There's some great music for us to choose from. While we're tempted to link over to our friends in Dragon Wagon or Minnesota-based Heatbox, we have to present The Crane Wives performing one of their hits!

Share this:

Michigan Cherries by jdurchen

Did you know that Michigan is the largest producer of Montmorency tart cherries, growing 70-75% of the crop? February is National Cherry Month, and the Cherry Marketing Institute (link below) has bushels of info about the history and present state of the cherry industry including growing research showing that antioxidants in tart cherries may relieve the pain of arthritis and gout & help fight cancer and heart disease.

Cherry Facts

• Tart cherries are loaded with antioxidants that are believed to relieve the pain of arthritis and gout and help fight cancer and heart disease. They're also especially high in the antioxidant melatonin, which may help prevent or reduce brain deterioration associated with aging. And to top it off, they're high in vitamin A and beta-carotene.
• Cherries were brought to America by early settlers in the 1600s. Cherry trees, in fact, were part of the gardens of French settlers when they established Detroit.
• Peter Dougherty, a Presbyterian missionary on Old Mission Peninsula north of Traverse City, started modern-day cherry production in Michigan in 1852. Now, Michigan grows about 75 percent of the nation's tart cherries and Traverse City calls itself the cherry capital of the world.
• It takes about 250 cherries to make a cherry pie; enough cherries grow on the average cherry tree to make 28 pies, industry officials say.
• Tart cherries ripen two or three weeks after sweet cherries. Look for them in mid to late July.
• Cherries are a truly ancient delicacy - explorers have found cherry pits from the Stone Age in European caves.
• Tart cherries have fewer calories and more beta-carotene than sweet cherries.
• Michigan grows 75 percent of the nation's tart cherries.

For more tasty cherry info, be sure to check these out!

Cherry Marketing Institute is the best place to go for information about this delicious and healthy fruit!

Absolute Michigan's Cherry Links has all kinds of info about the cherry!

Michigan Cherries from Taste the Local Difference is PACKED with all kinds of information and delicious cherry recipes.

Michigan Cherries from the Department of Agriculture

MSU's Michigan Cherry Information features more cherry information than you can shake a whole tree at!

For all things edible, drinkable and wearable, check out Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor. They are one of the featured supporters of The Daily Michigan and are giving away 5# of cherries today!

The National Cherry Festival in Traverse City is a celebration of cherries and the cherry industry held every year at the beginning of July.

Video & Photos

Definitely check out the Cherry slideshow from the Absolute Michigan photo group on Flickr. On the video front, we hope you will enjoy 'Cherry Cherry' (circa 1967) by Neil Diamond and also this video of the harvest at an organic cherry farm in Northern Michigan!

Share this:

Iron Works #2 - Cranbrook by MikeRyu

Our Michigan February Event Calendar shows that the more the weather tries to keep us holed up, the more ways we find to get out and have fun!! Of course, there's still many, many more and we invite you to fill us in on other February events in the comments.

February Fast Facts - Wikipedia

• Having only 28 days in common years, it is the only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon. 2012 is a Leap Year!
• It has 29 days in leap years, when the year number is divisible by four (except for years that are divisible by 100 and not by 400 in the Gregorian calendar)
• It is the only month of the calendar that once every six years and twice every 11 years, will have only four full 7-day weeks.
• Its birth flower is the Viola (plant) and the Primrose.
• Its birthstone is the amethyst.

February Quotes

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." - Edith Sitwell

"Surely as cometh the Winter, I know
There are Spring violets under the snow." - R. H. Newell

"February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March." - Dr. J. R. Stockton

"Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour." - John Boswell

"February makes a bridge and March breaks it." - George Hebert

Notable February Dates from Michigan History Magazine

• February 13, 1855 The Michigan legislature protects escaped slaves.
• February 24, 1863 Michigan supports the Emancipation Proclamation.
• February 17, 1864 The First Michigan Colored Infantry is mustered into federal service.
• February 21, 1905 The National Ski Association is organized in Ishpeming.
• February 20, 1909 The Hudson Motor Car Company is organized.
• February 2, 1936 Ty Cobb becomes one of the first players selected to enter the newly formed Baseball Hall of Fame.
• February 8, 1985 The Stroh Brewery announces it is closing its Detroit plant.

Michigan Events for February

Also see the Pure Michigan Blog and the UP Travel Calendar for more events!

Ice Climbing - Tannery Falls
by James Marvin Phelps

February 2 - 5
Michigan Ice Fest, Munising
Ice Fest is an annual tradition that features climbing for sure, but it gives attendees a chance to learn and develop skills, hear from some of the masters if the art and to connect with friends and fellow climbers from around the Midwest! Games, winter gear demos, bonfire, sledding hill, raffles, drinks and food are all part of this event. (check out some of the incredible climbs!)

February 2-5
North American Snow Festival, Cadillac
Featuring snowmobiling, downhill skiing, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, snow softball, polar dip, ice fishing, antique sleds, fun run, food, beverages and much more, the annual Snow Festival is a four-day celebration of winter in northern Michigan.

February 4 - 5
Taste the Passion, Leelanau Peninsula
Get a head start on Valentines Day and join the wineries of the Leelanau Wine Trail for an annual weekend celebrating wine, chocolate and love. The event features food & wine pairings at each winery along with special, winter-themed events.

The Swimmers of 2009 Perchville
by sunrisepenny

February 3 - 5
Perchville USA, East Tawas & Tawas City
The 62nd Annual Perchville USA features fishing contests, polar bear dip, a parade and more perch than you can shake a fishing pole at!

February 4
International 500 Snowmobile Race, Sault Ste. Marie
First run in 1969, the annual International 500 Snowmobile Race offers all the thrills of NASCAR on a one-mile ice oval, with drivers reaching speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. Includes all kinds of snowmobile exhibits and vendors and was proclaimed by Gov. Snyder as Michigan's premier winter sporting event!

February 9 - 12
Michigan Tech University Winter Carnival, Houghton
Events include the famous snow statues, sporting events including skating, curling, broomball, ice bowling, human sled dog racing, the queen contest, a torch light parade, fireworks, the Sno-Ball and much more.

February 10 -12
Midwest Telefest, Porcupine Mountain, Ontonagon
Telefest is the largest gathering of free heelers in the Midwest! Now in its 22nd season, Telefest has evolved into a tradition and is a hallmark celebration of the telemark turn. During Telefest there will be opportunities to try out the latest tele gear, take an instructional course or clinic, compete in races, cut turns in the backcountry, watch a movie, and dance with friends at the party!

Ski Jumping in Michigan by gkretovic

February 11 - 12
Pine Mountain Continental Cup Ski Jumping Tournament, Iron Mountain
For the 73rd year ski jumpers from around the globe will gather in Iron Mountain to try and claim king of the mountain at the 120 meter Pine Mountain Ski Jump. Known around the world as one of the more challenging ski jumping venues, Pine Mountain over time has attracted some of the world’s best. Countries expected to compete in the 2012 competition include Austria, Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Slovenia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Finland, Germany, Turkey and of course the United States.

February 11 - 19
Detroit Boat Show - Detroit
The Detroit Boat Show has been staged every year for 51 years, and is known as the premier boating event in the State of Michigan. The Detroit Boat Show is known as one of the top boat shows in the country in regards to size, sales and attendance.

Dog sled races, UP200, 2007 by e.rabior

February 16 - 20
UP 200, Midnight Run Sled-Dog Championships and The Jack Pine 30 - Marquette
Three UP sled dog races provide a variety of challenges for mushers. The UP 200 is actually 240 miles in length and is a qualifying race for the Iditarod. Over 15,000 visitors come to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.) to see the U.P. 200! It is a favorite winter event for local residents and out of town guests. The U.P. 200 has a dedicated group of over 500 volunteers from the U.P. and the mid-west region that come together to stage this great event each year.

February 17 - 19
Cherry Capital Winter WOW Fest - Traverse City
Winter WOW Fest is a three-day wintertime celebration chock-full of fun for all ages in the Cherry Capital of the World, President's Day Weekend featuring food, wine, music, ice & snow sculptures, a snowboard rail jam and much more.

February 16 - 19
Frost Bite Winter Festival - Harrison
The 2012 theme is "Vegas!" featuring a Casino Party, Fake Vegas-style "Speed Weddings", night out with the Vegas Showgirls and golf and ice fishing tournaments. The golf tournament takes place on 5 groomed nine-hole courses, where novice and veteran golfers hit brightly colored tennis balls over the snow.

February 17 - 19
U.P. Pond Hockey Championship - St. Ignace
The Labatt Blue UP Pond Hockey Championship features over 150 teams competing for prizes is played on the wild ice of Moran Bay in St. Ignace, part of Lake Huron. The tournament is the only one in Michigan where the 'pond' is actually one of the Great Lakes! Includes and appearance of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni team for an exhibition game on Friday.

Winter Microbrew Fest by farlane

February 18
Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival, Traverse City
The 3rd annual TC Winter Microbrew fest brings over 40 breweries, wineries, cideries, and meaderies to the Grand Traverse Commons along with local food, beer pairings, heated tents, and a wide range of musical entertainment including fire dancers and silent disco to celebrate winter & brewing and benefit Bay Area Recycling for Charities.

February 18
Romancing the Riesling, Traverse City
Northern Michigan is known for producing top notch Riesling grapes, and this annual event celebrates by sharing some of the best Rieslings the Old Mission Peninsula has to offer. Participating wineries will showcase a Riesling, served in your very own souvenir wine glass and perfectly paired with a food offering. As an extra bonus, guests will enjoy at least 10% off all Riesling wine purchases at the participating wineries throughout the event.

Upper Tahquamenon Falls-Winter
by James Marvin Phelps

February 18
Tahquamenon Snowshoe Race, Tahquamenon Falls State Park
Starting at Upper Tahquamenon Falls, this annual event offers 5K, 10K, 20K and 800 meter Kids Snowshoe races. Many age groups with awards to the top three in each age group for each race.

February 20 - 25
Grand Rapids Beer Week, Grand Rapids
With seven established breweries within the city limits, Grand Rapids is quickly becoming a destination for craft beer culture. GR Beer Week is a celebration of that and will feature beer dinners, rare beer tastings, tap takeovers and other unique events.

February 24
The Great Wine & Food Symposium, Grand Rapids
Escape the snow with an evening of indulgence at The Great Wine & Food Symposium, west Michigan's premier wine tasting event. You'll enjoy gourmet food selections, and your single ticket price includes unlimited sampling of over 300 wines and beers from around the world as classical music drifts through the halls. Order your favorite wine and beer with up to a 40% discount.

February 25
The Outhouse 500 - Coopersville
Join in with the hilarious and wacky fun of the 6th Annual Outhouse 500 on Main Street in Historic Downtown Coopersville! Hosted by the Main Street Merchants Association. Teams parade, then race their uniquely decorated outhouses down Main Street!

February 25
Winter Beer Festival - Grand Rapids
NOTE - this event is (already) sold out!! The Annual Winter Beer Festival takes place at the Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, just north of Grand Rapids. The Winter Festival is a unique opportunity to sample some of the best beers in the world, all brewed in Michigan. The event includes more than 35 Michigan microbreweries and brewpubs with more than 200 different beers available to sample.

Trenary Outhouse Suessical by CreateWithKim

February 25
Trenary Outhouse Classic - The Outhouse Races - Trenary
The Outhouse Classic is an annual race in Trenary where outhouses are built and raced down the main street. There are categories: speed, presentation, best use of theme, most humorous, best workmanship, and most miles traveled. Families come to the event to watch and to compete, there are two different age brackets making competitions fair. A few years ago nuns came to compete and built the Vati-Can. Make sure to head on up to Trenary for the annual Outhouse Classic. Read Absolute Michigan's Sports that ARE Silly: Outhouse Racing or watch Outhouse Classic Outhouse Race in Trenary, Michigan.

February 29
Leap Year!, all over Michigan
February 29th only comes once every 4 years, so do something special to mark it!

Share this:

We continue our Michigan's 175th Birthday Bash giveaway today. What's more, we've had so much fun doing a giveaway a day that we're going to see just how long we can keep things going with our new program called The Daily Michigan that will feature a giveaway a day from the Great Lakes State! It all starts on Monday so tune in!

In celebration of Michigans 175th birthday, we'll be featuring some tweets to #mich175 that we like, paired with photos from our Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr! They'll also be on our Absolute Michigan Facebook page! Reload for updates, share YOUR thoughts in the comments below, in our Flickr group or on our Facebook and Happy Birthday to Mamma Michigan!!

bethanylouise (Reware Vintage)  How's it going, Michigan? Having a good birthday? #Mich175

photo: dunescape by tbug2

MMFlint (Michael Moore) RT @imajoebob You are aware that Corn Flakes were created 2 reduce one's sex drive? I shudder thinking what was behind Fruit Loops.#Mich175

photo: Phototherapy, breakfast cereal and the Battle Creek Sanitarium courtesy Willard Library

epeep yet another reason to celebrate the #mitten :D!!! Fossils of #mastodons have been found in 250+ locations in #Michigan. #Mich175 #mittenlove

Photo: Painting the Mastodon by kafka4prez

freep (Detroit Free Press) Why is #Michigan is called the Wolverine State? Story has to do with being as bloodthirsty and gluttonous as wolverines #Mich175. Get the story at  gulo gulo: The Wolverine and Why Michigan is the Wolverine State on Michigan in Pictures.

photo credit: Gulo gulo by anikarenina

HuffPostDetroit We've been loving your MI facts all day! MT @stabenow: Rosie the Riveter was a real woman from MI who built planes for the war #Mich175 (see Lansing’s Rosie the Riveter: Geraldine Hoff Doyle from Absolute Michigan)

photo: The Real Rosie the Riveter from Seeking Michigan

Sheplersferry @anellah Us, too! "I love Michigan because it has more lighthouses than any other state in the US." #mibirthday #Mich175

Photo: "September Gale" Grand Haven Breakwater Lighthouse is located in the harbor of Grand Haven, Michigan by Michigan Nut (the second most popular photo in the Absolute Michigan pool!!)

hayleyscomment @PureMichigan @stabenow One of my favorite mitten state facts: We are the 2nd most agriculturally diverse state in the country! #Mich175

photo: Carrots by amzakem

MackenzieRauch One of my favorite things about Michigan is fall time. Especially the donuts and cider! Happy birthday, Michigan! #Mich175

photo: happle bokeh wednesday eve! by mlephotos

@glamorousmoms Great things about Michigan..our rising arts and fashion industry, our auto companies and our GREAT talented hard working people! (glamorousmoms.com right out of Detroit)

photo: Detroit Auto Show 2012-6147 by RichardDemingPhotography

@DrinkMichigan Did you know? Frankenmuth Brewery (@fb1862) is one of America's oldest breweries & is known as Michigan's Original Craft Beer. #mich175

photo: Frankenmuth Brewery HDR edit by SL Morrison

@Alexis Shull You helped me develop my love of cherries, wine, lakes, whitefish, automation,music, food, culture & more! Happy Birthday Michigan! #mich175

photo: Traverse City, Michigan Cherry Orchard by Pamela Bevelhymer

Continue in the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr!

Share this:

Detroit's beloved rock sons - Sponge - will offer fans a rare treat when they perform their break through hit CD "Rotting Piñata" for the first time ever in its entirety - and in CD track order at Mt. Clemens' Emerald Theatre on Saturday, January 28.

Before Kid Rock became synonymous with Detroit ROCK, Sponge dominated MTV and national radio with their hits "Plowed" and "Molly/16 Candles," culled from the band's electrifying debut CD "Rotting Piñata." The CD went Gold, securing Sponge's place in Detroit's music history books.

Sponge went on to release 6 CDs, garnering additional hits including "Wax Ecstatic" and "Have You Seen Mary." The unforgettable performances by charismatic lead singer Vinnie Dombroski have earned Sponge a reputation as a "not to be missed" live act, and you have a chance to do exactly that in a couple of special upcomg live shows.

Admission for Sponge's Emerald Theatre show (located at 31 N. Walnut St.) is $15 in advance ($18 day of the show), and are available now at the venue's box office and Ticketmaster. A stellar line up of Michigan rock bands will open for Sponge, most notably Amy Gore and Her Valentines.

After the Emerald Theatre performance, Sponge will perform an intimate SECOND (and possibly THIRD) show inside the Emerald Theatre's Rock Room, playing hits from the band's entire music catalog. Admission for these shows is by donation with 100% of proceeds benefitting local Susan A. Komen 3- Day walking team "Trekking for Ta-Tas."

For more information on the shows, please contact the venue at 586-913-1921 or visit their website. More information on Sponge is available at spongetheband.com. We'll close with Sponge performing "Molly/16 Candles" on the Conan O'Brien Show in 1996.

Absolute Michigan is committed to helping our readers get more out of Michigan. To that end, we are adding an exciting new program featuring giveaways of products and services from all kinds of Michigan businesses. It's free, fun and all you have to do to be eligible is to be on our email list - sign up using the form below. We guarantee that we will not share your email address with anyone!

If your business is interested in participating, you can get all the information right here.

Share this:

This morning, Jan. 23rd around 0359 UT, big sunspot 1402 erupted, producing a long-duration M9-class solar flare. The explosion's M9-ranking puts it on the threshold of being an X-flare, the most powerful kind. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the flare's extreme ultraviolet flash (shown right or in short movie right here)

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft detected a CME rapidly emerging from the blast site: movie. Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab say the leading edge of the CME will reach Earth on Jan. 24 at 14:18UT (+/- 7 hours).

That means it's hitting the Earth 11 AM - 6 PM EST, but this level of intensity makes the Northern Lights a real possibility for the next couple of days so definitely LOOK UP tonight and tomorrow if there's any break in the clouds! If the northern lights hit, our Northern Lights Log will light up with reports. You can also learn a lot more about the Northern Lights at Michigan in Pictures.

One person who will be looking up is Shawn Malone of Lake Superior Photo. She takes some of the most amazing northern lights photos. See them at her website and definitely favorite her Facebook page as there's lots of great photos and discussion about the Aurora and other UP topics. Shawn has put together a very cool time-lapse of the aurora borealis peaking out through the fog moving in as the full moon illuminates the Superior shore that ends with a fogbow - enjoy!

Share this:

Michigan’s wine industry is booming, and the impressive skills of Michigan’s winemakers are proven repeatedly at national and international wine competitions. Wines throughout Michigan are earning medals and stomping the competition. Under icy, windy, cloudy, steamy hot, and, rarely perfect conditions, Michigan winemakers harvest and then craft delicious wines reflective of our unique region.

As we are celebrating Michigan's 175th birthday all week, the state of Michigan will celebrate nearly 90 wineries in 2012! One of the best ways to discover Michigan wines is to attend a wine tasting tour. Lucky for you, two regional events are just around the corner AND Absolute Michigan has a pair of tickets to give away for each!

February 4-5 / Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association’s Taste the Passion

2010 Taste the Passion by KatSwinehart

Warm up with a two-mile snowshoe or cross-country trek in Silver Leaf’s vineyard, orchard and woodsy trail. Afterward, dive into Silver Leaf’s featured chocolate almond and cherry clusters paired with gold medal Chafia Cherry. With 14 wineries participating, there is a lot of territory to explore. We suggest touring the northern peninsula wineries on one day and the southern peninsula wineries on another day. Get all the details on the Taste the Passion page at lpwines.com. A few more delicious wine and food pairings follow to whet your appetite:

• Chateau Fontaine of Lake Leelanau: Greek-inspired chocolate chili dogs, topped with cheddar cheese paired with Big Paw Red.
• Gills Pier, just north of Leland: Mini chocolate/honey mousse cups with sea salt and cocoa nibs paired with Whitewater, a semi-sweet white wine made with Vignoles grapes.
• Verterra Winery of Leland: The Bluebird’s Vol au Vent baked French brie with Verterra jam (preserves made from wine grapes), plus Granny Smith matchstick apples paired with Verterra’s Pinot Gris.

February 18 / Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula’s Romancing the Riesling

Enjoy a showcased Riesling and food pairing at each winery. Enjoy ten percent off all Riesling purchases during the event. Order tickets by calling (231) 223-7355. More details at wineriesofoldmission.com. A delicious sampling to tempt you from Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery is a peach tart in a mini phyllo shell topped with whipped cream paired with 2010 Riesling!

Two Great Michigan Wine Books!

Food and wine events are a wonderful way to explore Michigan’s food-friendly wines, but another great way is through yet another offering in our Birthday Bash - a pair of books about the history of the wine industry in Michigan by Lorri & Sharon. Both books are available through their Delicious Michigan website.

• The History of Michigan Wines documents Michigan's dynamic 150-year wine history! Meet passionate winemakers starting with Joseph M. Sterling who ignites the state's first viable wine industry in the 1800s along Lake Erie and follow the growth and challenges of the wine industry up to the present day!
• From the Vine: Exploring Michigan Wineries is a 192 page, hard-cover book that celebrates Michigan wine country, wines and winemakers with intriguing behind-the-scene stories, beautiful photographs and interesting side features.

You still have time to wine through our Birthday Bash by joining our email list below (which also enters you for our regular giveaways of Michigan products, services and event tickets!

Absolute Michigan is committed to helping our readers get more out of Michigan. Sign up for regular giveaways. It's free, fun and all you have to do to be eligible is to be on our email list - sign up using the form below. We guarantee that we will not share your email address with anyone!

If your business is interested in participating, you can get all the information right here.

Share this:

Neither of these new laws would stop piracy, which Absolute Michigan is opposed to. Both, however, would put control of online content in the hands of large entertainment corporations and the government, placing a giant burden on web media outlets like Wikipedia, WordPress, YouTube ... and even little old Absolute Michigan.

With our Absolute Michigan, Michigan in Pictures and Leelanau.com websites all down yesterday, there was some time to think about the issue, and we'd like to share one thought: We live in a world very different from the early 1700s when Parliament enacted the Statute of Anne to address the concerns of English booksellers and printers (you can look it up ... for now, on Wikipedia).

We are encouraged at every turn and by every consumer device to sing along to commercials, dance to the latest music and in general, swim in a sea of ever-present media. You can debate the pros and cons of doing that but it seems that expecting our candid videos, blogged observations or Facebooked^TM thoughts won't incorporate background music or samples, brand names is flat-out silly. We need intelligent and well thought out laws that recognize the modern world, and SOPA and PIPA definitely aren't either of those things.

Click here to watch a short video or read more about this issue and please take a moment to contact your elected officials through the links we provide!

Share this:

Kenny Svenson of Traprock Valley as Heikki Lunta, Heikinpäivä Festival, Hancock, MI, ca. 2001 (www.csumc.wisc.edu)

Now I’ll sing my song
, to make the snow come down
And I’ll do my snow dance
. Whoops! I almost lost my pants
I’ll holler and yell,
 And really give it ----
It’s Heikki’s snow dance song, 
Heikki’s snow dance song

~from the original Heikki Lunta Snowdance Song

This weekend (January 20-21), the annual Heikki Lunta Winterfest (Hey-Key Loon-ta) takes place on and around Negaunee's Teal Lake. The festival celebrates the legendary (and pretty much made up) Finnish show god who is said to have the ability to perform a dance causing snowfall. I came across the original version of the Heikki Lunta Snowdance Song on a cool blog called Letters for George. In his Heikki Lunta letter, he explains:

There's a little town called Atlantic Mine about five miles away from Houghton where they hold an annual snowmobile race every winter. In 1970 the race was at risk of being cancelled because there wasn’t any snow. The race was sponsored by radio station WMPL in nearby Hancock. With no snow in sight, one of the station’s salesmen, David Riutta, composed a song called the "Heikki Lunta Snowdance Song." It took him about twenty minutes to invent the lyrics. "Heikki Lunta," it turns out, means “Henry Snow” in Finnish, and Riutta chose the name because his favorite musician was country western singer Hank Snow.

Heikki Lunta was said to live in the back woods of a Finnish farming community south of Houghton, and he reportedly had the ability to do a dance which would cause snow to fall from the skies. Riutta’s song asked "Heikki Lunta" to do his dance to make it snow in time for the snowmobile race. They started playing the song on WMLP, it immediately became a local hit, and, lo and behold, it soon began snowing. According to local lore, it snowed and snowed for days. So much so that they had to cancel the snowmobile race.

Click through for lots more including some photos. Now here's Heikki Lunta by  Da Yoopers.

Share this:

2013 Dodge Dart by ChriKett Photography

The first Detroit Area Dealer Association (DADA)-managed Detroit Auto Show was held in December 1907 at Riverview Park. In 1987, the show was re-focused as an international event, and 2012 is their 24th annual under the new format. The center of the event are concept cars and exhibitions by car companies from Acura to Volvo and of course Detroit standards like Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC and Lincoln.

Blogs & Social Media from the Detroit Auto Show

Our favorite for coverage this year is mLive's Detroit Auto Show coverage. They have a look at Energy Secretary Steven Chu's visit to the show, some concept car highlights from the 2012 floor and the back and forth between Governor Snyder and a Wayne State student. After Snyder issued a call for grads to stay in Michigan, biomed engineering student Ramkumar Annamalai  asked him why if eduction was so important has Michigan seen cuts that remove a lot of what attracts top students.  It's an interesting exchange that highlights one of the real challenges manufacturing and research in Michigan are facing. You can also get comprehensive reporting from the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News.

As usual, you can find unabashed car love with a healthy dose of humor from the  2012 Detroit Auto Show on Jalopnik.  Over at Autoblog they feature podcasts and articles including their Editor's top 5 picks from the show (spoiler: #1 is the 2013 Ford Fusion which also captured Autoweek Magazine's coveted Best of Show award). Another source that's getting more and more relevant is  Autoblog Green who has features on the frighteningly cute Tata, a sub-$19k Prius and the Smart-for-Us urban concept mini-truck pictured right. Pretty much everyone with a blog is covering it of course, from Motor Trend to Popular Mechanics.

The North American International Auto Show has gotten into the social media swing in 2012 with a Facebook page their NAIAS official Twitter. You can also of course dive right in to #NAIAS on Twitter.

Attending the North American International Auto Show

The NAIAS web site has everything you need to know about attending the public show and tomorrow night's black tie charity preview. If you do attend and take pictures or video, we'd love it if you'd share them with us in the Absolute Michigan Flickr group or shoot us the link to YouTube vids!

Detroit Auto Show Photos

The NAIAS has a nifty virtual show floor.  Christian Kettenbell took the photo at the top and he has a really nice slideshow from 2012. You can see a whole lot more by checking Detroit Auto Show and/or NAIAS on Flickr. The blogs & papers above are another great source of photos of production cars and concepts as well.    If you'd like to step back in time, check out this Detroit News Rearview Mirror feature The Detroit Auto Show: from beer gardens to tabernacles to Cobo Center.

Anything else to add or ask? Post it in the comments!

Detroit Auto Show Videos

You can watch the snarky, kind of slow and frankly down on the auto show 2012 North American International Auto Show Preview from Drive and the un-snarky and faster paced preview from Autoweek TV. Our favorite, however, is this selection of highlights from the Media Preview on the 2012 show floor by Global News ENG Cameraman Ben Jonah. Got other ones you like? Add them in the comments below!

Share this:

Here's a gorgeous time-lapse exploration of winter on Sturgeon Bay near Cross Village Michigan. Jay Burlage of Milapse writes that it's a great place to get away from it all and enjoy a cold snowy place for a bit. The music track is 'Farlem' by Galdson, and here's hoping this will give you a little dose of wintry pleasure!

As with all his videos, clicking for the full-screen HD view is recommended!

Share this:

Frankfort, Michigan Lighthouse and Beach by forestlady

Here's a few highlights of the many events being held around Michigan for the month of January (be sure to click Read More to see them!). A lot of them are out in the snow for snowmobiles, skates, skis and sled dogs, but there's also a chance to heat up with the Ann Arbor Folk Fest, Ferndale Blues and the Detroit Auto Show. The weatherman says there's a 100% chance we didn't get them all so please add links and information for those we missed along with reviews of ones we list in the comments below!

Fast Facts - Wikipedia

• January is named after Janus (Ianuarius), the god of the doorway; the name has its beginnings in Roman mythology, coming from the Latin word for door (ianua) - January is the door to the year.
• January's birthstone is the garnet which represents constancy.
• Its birth flower is the Dianthus caryophyllus or Galanthus.

Quotes

"New Year's Day is everyman's birthday." - Charles Lamb

"January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow." - Sara Coleridge

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." - Edith Sitwell

Things to Do, Places to Go

Also see the Pure Michigan Blog and the UP Travel Calendar for more events!

All Month
Ice Skate Campus Martius Park - Detroit
Skating among the skyscrapers at Campus Martius Park. At 64 feet by 120 feet, it's a bit larger than the Rink at Rockefeller Center and showcases surround-sound music and color-changing lighting. Skaters and visitors can enjoy a warming pavilion for renting and changing skates, as well as outdoor seating. The rink is open daily until March.

January 7
Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race - Newberry
An annual race on pristine trails over beautiful terrain.  Experience the excitement of Sled Dog Racing from professional teams to amateur enthusiasts competing in long distance & sprint events.

January 7 & January 21
Guided Snowshoe Hike at Hartwick Pines, Grayling
Enjoy guided snowshoe hikes through the Lower Peninsula’s largest stand of old-growth white pines. Guided by a park interpreter or historian, participants will learn about the forest in the winter and discover the importance of winter to Michigan’s logging industry in the 1800s, all while getting great exercise.

January 12 - 15
Ultimate Fishing Show, Novi
Michigan's largest fishing show. This show is all about fishing tackle, fishing trips, fishing boats and features: Lake Ultimate, Trout Pond, Seminar Stages, Fish Fry and more. Detroit is the largest freshwater fishing market in the U.S.!

January 14 - January 22
The North American International Auto Show - Detroit
Experience the next generation of transportation at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. See more than 500 vehicles on display, representing the most innovative designs in the world and experience North America's largest and most prestigious automotive showcase.

January 13
Winter Warm-Up Weekend - Traverse City
The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula (WOMP) have teamed up with peninsula area businesses for the 2011 Winter Warm Up. Guests can visit the Old Mission wineries between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to purchase a souvenir mug for $10. This mug is your ticket into each participating winery and business on Old Mission Peninsula, allowing you to enjoy warm comfort food and drinks. Some peninsula area restaurants are offering special promotions when you present your mug. Stay at one of the Peninsula's Bed & Breakfast. For information on the B&Bs check out www.oldmission.com.

January 13 - 14 and January 21
Winternational Hillclimb - South Range
The Winternationals Hillclimb at Whealkate Bluff in South Range features snowmobile pro-stock and pro-mod king of the hill, semi-pro/sport, concessions, and awards. On the 21st there are Vintage, Semi-Pro Division, Pro Stock and Pro Mod Division and King of the Hill Runs as well.

January 13 – 15
Hunter Ice Festival, Niles
World Class Master Carvers will transform more than 25 tons of Ice into art in a showcase of 50+ ice sculptures situated all over the downtown area and created on site by well-known ice carvers from near and far. Also enjoy a Murder Mystery Dinner, Frigid 5k Run, History of Ice Carving/Harvesting Exhibit, Warming Center, kids’ crafts, Chillin’ Ice Bar at Riverfront Café, Chili Crawl, Hunter Ice Cream and more!

January 19 - 21
Michigan Winter Dog Classic, Novi
Michigan's largest dog show features seminars, demonstrations and competition with over 7,000 dogs and 150+ breeds throughout the 4-day show, including several breeds getting ready for the country’s premier Westminster Kennel Club Dog show in February, 2012. Dogs will be judged on standards set by the American Kennel Club.

January 20 - 22
Caro 150 Winter Fest & Snowmobile Races, Caro
In addition to pro and amateur snowmobile races, enjoy a special downtown open house, live entertainment, restaurant specials, contests, fireworks and more in a classic Michigan winter festival.

January 20 - 22
Plymouth Ice Festival, Plymouth
Michigan’s largest ice sculpture display is the backdrop for a winter celebration with outdoor sports demonstrations, ice carving displays, food, fun activities for all ages, live music and more! It is the largest free winter festival in Michigan and is celebrating 30 years in 2012.

January 21 - 22
Heikki Lunta Festival, Teal Lake, Negaunee
The annual Heikki Lunta (Hey-Key Loon-ta) Winterfest is a festival of winter fun held on and around Negaunee's Teal Lake celebrating Heikki Lunta, the legendary (and pretty much made up) Finnish show god who is said to have the ability to perform a dance causing snowfall.

January 22 - 24 and 29 - 31
Tip Up Town USA - Houghton Lake
It's hard to put into words how Tip Up Town USA has come to be the very description of winter fun and enjoyment for the whole family at Houghton Lake. Thousands of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and neighboring residents return each year to see this largest Winter Festival in Michigan, held annually the last two weekends in January. Whatever the weather, TUT will be fun, fun, fun all the way. There will be all the usual popular attractions - the carnival, parade, Polar Bear Dip, Family Fun Tent, Beverage Tent, crazy games and more! Plus, the Ice Fishing contests will be bigger and better than ever and we're adding Broomball this year!

January 25 - 30
Zehnder's Snowfest - Frankenmuth
Zehnder's Snowfest has been host to one of the top snow sculpting events in North America for the past 20 years. Visitors have enjoyed larger-than-life snow sculptures and beautifully detailed ice carvings each year. Once again they will dazzle and excite you with snow and ice sculptures created by professional ice and snow carvers from around the world. Zehnder's Snowfest is also host to the National Collegiate Ice Carving Championship and the High School Snow Sculpting Competition. In addition, Zehnder's Snowfest will have entertainment for the entire family in the warming tent, a fireworks display, petting zoo and children's activities.

January 26 - 29
Michigan International Auto Show, Grand Rapids
West Michigan’s largest consumer show returns to DeVos Place, with manufacturers from around the world and some 300 new sedans, vans, SUVs, trucks, hybrids and sports cars on display. Attendees will once again have the opportunity to get an up close look at a handful of exclusive luxury automobiles in the twelve vehicle Million Dollar Motorway. An impressive s, each sporting an individual price tag of more than $100,000 – with a cumulative value of more than $2.5 million.

January 27 - 28
Ann Arbor Folk Festival - Ann Arbor
In keeping with the Festival's longstanding reputation, each night will feature a blend of renowned and up-and-coming performers, providing audiences with the opportunity to hear popular artists working at the top of their field while discovering terrific new talent. All funds raised through the Festival benefit The Ark, Ann Arbor's non-profit home for folk, roots, and ethnic music.

January 27 - February 4
Ferndale Blues Festival - Ferndale
Get your Blues on! The Ferndale Metro Blues Festival has been a hugely popular and wildly successful event. In fact, it was an official sanctioned event of Super Bowl XL in 2006. The Ferndale Metro Blues Festival averages more than 60 concerts held over nine days at two dozen locations in the region.

January 27 - 29
International 500 Puck-A-Palooza Hockey Tournament, Sault Ste Marie
The Original Hockey Town USA invitesyou to enjoy the first Puck-A-Palooza 4 on 4 track hockey tournament. Hockey played on the world’s fastest, longest and oldest endurance racing straight-away surface.

January 28
Subaru Noquemanon Ski Marathon and mBank Half Noque - Marquette
The MGH Noquemanon Ski Marathon and mBank Half Noque, both in their eleventh year, continue to attract cross country skiers from around the nation and around the world. Thousands of skiers have taken the 51K or 25K trek from Ishpeming, the birthplace of organized skiing and home to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame to Marquette's Superior Dome, the world's largest wooden domed stadium along the shores of Lake Superior.

January 28
Heikinpaiva - Hancock
Heikinpäivä is set for January 29, 2011, with events throughout the week leading up to the primary festival day, as well as the days immediately following. Organizers keep a watchful eye on the celebration's uniquely ethnic flavor and it features Finnish crafts, music, food, films and games. Although a Hancock City event, the Heikinpaiva spirit has spilled into neighboring communities from Calumet to South Range.

January 28
Winter Beer Fest, Royal Oak
Winter Beer Fest, presented by Westborn Market, returns to the Royal Oak Music Theatre for its third year. Beer lovers will be able to sample over 80 craft beers from around the globe - including at least fifteen brand-new beers making their Michigan debut - while enjoying beer-inspired cuisine and live music by Detroit folk favorites Petal Shop. The event runs from 8 pm – Midnight, and ages 21+ are welcome to attend. Tickets are just $35 in advance ($40 at the door) and include 25 beer samplings. Proceeds will benefit Michigan-based nonprofit Camp Casey, a horseback-riding program for children with cancer.

January 28 - 29
Orchid Show at Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids
Enjoy hundreds of exquisite orchids featured in lush displays in the Grand Room. Members from the Grand Valley Orchid Society will answer your questions and point out some of the most unique orchids. Shop early for the best selection and find the perfect orchid for your home. The “orchid pyramid” offers photo opportunities. Kids will have fun on an “orchid hunt” and can express their creativity at the art station

January 28 - 29
Chilly Fest 2012 , Port Huron
What goes better with winter than ICE and CHILI?! In the City of Port Huron you'll find ice carvings, a chili cook-off, snowmobile drag races, Silver Sticks Hockey Tournament, horse & carriage rides, live animals, Knowlton Ice Museum exhibits, kids activities and a special appearance from form Red Wing, Chris Chelios!

January 28 – 29
Winter White-Out, St. Clair
St. Clair is closing the streets for winter fun featuring winter games, live music, entertainment and plenty of celebration as the community of St. Clair competes against four other Michigan cities to make the most snowmen in two hours. Competing cities are Saline, Sault Ste. Marie and Zeeland.

...and don't miss in the first week of February

• I-500 Snowmobile Race (Sault Ste Marie)
• Leelanau Taste the Passion Wine Tour (Traverse City)
• North American Snow Festival (Cadillac)

Share this:

25 Christmas Lane on a winter's eve, circa 2010 (Photo courtesy of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland)

My favorite holiday movie is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989). Clark Griswold, (Chevy Chase), our hero, has a plan for the traditional Griswold family Christmas that includes fifty thousand twinkling outdoor lights on the roof. When Clark drags his entire family out to see his masterpiece, the lights don’t work. The frustrating, yet entertaining, effort to fix the problem resonates with me (This includes Clark on the roof checking each individual bulb.). My favorite part comes when Clark prevails, the family is impressed, and he thanks his father for teaching him about exterior illumination.

Beginnings

Wallace Bronner (1927-2008) knew that exterior illumination is essential for the holidays. We are all familiar with his enormous enterprise: Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, located on 25 Christmas Lane in Frankenmuth. Initially, this behemoth of holiday cheer started as a signage business. During the early forties, Wally worked as a sign painter and a clerk at the Hubinger Grocery Store, which was owned by his maternal relatives. Part of his job included designing window displays. In 1945, as Frankenmuth celebrated its centennial year, Bronner Display and Sign Advertising was in demand for painting signs and decorating store windows and parade floats. That year Wallace Bronner met Irene Ruth Pretzer, the woman he would marry on June 23, 1951 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Hemlock, Michigan.

Signs designed by Wally Bronner for the city of Clare, 1951 (Photo courtesy of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland.).

Irene was instrumental in helping Wally land a monthly window display contract with the Jennison Hardware Company of Bay City (c. 1947) (Irene had attended Bay City Junior College and boarded at the home of G.W. Cooke, president of the hardware company.). Bronner’s work for the hardware company resulted in a referral to the town of Clare, Michigan (1951). This first municipal holiday commission was to design decorative lamppost panels. After that job, Wally hired his friend Fred Bernthal to look for new clients in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Ontario.

Bronner also entered into contracts with General Plastics Corporation (Marion, Indiana) and Mold-Craft Corporation (Port Washington, Wisconsin). These companies provided street trims and ornaments, latex Santas, reindeers and nativity scenes. In 1952, Bronner staged two shows exhibiting outdoor Christmas decorations, one in the Frankenmuth Township Hall, the other at the St. Lorenz School gymnasium. Both were successful. However, both venues were temporary. Bronner decided to rent a more permanent building, a vacated one-room schoolhouse (formerly Frankenmuth School District Number 1). Thus, year round exhibit of Christmas decorations became possible! “At first the people of the community thought the idea to be rather unusual, but accepted it fully when Frankenmuth became known as the Christmas Town.” (Bronner’s 2005 Corporate History, page 35.)

“Thinking Big”

Wally Bronner with employees. (Photo taken in the 1960s. Photo is courtesy Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland)

Herman Bronner (Wally’s father) was a building contractor and stone mason. He convinced his son to “think big” by changing the plans for the first Bronner-owned building from two, L-shaped, rectangular buildings to one large, square building. The Bronner’s store at 121 East Tuscola (a lot adjoining Aunt Hattie’s grocery store) opened in 1954. It was divided into two sections, one space for the sign painting business, the other for Christmas decorations.

Wally was grateful for his dad’s vision and business acumen. The municipal clientele grew to include shopping centers and commercial interiors. As buyers selected decorations for their stores and churches, their wives requested home decorations. From 1954 to 1963, Bronner exhibited at the Saginaw County Fair, which, at the time, boasted numbers of three hundred thousand people. By 1960, the company was officially incorporated, and home decorations were added to the product line. In 1964, the first billboard advertising Bronners appeared on I-75, ten miles south of Exit 136 (Frankenmuth). Many travelling up North are familiar with that sign. Subsequent ones (more than sixty located in seven states) continue to extol the importance of holiday cheer and illumination.

Source material

Picturesque Story of Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, as related by Wally Bronner. Published by Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, 2005.

The History of Bronner’s Christmas Decorations by Doris A Paul. Published by the Frankenmuth Historical Museum, 1981.

Brad Redford, a native of Frankenmuth visited Bronner's last year and has a pretty funny video in his show Redford's Rundown. However, we're going to have to go with this awesome music video of Wally Bronner (Christmas Always) by Michigan rockers The Hard Lessons. A little tip: click that link and subscribe to their email list to download their entire new album Arms Forest AND stay tuned at the end of the video for the B-side of this song, O Holy Night!

Share this:

Rockin' in the New Year by BigFreaky

Quotes

"New Year ceremonies are designed to get rid of the past and to welcome the future." - New Year's Customs

"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in.
A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves." - Bill Vaughan

"To leave the old with a burst of song,
To recall the right and forgive the wrong;
To forget the thing that blinds you fast
To the vain regrets of the year that's past." - Robert B. Beattie

The Happenings

Also check out the New Year's Event Roundup from the Pure Michigan blog.

The HOT New Year's Eve - Grand Rapids
Join more than 35,000 people in downtown Grand Rapids to celebrate New Year's Eve in high style: big-name outdoor concerts, restaurant and bar parties, a midnight ball drop, and more. The Romantics, The Ready Set and The Downtown Fiction will headline this year's HotFM party, now moved slightly to Monroe Avenue between Louis and Pearl. Rosa Parks Circle will be open for ice skating.

New Year's Fest - Kalamazoo, MI
New Year's Fest is a performing arts celebration in downtown Kalamazoo. Hosted on December 31, 2011. New Year's Fest provides 26 different entertainers who perform inside 15 buildings surrounding Bronson Park.

Resolution Ball - Detroit, MI
Two of the biggest area promoters come together to put on the single largest New Years Eve celebration in the Detroit area. NYEDetroit.com in partnership with TheSocialConnection.com, presents the Resolution Ball at the Fillmore in downtown Detroit. A black tie optional event featuring an open bar, food and great music all night. THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!

Downtown New Year's Eve Gala & Fireworks - Mt Clemens, MI
Metro Detroit's Best Family New Year's Eve Party featuring live entertainment and Midnight fireworks! The gala is the perfect way for families to ring in the New Year together. With most New Year’s Eve activities focused on partying, the Macomb County New Year’s Eve Gala is designed for families to spend the night celebrating together. Check out new kids activities running from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM. Award-winning Melrose Pyrotechnics will again be providing the professional pyrotechnics display.

Pistons vs. Pacers - Auburn Hills, MI
Watch the ball drop ... through the net!  Game starts at 6:00pm

Griffins vs. Milwaukee Admirals - Grand Rapids, MI
Team Poster Giveaway: The first 2,000 fans will receive a Griffins team poster. Festivities include West Michigan’s largest indoor fireworks display, a New Year’s Eve buffet from 4:30 p.m. through the first intermission and a chance to bring your skates to the rink and take to the ice after the game!

New Year's Eve at The B.O.B. - Grand Rapids, MI
Ring in the New Year in style at The B.O.B. with a bash that is highly anticipated every year. Live entertainment and a ton of options to choose from.

Craig's Cruisers New Years Eve Parties - Grand Rapids, MI
Two parties to choose from: 4-8pm and 9pm-1am Special countdown for both parties! Includes unlimited indoor go-karts, laser tag, bumper cars, high ropes course and frog hopper! Plus free play on all non-redemption video games. Enjoy Craig's "Special New Year's Feast". Music and Karaoke from 6pm-1am. Party Favors for everyone! $24.99/person OR $125 for six tickets! plus food tax. Limited wristbands available. Sell out expected!

Ring In the New Year at Boyne Highlands or Boyne Mountain
Ring in the New Year at Boyne with choice of several festivities. Join them for holiday excitement and celebration through Sunday, January 1. They offer lots for the whole family to enjoy this year, including teen parties on New Year's Eve, holiday buffets and the favorites such as torchlight parades followed by fireworks at Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain! Plus, amazing snow conditions and other winter events to make the time together extra special.

CHERRYT BALL DROP (CHARITY BALL DROP) - Traverse City, MI
The 3rd annual Cherry Ball Drop takes place at the corner of Cass and Front streets in Downtown Traverse City (right in front of the Christmas tree). Downtown Traverse City will be packed with event goers for the 3 annual CherryT Ball Drop. Right before Midnight a large illuminated cherry will be lowered to signify the coming year! It all starts at 9pm with live entertainment, DJ, a visit from the Coast Guard and other surprises! (check out the video from last year by Ken Scott at the bottom of the post!)

Grand Traverse Resort New Year's Celebration - Traverse City, MI
Celebrate the New Year in style at an event filled with fun and dancing with music ranging from Motown, Pop, Blues, Funk, Swing, and Jazz by Ronnie Hernandez & the Ron Getz Sextet. Their New Year's Eve package includes accommodations, the New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball, a 3-Course Plated Dinner and Champagne Toast at Midnight.

New Year's Eve Dinner Train: Murder Mystery Charlotte & Blissfield, MI
Ring in the New Year on the Old Road! Come raise a glass with them and welcome in the New Year, 2012! This holiday special train boards 30 minutes later than usual (at 6:30pm.)

Great Turtle Drop on Mackinac Island
The owners of the Cottage Inn on Mackinac Island will ring in the New Year with a new tradition, the Great Turtle Drop. A giant fiberglass turtle will be lifted in the air Saturday, December 31, before midnight and descend to the ground to commemorate the New Year.

We're sure there's more - add them in the comments and have a very Happy New Year! Now here's that video by Ken Scott!

Share this:

Ernst & Young fill that kettle by kmaz

In a recent conversation about how we see need in Michigan, Rob Collier President of the Council of Michigan Foundations told us about several reasons to give charitably this year.  He said, "This is an important year to give and give big because the needs are so great.  Just as importantly, the Michigan state charitable tax credits are expiring at the end of December.  These credits are available to any Michigan resident.  On your donation you get a 50% tax credit, so if an individual gives $300 then they get a $150 tax credit back.  This encourages Michiganders to support the causes they care about in their communities while while getting something back on their State of Michigan tax returns."

You can donate in each of these three buckets:

• Endowment funds held by Community Foundations
• Support for Food Banks or Homeless Shelters
• Libraries, Public TV & Radio, Colleges and Universities

While  the holiday season is a great time to share our love, good thoughts, and Michigan-made gifts with friends & family, choosing to make donations to charities in lieu of buying gifts could be a really great way to allocate some extra funds to non-profits that desperately need it. This time of year, much of people's hard earned money is spent on frivolous bric-a-brac that they would never buy otherwise, so why not  instead make it a charitable gift?  The American Red Cross notes that nearly four in five people would rather have a charitable donation made in their honor than receive a gift they wouldn't use, so shifting ourselves (and our communities)  towards more meaningful giving can really bring the joy & holiday spirit back!

To maximize the benefits;  give to a tax-deductible charity for Christmas AND make it local.  We've compiled a list of Michigan based charities to choose from. Local money circling around our communities only strengthens our economy, as well as providing the necessary funds needed by these organizations to grow and continue to serve our communities.  A local charity gift for Christmas!   It is perfect, really. Read on for some great Michigan charities, be sure to check out our Michigan nonprofit section and add ones we've missed in the comments!

One highly rated charity to check out is The Greening of Detroit.  Their urban gardening and agriculture programs play a key role in Detroit’s blossoming green movement. Every year, the garden resource program contributes farming resources and educational opportunities to over 15,000 urban gardeners, supporting over a thousand gardens in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park.  They have been around since 1989 with a mission to guide and inspire the reforestation of Detroit.

Yet another consideration this year: Gilda's Club Grand Rapids.  Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids is a free cancer support community for children, adults, families and friends. The Grand Rapids Clubhouse averages more than 600 visits per week, and over 20,000 visits per year. The club is named for the late 'Saturday Night Live' comedian, Gilda Radner.

Bay Area Recycling for Charity provides recycling services to residential customers and area businesses in the Traverse City region, and also partners with non-profit organizations in their recycling programs to provide maximum benefit for local charities. Their partnerships with these local non-profits creates a means for fund-raising for them and inspires recycling at the grassroots level. Businesses and residential customers may designate a charity of their choice to be the recipient of the revenues resulting from their recycling partnership with BARC.

Be a savvy donor and do your research too. Check out Charity Navigator's Top 10 Best Practices of Savvy Donors list.  We did our best to research this list, but you may find charities locally that we just didn't know about.
American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association - Dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity 22100 Gratiot Avenue East Detroit, MI 48021

Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute - Dedicated to the prevention, early detection and eventual eradication of cancer 4100 John R Detroit, MI 48201

Bay Area Recycling for Charities - Provides recycling services to residential customers and area businesses and also partners with non-profit organizations in their recycling programs to provide maximum benefit for local charities. 8025 S. Good Harbor Trail Cedar, Michigan 49621

Capital Area Humane Society - More than an animal shelter 7095 West Grand River Avenue Lansing, MI 48906

Coalition on Temporary Shelter - Helping homeless people help themselves 26 Peterboro Street Detroit, MI 48201

Community Foundation for Muskegon County - For good. For ever. 425 West Western Avenue Suite 200 Muskegon, MI 49440

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan - Enhancing the quality of life in southeast Michigan 333 West Fort Street Suite 2010 Detroit, MI 48226

Cranbrook Educational Community - One of the world's leading centers of education, science and art 39221 Woodward Avenue P.O. Box 801 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303

Detroit Science Center - Promoting science education and knowledge 5020 John R Street Detroit, MI 48202

Detroit Zoological Society - Celebrating & saving wildlife 8450 W. 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067

Father Fred Foundation - Providing food, clothing, household goods and cash assistance to families in need. 826 Hastings Traverse City, MI 49686

Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank - Ending hunger in West Michigan 864 West River Center Drive Comstock Park, MI 49321

Focus: HOPE - Celebrating diversity since 1968 1355 Oakman Boulevard Detroit, Michigan 48238

Food Bank of Eastern Michigan - The food source for people in need 2312 Lapeer Road Flint, MI 48503

Food Gatherers - Alleviating hunger and eliminating its root causes in our community P.O. Box 131037 Ann Arbor, MI 48113

Forgotten Harvest - Driving hunger from our community since 1990 21800 Greenfield Road Oak Park, MI 48237

Gilda's Club Grand Rapids - Cancer support for the whole family, the whole time 1806 Bridge Street, NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan - Nourishing communities by feeding hungry people 2131 Beaufait Street Detroit, MI 48207

Grand Rapids Community Foundation - Grand Rapids Community Foundation believes that if there is anything worth doing, anything that needs to be done, any breathtaking opportunity to be realized—It Can Happen Here 185 Oakes Street, SW Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Habitat for Humanity Kent County - Strengthening families and communities 539 New Street, SW Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Humane Society of Huron Valley - Serving animals in all of Washtenaw County 3100 Cherry Hill Road Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Humane Society of Kent County - Dedicated to the protection and care of all animals 3077 Wilson Drive, NW Grand Rapids, MI 49534

Interlochen Center for the Arts - Dedicated to the promotion of world friendship through the universal language of the arts 4000 Highway M-137 Interlochen, MI 49643

International Child Care - Making a difference in Haiti and the Dominican Republic 240 W. Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo, MI 49007

ISLAND (Institute for Sustainable Living and Natural Design) - ISLAND is a non-profit arts and ecology center dedicated to connecting people with nature, art and community. 5870 Cottage Drive Bellaire, MI 49615

John Ball Zoological Society - Celebrating the wonders of our natural world 1300 West Fulton P.O. Box 2506 Grand Rapids, MI 49501

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts - Cultivating the creation and appreciation of the visual arts 314 South Park Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Leader Dogs for the Blind - Enhancing the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals 1039 South Rochester Road Rochester, MI 48307

Life for Relief and Development - Concerned Arab and Muslim American professionals in response to the humanitarian crises that developed in Iraq as a result of the 1991 Gulf War. 17300 West Ten Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075

Mercy-USA for Aid and Development - Helping children around the world 44450 Pinetree Drive Suite 201 Plymouth, MI 48170

Michigan Environmental Council - A collective voice for our environment 119 Pere Marquette Drive Suite 2A Lansing, MI 48912

Michigan Land Use Institute - Working with citizens, officials, and other organizations to build a prosperous new economy in Michigan, one that expands opportunity by improving our health and environment 148 E. Front St., Suite 301 Traverse City, MI

National Kidney Foundation of Michigan - Preventing kidney disease and improving the quality of life for those living with it 1169 Oak Valley Drive Ann Arbor, MI 4810

On the Ground - On The Ground's purpose is to support sustainable community development in farming regions across the world. 806 Red Drive, Suite 150 Traverse City, Michigan 49684

Senior Neighbors - Enhancing senior lives 820 Monroe Avenue, NW Suite 460 Grand Rapids, MI 49503

The Greening of Detroit - Guiding and inspiring the reforestation of Detroit's neighborhoods, boulevards, and parks 1418 Michigan Avenue Detroit, MI 48216

University Musical Society - Connecting audiences and performing artists in uncommon and engaging experiences 881 North University Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Veterans of Foreign Wars National Home for Children - Caring for the children and families of our nation's veterans 3573 South Waverly Road Eaton Rapids, MI 48827

YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids - Building strong kids, strong families, strong communities in Grand Rapids 475 Lake Michigan Drive, NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504

YouthVille Detroit - Enhancing the lives of youth 7375 Woodward Avenue Suite 2800 Detroit, MI 48202

Share this:

Dogman, photo courtesy Brauer Productions / Sarah Moore Kuschell

Michigan-based Brauer Productions is releasing the new feature film Dogman next Wednesday (December 14) at the State Theatre in Traverse City.

We caught up with filmmaker & director Rich Brauer to talk about his new movie and the Dogman legend.

Learn more about the legend of the Dogman from Absolute Michigan. Also check out the Dogman trailer and see photos from the set of Dogman on Flickr.

Share this:

Christmas Display by St. Laurent Photography

Below is a list of just a few Michigan festivals & events for the month of December. As usual, there's no way to get them all, so please add links and information for those we missed and reviews of ones we have here in the comments below!

Fast Facts via Wikipedia

• December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days.
• In Latin, decem means "ten". December was also the tenth month in the Roman calendar until a monthless winter period was divided between January and February.
• December's flower is the narcissus or holly. December's birthstones are turquoise, lapis lazuli, zircon, topaz (blue), or tanzanite.[citation needed]
• December is the month with the shortest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.
• December starts on the same day of the week as September.

Quotes

"Mankind should be our business, Ebenezer, but we seldom attend to it." ~ The Ghost of Jacob Marley, "Scrooge"

"Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?" ~ George Bailey, "It's a Wonderful Life"

"Look Doris, someday you're going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn't work. And when you do, don't overlook those lovely intangibles. You'll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile." ~ Fred Gailey, "Miracle on 34th Street"

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!" ~ The Grinch

Places to Go and Things to Do

Also check out the December Event Roundup in the Pure Michigan blog.

through January 8
Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World - Grand Rapids
Excitement surrounds us this time of year as Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World brings the glow of 300,000 lights, strolling carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides and more than 40 international trees and displays. A new feature this year is the redesign of the Diwali display honoring the Hindu Festival of Lights, along with the enhancement of Nativity displays including the new-to-the-exhibition Polish szopka. There will also be extended holiday hours December 20-23 and 26-30 - entire facility will be open until 9 pm.

through December 30
Christmas at Crossroads - Flint
Sometimes, it's easy to wonder where the magic of Christmas has gone. Turns out it's at Crossroads Village in Genesee County Parks. Every year, this turn-of-the-last-century town becomes a holiday fantasyland, with thousands (and thousands) of twinkling lights, costumed carolers, craft demonstrations, live entertainment at the Colwell Opera House and visits from a certain Jolly Old Elf. Not to mention rides on Michigan's most spectacular moving light display, the world-famous Huckleberry Railroad.

Weekends through December 18
The Santa Train - Coopersville
Ride with the FUN GUY! Everyone loves Santa and Santa loves kids. Each of our vintage passenger cars has a special seat reserved just for the Big Guy and his friends. Elves will escort the children to sit with Santa. All kids get a present, even the shy ones! Our story-telling Princess will read from the book, "The Polar Express" which was written by Grand Rapids native, Chris Van Allsburg.

December Weekends
Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village - Dearborn
Step into a Christmas card from the past. Don’t miss the most popular holiday event in the area, complete with candle-lit paths, live entertainment, costumed presenters, horse-drawn wagon and Model T rides, delightful holiday shops, Santa and live reindeer, ice skating, a spectacular fireworks display and more. It’s America’s premier holiday celebration!

All December
Dutch Winterfest - Holland
visit with Sinterklaas, the Dutch St. Nicholas, and stroll through the “Kerstmarkt”, a European open-air Christmas market and enjoy all kinds of holiday theatre and musical performances, a greens sale, Victorian Christmas teas, special exhibits, and, of course, Santa himself.

December 1-4
Victorian Sleigh Bell Parade & Old Christmas Weekend - Manistee
Highlights of the festival are the authentic Victorian parade with period costumes and horse-drawn units. Ramsdell Theatre production, tours of historic buildings, concerts, Festival of Trees, special museum and art exhibits.

December 2 - 5
Victorian Sleighbell Parade & Old Christmas Weekend - Manistee
A whole weekend of excitement including the Sleighbell Parade with horse drawn entries, historic building tours, special Christmas production at the historic Ramsdell Theatre, Festival of Trees, concerts, museum and art exhibits, and much more.

December 2 - 3
Brass Band of Battle Creek Holiday Concert - Battle Creek
The 31-member Brass Band of Battle Creek has been described as an All-Star band of the brass and percussion world's elite, attracting great musicians from around the United States and Europe to play two annual concerts in Battle Creek as well as a limited number of other engagements in handpicked locations in the U.S. and abroad. A new holiday CD will be available at the concerts as well.

December 2 - 4
Christmas in Ida Festival and Parade of Lights - Ida
Hosting nearly 40,000 visitors, and known as a family destination of the Midwest, the festival creates a winter wonderland known for its hospitality, entertainment and the Granddaddy of all, the spectacular Christmas in Ida Parade of Lights.

December 2
Jack Frost Festival of Lights Parade - Ironwood
This annual event kicks off the holiday season and visits with Santa, Mrs. Claus and Jack Frost plus Gingerbread House display and Gogebic Range Band Christmas Concert.

December 2-4
Frankenmuth Farmers Market Christkindlmarkt - Frankenmuth
The free, annual Christkindlmarkt is a traditional European-style Christmas market - don't miss the tree lighting on Friday night!

December 3
Annual Noel Night - Detroit
The annual Noel Night will take place on Saturday, December 3rd from 5 9:30 p.m. in Midtown Detroit's Cultural Center Area. Over 60 Midtown venues, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Science Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Historical Museum, and the Detroit Public Library, amongst many others, open their doors to the public free of charge during this Cultural Center-wide holiday "open house." Activities include horse-drawn carriage rides, holiday shopping, family craft activities and performances by over 120 area music, theatre, and dance groups. The evening's festivities culminate with a community sing-along on Woodward Avenue led by the Salvation Army Band - a long-standing Noel Night tradition.

December 9-11
K-9 Fanciers Dog Show and Weight Pull - Kalamazoo
This United Kennel Club regional event features obedience classes, weight pulling, conformation, and junior showmanship. Fri 3pm, Sat & Sun 8am, in Hazel Gray.

December 9-10
Farm By Lantern Light - Grayling
The annual Farm By Lantern Light is an interpretive, historical play presented by local actors depicting life during the holidays on a farm in 1932. The story unfolds as you take a team of horses through the snow-covered trails of Wellington Farm, visiting Blacksmith’s Shop, Carpenter’s Shop, Grist Mill and Summer Kitchen. This event is very popular and requires reservations - call (989) 348-5187.

December 9-11
Annual Dickens Festival - Holly
For over 30 years, the sights, sounds, smells and surprises of the Dickens Festival have been delighting holiday revelers in Historic Downtown Holly. Join in the fun as Charles Dickens' Merry Old England comes alive in the atmosphere of turn of the century buildings, welcoming shopkeepers, and skilled craftspeople.

December 18
Flea Market and Nascar Swap - Lapeer
The holidays are in full gear with Lapeer’s Flea Market and NASCAR Swap. There will be more than 40 plus tables of new and old items. Door prizes will be given every hour and there will be plenty of food.

December 22
Winter Solstice Celebration - Grand Rapids
Celebrate the first day of winter and the longest night of the year at the Blandford Nature Center. Learn about the science behind the winter solstice, make and decorate a paper luminary to take home, and help out the birds on this long night by making a take-home bird feeder.

December 31
Downtown Marquette Ball Drop - Marquette
Celebrate the New Year and watch the annual ball drop from the Savings Bank Building starting at 11:30pm at the corner of Washington and Front Streets, Marquette.

December 31
Cherry Ball Drop - Traverse City
Join thousands on Front Street in downtown Traverse City for music, family fun and the dropping of the Cherry Ball.

December 31
New Year's Fest - Kalamazoo
New Year's Fest is an all ages showcase of performing arts that takes place New Year's Eve in downtown Kalamazoo. There are a variety of activities that take place including music, magic, comedy, exhibitions, fireworks, and great food! New Year's Fest's vision is to be a premier event that introduces the greater Kalamazoo community to the performing arts by providing an array of quality, unique artists and activities. At midnight there will be fireworks.

Share this:

...at which time the center courtyard section was enclosed by the addition of a geodesic dome roof section weighing 18,000 pounds. The Rotunda reopened to the public on June 16, 1953, as part of Ford's 50th Anniversary Celebration. A highlight of this celebration included 50 huge Birthday candles, mounted and lit along the rim of the Rotunda.

The ultra-modern Rotunda was a huge attraction, becoming the fifth most popular United States tourist destination during the 1950s. In fact, only Niagara Falls, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, The Smithsonian Institution, and the Lincoln Memorial were more popular. Yellowstone, Mount Vernon, the Washington Monument, and the Statue of Liberty all received less visitors.

The annual Christmas Fantasy held during the Holiday season was partially responsible for the Rotunda's popularity, with nearly a half million people visiting during 1953, the very first year it was held. A giant Christmas tree was always a spectacular thing to see, and the Christmas Fantasy became more spectacular each year. Highlights from various years included animated characters from children's stories, a 1/2" per foot scale 15,000-piece miniature circus with 800 animals, 30 tents, and 435 toy figurines of circus performers and customers. In all, nearly 6 million people visited the Christmas Fantasy during the nine years it was held at the Rotunda.

When flames consumed a Christmas fantasy from the Detroit News Rearview Mirror relates that over 6 million people visited the Christmas Fantasy over the 9 years it was held and tells the sad tale of how it burned to the ground on November 9, 1962. You can see some more photos from Ford and see a Ford Rotunda slideshow from Karen Breen-Bondie.  Many of the photos below also appear on Television History - The First 75 Years. They also have a nice aerial of how the Ford Rotunda was located in relation to the Rouge Plant.

Share this:

Turkey by Vaughan

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and over a million Michiganians will soon be hitting the road to attend family get-togethers and enjoying annual traditions. To help get ready for the upcoming holiday we have compiled a bunch of informative and entertaining Thanksgiving related links for you to enjoy.

Thanksgiving Food & Drink

Thanksgiving starts with turkey, and the folks at Michigan Turkey are getting ready. An article from Whole Foods notes that Michigan Turkey  is not a large conglomerate - they work strictly with farms in west Michigan within 25 miles of the plant. Check out the video below The Traverse City Record-Eagle has a great feature with tips & recipes for making it a local Thanksgiving and mLive's Thanksgiving Page has some excellent info (with more coming) including a recipe for cherry wood smoked turkey that looks absolutely delicious! They note that Thanksgiving is expected to cost about 13% more in 2011, but also offer a few tips for a simpler and lower stress holiday.

You can get lots of great Thanksgiving recipes and dinner ideas on the Food Network's website and go to Michigan-based Kitchen Chick for a ton of Thanksgiving recipes including cranberry pie!

Michigan Master Sommelier Claudia Tyagi told us:

I always like Riesling with turkey, although with poultry Chardonnay would be beautiful. You have a lot of versatility and a lot of possibility with turkey. You could use a white wine or an aromatic wine. Those tend to go well with turkey, too.

Speaking of wine & recipes, there's a post on Leelanau.com today that pairs recipes from Traverse magazine with wines. Last year Claudia sent us Sylvia Rector's article Give Michigan wines a second look on Thanksgiving. She calls out some more Michigan wines that you'll want to put on your wine shop radar! MyNorth.com suggest a few Rieslings on the sweeter side and they also list some great dry Rieslings (which are awesome if you haven't tried them).

The Centennial Cranberry Farm in Paradise was established in 1876 and has online ordering of all kinds of cranberry products. Absolute Michigan has more about Michigan Cranberries, and lots more Turkey Day food ideas & articles at absolutemichigan.com/Thanksgiving and in our Michigan Grown section in Food & Dining!

Parades & Football!

2011 marks the 85th birthday of America's Thanksgiving Parade, and the parade is one of the country's oldest and most celebrated parades. It kicks off at 9:20 AM on Woodward Avenue and Mack and end at Woodward Avenue and Congress in downtown Detroit on Thursday, November 24, 2011.

If you Motown is off your radar on Thanksgiving, how about a nice set of parade photos from the our Flickr pool, a clickondetroit.com article - "Thousands Cheered As America's Thanksgiving Parade Rolled Down Woodward " (with video), a historical look at Detroit's Thanksgiving Day Parade and a TV tuned to WDIV-TV Local 4 at 9 AM (also on for an hour nationally). If you're the prudent type, you might consider building up a calorie credit balance at the Annual Detroit Turkey Trot.

Thanksgiving Day by Dave Hogg

The Detroit Lions 72nd Thanksgiving Day Classic pits the Lions against the NFL leading and currently undefeated Green Bay Packers. We'll have details next week on Absolute Michigan.

Amaze your family, friends with what you learn about the origins and history of Thanksgiving on Wikipedia.

Share this:

Joseph Fulton put together this amazing tribute to the 29 men who went down with the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. This video is one of the best I've ever seen on YouTube and I hope you can watch it. More shipping & shipwrecks on Absolute Michigan and also see much more about the Edmund Fitzgerald on Michigan in Pictures including the launch of the Fitz.

Share this:

It's been a loooong time since our last Photo Friday on Absolute Michigan, but when I realized I had a photo saved by sharona 315 사론아 (Sharon Lanzetta-Foster) and that she was part of next Saturday's Exposure Detroit November Show, I figured it was an excellent time to dust the feature off!

Check this shot out bigger and see more of her work in sets including Michigan Central Station, Fall Walks and Black & White (slideshow).

Dive into her Flickriver.

Share this:

The 2011 Grand Rapids Wine, Beer & Food Festival takes place Thursday, November 17th through Saturday, November 19th at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. It draws over 10,000 over three days, making it the largest food and wine festival in Michigan and one of the premier events of its kind in the Midwest. Classes, tastings from restaurants & food vendors and pairings are all structured to take the expert or novice deeper into the world of wine, food and other culinary delights.

The festival presents over 1000 beers, wines, ciders and spirits for tasting, and many are crafted in Michigan. While the festival started with a focus on wine, beer gets its due as well, with the Michigan Brewers Guild-sponsored Craft Brew Hall offering a chance to sample dozens of these full flavored brews and to meet the brewmasters.

Show Manager  Cathleen McDonald  explains that this massive variety of food & drink has been a huge asset, saying "The show has grown because the public loves the opportunity to sample wines, beer & spirits without having to purchase the entire bottle.  They can find that great everyday wine that they can purchase at the grocery store or try the products that they would only have dreamed about."

One of the many innovative & engaging features at the festival are the champagne, wine & beer pairings developed by Grand Rapids restaurants - multi-course meals presented by the chef. A number of restaurants are also providing "small plate" samples of their prize cuisine. There's more than just wine to be sampled at the Festival! An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional. There's also seminars from presenters including winemaker John Concannon, wine educator and sommelier Michael Schafer, New Holland Brewing Company Beervangelist and Michigan Brewers Guild Past-President Fred Bueltman, author and Food Network  host Ellie Krieger and "The Fresh Chef" Amanda Leatherman.

Absolute Michigan is excited to offer FOUR free tickets to the Grand Rapids Wine, Beer & Food Festival to one of our readers - just use the email blank at the top to get your name on our list and have a shot at winning. We'll notify the winner next Wednesday!

Share this:

November by Karen from Michigan

Here's a bunch Michigan festivals & events for the month of November. As usual, there's no way to get them all, so please add links and information about the one's we've missed (or reviews of ones we have here) in the comments below.

November Fast Facts

• The Leonids meteor shower reaches its peak around November 17
• November's birthstone is the yellow topaz.
• Its birth flower is the chrysanthemum.
• November 10th is the birthday of the United States Marine Corps
• November 11th is Veterans Day
• Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November.
• The day after Thanksgiving in the USA, a famous day for shopping, known as "Black Friday."
• Monday immediately following Thanksgiving Day in the USA is know as Cyber Monday

- November, Wikipedia

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed the last Thursday of November to be a National Day of Thanksgiving(pdf).

November Quotes

"All in November's soaking mist
We stand and prune the naked tree,
While all our love and interest
Seem quenched in the blue-nosed misery."
- Ruth Pitter

"November always seemed to me the Norway of the year."
- Emily Dickinson

"So dull and dark are the November days.
The lazy mist high up the evening curled,
And now the morn quite hides in smoke and haze;
The place we occupy seems all the world."
- John Clare, November

"November's sky is chill and drear,
November's leaf is red and sear."
- Sir Walter Scott

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they say, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early."
- Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald"

Things to Do, Places to Go

Also see Pure Michigan's November 2011 Event Calendar!

Through November 21
Northern Michigan C. S. Lewis Festival - Traverse City
The Northern Michigan C. S. Lewis Festival welcomes you to our annual month-long celebration. Events take place during late October and November in the Petoskey area on Little Traverse Bay, including music & theater performances, school & library programs, scholarly lectures, community discussion groups, and more.

November 3 -13
Grand Rapids Restaurant Week - Grand Rapids
Over 50 GR restaurants will feature a three-course menu for a fixed price of $25 in addition to their regular menu and some are offering 2 for $25!

November 5
Iceman Cometh Challenge - Traverse City
Nearly 4000 cyclists from the United States and Canada converge on Traverse City for the Iceman Cometh – a 27-mile point-to-point mountain bike race from Kalkaska to Traverse City through the Pere Marquette State Forest.

November 5 & 6 or November 12 & 13
Toast the Season Wine Tour - Leelanau Peninsula
The annual Toast the Season wine trail tour features a special wine & food pairing and a holiday gift bag featuring local food at each of the 19 Leelanau Peninsula member wineries.

November 5 – 6
First Frost Arts and Fine Crafts Festival - Flint
Enjoy a glass blowing demonstration, view & bid on decorated holiday tree or wreath and explore artwork in wood, fiber, clay and more from more than 50 juried artists.

November 9 -17
East Lansing Film Festival - East Lansing
The East Lansing Film Festival (ELFF) is the largest and most diverse film festival in Michigan to screen independent and foreign feature, documentary, short and students films from around the world. The Lake Michigan Film Competition (LMFC) will be held during the festival. This competition gives cash awards to the filmmakers whose film was at least one quarter filmed, produced, or financed in the states that border Lake Michigan.

November 10
Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Service - Whitefish Point
The service includes reflections, music, and the Call to the Last Watch Ceremony in which the ship's bell is run 29 times for each crewman who went down with this famous vessel plus a 30th ring for all who have lost their lives on the Great Lakes.

November 10 – 12
Michigan Festival of Sacred Music - Kalamazoo
The Michigan Festival of Sacred Music offers events which represent diverse religious traditions, promoting mutual respect and understanding through sharing the music treasured by these traditions.

November 12
Wagbo Farm Cider Making Demo - East Jordan
Join the Martha Wagbo Farm and Education Center for their free monthly potluck program! Potluck lunch starts at 12pm. Bring a dish to pass if you want, but it's not mandatory. Wagbo provides drinks and table service. The presentation begins at 1 pm. Homebrewers Keith Kintigh and Jason Stephens will provide an introduction to the art of making "hard" cider. Discussion will include history of cider making, the role of apple varieties, and the importance of yeast choice. Free and open to the public.

November 12 - 20
Christmas Tree Galleria - Caspian
Head to the Iron County Historical Museum Complex in Caspian for a display of over 50 trees with rural, ethnic and international themes.

November 14 - 22
Annual Children's Film Festival - Saugatuck
Artful, educational, funny, thought-provoking films for young audiences (made by both adult and young filmmakers). Public screenings are on November 19.

November 15 - 30
Deer Hunting (Regular Firearm Season)
If you think this isn't a major event, then you probably live south of Clare.

November 17 – 27
Festival of Trees - Muskegon
Designers & artists present beautifully decorated holiday trees and wreaths at the Muskegon Museum of Art. Also included are a holiday movie festival.

November 18
Silver Bells in the City - Lansing
Silver Bells in the City attracts 120,000 attendees annually and features an Electric Light Parade followed by the lighting of Michigan's official Christmas tree and a firework show (weather permitting) over the State Capitol. The evening is also filled with free family entertainment including free admission to Lansing's cultural institutions, horse-drawn wagon rides on Washington Square, and performances by more than 50 local arts and cultural institutions throughout downtown Lansing.

November 18 - 27
Christmas WonderFest - Detroit
Glittering buildings, busy sidewalks, brisk air, dazzling gift displays and decadent treats are highlights of a bustling Christmas season in the city. In November 2011, the city’s central plaza Campus Martius Park will debut Christmas WonderFest, a highly anticipated indoor/outdoor festival and return to the legacy of Detroit Christmas Past. WonderFest, modeled upon traditional European Christmas Markets, will kick off the holiday season in grand style with an International Marketplace, seasonal food & drink, Carousel and Ferris Wheel spins, and Holiday Tree-Lighting.

November 19
Kalamazoo Russian Festival - Kalamazoo
Celebrate the partnership between Kalamazoo, Michigan and Pushkin, Russia at this years Kalamazoo Russian Festival; a unique Russian cultural event in the Midwest.

November 19 - December 31
Battle Creek International Festival of Lights - Battle Creek
The six-week holiday lighting extravaganza in greater Battle Creek, Michigan, features over one million sparkling lights, special events, lighting displays, and entertainment.

November 24 - Thanksgiving Day
Detroit's Thanksgiving Day Parade - Detroit
The theme for the 2011 America's Thanksgiving Parade is "So Much To Believe In". The parade down Woodward Avenue is one of the nation's oldest and most celebrated parades. They start at 9:20 a.m. on Woodward Avenue and Mack and end at Woodward Avenue and Congress in downtown Detroit before hundreds of thousands of parade-goers, in person and on WDIV Local 4.

November 25
Fantasy of Lights - Howell
Parade & Town Activities in Historic Howell, Michigan

November 26 - December 18
Santa's Village - Chesaning
Experience Santa's Village - North Pole USA.Young and old alike will enjoy a visit to the enchanged village. Nestled snugly at the North Pole (aka, Saginaw County Fairgrounds, Chesaning, Michigan), Santa's Village embodies the spirit and excitement of the holiday season. North Pole Express Engine 1225 arrives at Santa's Village at 11 am and 5 pm daily while the Village is open. View the steam engine made famous in the movie Polar Express.

November 25 - December 30
Christmas at Crossroads Holiday Magic - Flint
This holiday fantasyland features thousands of sparkling lights and Michigan's most spectacular moving light display, the Huckleberry Railroad. The entire village is aglow with colored lights and more lights decorate the railroad's locomotive, coaches and trackside displays. Costumed villagers prepare for the holiday season in the village's homes and shops, the Colwell Opera House presents live entertainment and Santa Claus talks with the children. See model trains, craft demonstrations, holiday music and unique shopping opportunities delight all ages.

November 26
Great Macaroni & Cheese Bake-Off - Old Mission Peninsula
The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula will host local restaurants who have turned the classic comfort food, Macaroni and Cheese, into culinary marvels! This rich and creamy fare is paired with wines from Old Mission - Rieslings, Pinot Grigios, Chardonnays and more. Taste what our local Chefs have come up with this year!

Share this:

One of the many encounters listed on Steve Cook's great website took place in the summer of 1938. 17-year-old Robert Fortney was fishing on the banks of the Muskegon River near Paris, Michigan when a pack of what appeared to be large feral dogs emerged from the woods:

Fortney remained silent, but the sensitive noses of the dogs quickly picked up his scent. Since he had been small game hunting earlier in the day, Fortney had his loaded rifle nearby. As the dogs approached, they assumed the group posture of a pack on a hunt. Fortney picked up the gun and fired a shot into the air.

The dogs cringed and turned to slink back into the forest, all except one: a huge black dog with unusual eyes.

"They were blue," said Fortney. "What kind of dog has blue eyes?" The big dog and Fortney considered each other for a long moment, less than ten feet separating them. Fortney fired another shot over the head of the strange dog. Then to Fortney's shock and amazement, the black dog stood up on two legs and cast a glare that sent shivers down his spine.

"It reared up on its hind legs and stared at me," said Fortney in a phone interview in 1987. "It may be that I was just scared, but I swear that dog was smiling at me."

Click for many more encounters and also check the website for details on a DVD to be released in 2012. Don't miss another pair of tales from Weird Michigan's Linda Godfrey of the Dogman at Fayette and the Dogman in Washtenaw County & near Bay City.

Profits from Cook's sales of Dogman merchandise support AC Paw, a no-kill animal rescue program that specializes in animals that have been injured, abused, or neglected. Click their logo for details.

The Dogman legend has grown over the years, and soon Michigan filmmaker Rich Brauer has just wrapped up the filming of "Dogman" which will be released soon. In a nice feature in today's Detroit Free Press, Brauer opines:

"Every culture has a mythical woodland creature that they blame stuff on. I don't know what it is about people that they want to blame stuff on something like that. There's an inherent imagination that people have, especially when they go in the woods and start to hear things and their hair stands up on the back of their head. ... It might turn out to be a chickadee on a stick, but up until that moment, it was something huge."

The photo to the right is a scene from the filming - click to read more at the Brauer indie films blog and definitely stay tuned to Absolute Michigan for more on the film. If you have a story of the Dogman, you can share it with Brauer & Steve Cook this Saturday - click here for details & appointments. Here's Cook's song ... Happy Halloween!

Looking for more? “Ghost” on Absolute Michigan brings up a graveyard full of spooky stories including the rowdy ghosts of the Fenton Hotel and the Ghost of Minnie Quay. The Great Lakes State even has its own cryptid, the Dogman. For more on the Dogman and many more scary stories, turn to Linda Godfrey’s Weird Michigan, a compendium of strange tales from all across Michigan.

Share this:

northern lights, clare county MI by ats8110

Last night our Michigan Northern Lights Log got over 2 dozen reports from the region of sightings - follow the link to subscribe via RSS. Here's the skinny on last night's Auroral Amazement via Michigan in Pictures...

Michigan was treated to an amazing show of Northern Lights as the skies exploded in red, green, white and even blues and yellows of the best display of the Aurora Borealis in years. Our Michigan Northern Lights Log and Flickr group lit up with photos and reports.

There were places you would expect – Marquette, the Keweenaw Peninsula, Escanaba – but also reports from literally EVERYWHERE in Michigan: Bath, Bellaire, Big Rapids, Blanchard, Clare, Charlotte, Charlevoix, Clark Lake, Coldwater Lake, East Leland, Frankfort, Fostoria, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Lapeer, Leelanau County, Lenawee County, Mecosta, Mikado, Mulliken, Ottawa County, Onsted, Pontiac, Petoskey, Reading, Saginaw, Stockbridge, Tecumseh, Traverse City, Unionville, Whitehall & White Lake. People even checked in with reports from Pittsburgh, Indiana & Ohio.

Definitely click through to Michigan in Pictures for a sweet set of photos of the Northern Lights over Lake Superior. There's also all kinds of great info in the Northern Lights category including . Check out this great video of the Northern Lights from East Martin, MI by lakefxnet:

Share this:

The MiMFF started off in 2008 with just a few film submissions and even fewer ticket sales. Thanks to growing support from the Michigan Film Industry, the local community and the hard work of a small group of dedicated volunteers, the MiMFF has grown into one of the most respected small-town film festivals in the state. In fact, a second screening room has been added to the schedule this year to accommodate the large number of quality film submissions, essentially doubling the amount films to be shown. "We are very excited about each and every film that was chosen for this years festival", says Made-In-Michigan Film Society President, Juliane Bagley. "We understand the hard work and level of commitment that goes into making these films and it is an honor for us to be able to present them to our community."

The film festival’s growth is perfectly aligned with the Made-In-Michigan Film Society’s goal to showcase and promote the State of Michigan and as many Michigan- made films as possible while providing a low-cost cultural, experience for the local community. With ticket prices at just $6 for a full a day of films or $10 for a weekend pass, the MiMFF is one of the best entertainment values around. "It is extremely important to us to keep ticket prices low. We understand that Michigan and the Lapeer County area especially have been hit hard with economic woes because we live and raise our families here." says Bagley. "We do the best we can with what we have. You may not see the eye-popping glitz, sparkle and shine of Cannes or Sundance here, but you will feel the small-town hospitality and sincerity. We are fortunate to have a few generous sponsors who recognize the value in what we do not only as the MiMFF but as the Lapeer County Film Office, bringing jobs and revenue into the area. We would not be able to do this without these sponsors and we are very grateful for their support."

In addition to the film screenings, the MiMFF has several other events planned for the weekend including an educational free film workshop geared toward local middle and high school students, a Michigan Filmmaker Panel Discussion and the Festival Afterglow Party. Festival times and a full program schedule including film and activity descriptions is available at madeinmichiganfilmfestival.org. If you are interested in volunteering at the festival or would like to register for the MPI Student Film Workshop please call 810-882-1022 or email juliane@madeinmichiganfilmfestival.org.

We have the trailer for one of this year's films, the Bicyclist, which tells the story of Lester Cribs who has just lost his restaurant and his wife. He leaves behind Grosse Pointe, MI on a 300 mile bicycle trip to the Mackinac Bridge.

The Bicyclist - Official Trailer from Cass Corridor Films on Vimeo.

Share this:

Soo Aerial by Marge Beaver

Pasty.com's Day in History for October 4th says that Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan was founded on this day in 1641. Michigan History Magazine expands on this, relating that French Jesuits Isaac Jogues and Charles Raymbault held the first Christian services in Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie on that date. As you'll see in a moment, it's not really possible to get a date for the founding of the Soo, but everyone has to have a birthday, right?

Of course the Soo Locks are the first thing most people think of when they think of the Soo. You can see a webcam of the locks, and while your browser may have a problem with the secure certificate they use, it's a US government certificate and site so you're probably safe. saultstemarie.com relates that that the first lock was built way back in in 1797 by the Northwest Fur Company. It was just 38 feet long and remained in use until it was destroyed in the War of 1812, forcing boats again to portage around the rapids. Read on for much more.

The history page on on the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan website:

Sault Ste. Marie is the oldest city in Michigan, and among the oldest cities in the United States. Over the course of history, the flags of several sovereign nations have flown over the Sault.

Over 2,000 years ago, Native Americans began to gather here for the wealth of fish and fur found along the rushing waters of the wide, turbulent river that linked the Great Lakes of Superior and Huron. Spring and fall were important seasons for these original settlers, and they called the area “Bahweting,” or “The Gathering Place.”

...In the 1600s, French missionaries and fur traders began to venture into the beautiful territory. The traders began calling the wild area Sault du Gastogne. In 1668, the legendary Jesuit missionary and explorer Fr. Jacques Marquette renamed this burgeoning European settlement Sault Ste. Marie, in honor of the Virgin Mary—the first "city" in the Great Lakes region.

While there is some debate on the exact meaning of "Sault," scholars of early French note that the word translates into jump, referring to the place where one needs to "jump", or put into the St. Mary’s River. This translation relates to the treacherous rapids and cascades that fall over 20 feet from the level of Lake Superior to the level of the lower lakes. Hundreds of years ago, this prohibited boat traffic and necessitated an overland portage from one lake to the other. This is how Portage Avenue, the main street running along the river, acquired its name.

Ashmun Street in 1888 courtesy Seeking Michigan

Some other good sites for area history include Sault Historic Sites,  the History & Culture of the Sault Tribe, and Sault Ste Marie, Michigan in Wikipedia. You can get links to Sault businesses and website and also articles for the Soo at absolutemichigan.com/Sault including Sault Ste. Marie: The Gathering Place, which offers more in depth history and a larger version of the photo above. Other good sites for modern day information are the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce,  Sault Ste Marie at michigan.org, the Soo Evening News and the EUP News blog.

You can see some pictures from the Soo at saultstemarie on Michigan in Pictures. Seeking Michigan has some great old photos of the Soo from the Archives of Michigan, but the best I found were from the Facebook page of I Love Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, particularly the History of Sault Ste Marie Michigan in Photographs and this gallery from Soo photographer Glenn W. Gregg. There's also 200+ Soo photos in the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr.

If you grew up in the Soo (which I didn't) I bet you'll love this video featuring photos & Bob Seger's Main Street from ILovetheSoo. While I enjoyed that one a lot, the one below features some of those great photos from Glenn Gregg.

Share this: