Leelanau County, Late Summer: What's On (And Where to Stay)

The peninsula slows down and speeds up at the same time in August. Slower mornings, but a full calendar. Here's what's happening around Leelanau County through the end of the season, plus the Wander North homes closest to each spot.

Leland

The Fishtown 5K runs the shoreline on July 18, with packet pickup the night before at the Leland Township Library. A week later, Art Leelanau takes over the Old Art Building on July 25, a full day of local work worth wandering through. Leland in late summer is Fishtown at golden hour, which is reason enough on its own.

Closest homes: Belclare (coming soon!) put you a short drive from Leland's shops and the docks.

Spend the morning watching the sailboat’s with a cup of coffee.

Suttons Bay

The wine trail is in its prime right now. Aurora Cellars hosts a Leelanau Grown fundraiser on July 21, and Dune Bird Winery has live music every Sunday afternoon through the summer if you want a standing plan. Suttons Bay itself stays easy, a walkable main street with somewhere new to try every season.

Closest homes: Birch House and Finnwood are right in town, close enough to walk to dinner.

Northport and Omena

Northport's Music in the Park runs Friday nights straight through August 30 at the marina, the kind of thing you plan a whole evening around. The Gene Rantz Memorial Plein Air Paint Out brings painters out across the tip of the peninsula July 18 and 19, with a wet paint sale to close it out.

Closest homes: Dune Ranch, Art House, The Northport Sapling, and Midcentury Mill Pond are all minutes from the marina. Stillwater in Omena is the quiet version of the same drive.

Glen Arbor and Empire

Down toward Sleeping Bear Dunes, the Port Oneida Fair runs August 7 and 8, its final year in the historic district, so worth catching. Empire's Saturday market runs through August 29, and Glen Arbor's Tuesday market keeps going into September. LivelyLands brings a Sun Sets show to Empire on August 17, and River Club Glen Arbor has live music on the patio every Friday.

Closest homes: Cedar House in Cedar splits the difference, close enough to both Suttons Bay and the Glen Arbor side for a day trip either direction.

August goes fast up here. If any of this sounds like your weekend, come stay for it.