Community Calendar

Friends of Bayliss Library, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan are holding their annual Gently Used Book Sale Friday July 31st and Saturday August 1st starting at 9:30am. Come browse the sale and find the books you've been wanting to read but didn't want to buy new! All proceeds from the sale support Bayliss Library and its patrons.

The Harrietta Blueberry Festival began in 2007 when local residents wanted to organize an event to bring the community together. Choosing to highlight local attractions and businesses, the Village celebrates annually with food, games, a parade, and more!

The festival is a free family-friendly event! Live music, pie eating contests, a quilt raffle, children’s games, and a fire hose spray provide entertainment for the participants and viewers alike. Many skilled artisans line the streets and fill the Village Hall to offer their goods for sale. The highlight of the day is the Leo Porter Memorial Parade, featuring local leaders, sponsors, and various local organization floats. Visitors of all ages and creeds are guaranteed to find something they enjoy.

The Harrietta United Methodist Church and the Slagle Township-Harrietta Fire Department put on major fundraisers. The Fire Dept. offers an amazing blueberry pancake breakfast, with eggs, sausage, coffee, and juice. The Fire Dept. also hosts a beer tent! The HUMC puts on a cookout lunch from noon until the food is gone, along with a great rummage and bake sale in the church. A community church service is also held the following morning.

Are you just here for the blueberries? Festival-goers are able to purchase a wide variety of blueberry items: ice-cream sundaes, hand-held pies, themed t-shirts, and fresh blueberries to support the Festival. Get them before they’re gone! If you want to pick your own, Harrietta’s Blueberry Hill is just down the road.

The Pointe aux Barques Maritime Museum is hosting its 22nd annual Heritage Festival on Saturday, August 1. Lighthouse Park is home to one of the oldest lighthouses in Michigan—built in 1857—and one of the first U.S. Life-Saving Service station houses on the Great Lakes—built in 1876. The Heritage Festival will feature tower climbs, museum and life-saving station tours, raffles, music, food and vendors.

This year, PAB will commemorate 60 years since the sinking of the Daniel J. Morrell freighter off the Thumb of Michigan on November 29, 1966. David Trotter, noted discoverer of over 100 shipwrecks, will give a presentation about the sinking of the Morrell, including dive footage. Individuals associated with the rescue and care of the lone survivor, Dennis Hale, will be in attendance to relate their experiences.

PAB will also be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Life-Saving Service on the Great Lakes. The Life-Saving Service was the precursor to today’s U.S. Coast Guard. Robert McGreevy, renowned maritime artist and historian, will give a talk about the Life-Saving Service in the Thumb of Michigan, including two incredible rescue attempts by the PAB and Harbor Beach stations. The festival is free to the public and will run from 10:00-4:30.

Legendary Michigan Guitarist Kenny Olson Hosts 10th Annual
Charity Golf and Music Event Aug. 1 in Traverse City

1 p.m. Scramble Tourney Followed by 7 p.m. Concert at Elmbrook Golf Course

Multi-platinum guitarist/songwriter Kenny Olson has performed at iconic venues around the world – from the Super Bowl to Woodstock – with Kid Rock, Aerosmith, Metallica, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, Run DMC, and other renowned artists. But nothing enthuses the Traverse City High School graduate more than coming home each summer to host his popular charity golf tournament and concert.

Olson will bring his fiery blues-rock style to the stage for the 10th Annual Kenny Olson Rock-N-Hole Golf Tournament and Concert on Saturday, Aug. 1, at Elmbrook Golf Course, 1750 Townline Road, Traverse City. The 18-hole scramble opens with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Registration begins at noon.

For the 7 p.m. concert, Olson will be joined by well-known keyboardist and singer Jimmy Olson and other notable musical guests. Known for fusing soulful, hard-hitting rock with blues and funk, Kenny Olson promises a show with appeal across generations and musical tastes.

Proceeds go to the Hallie’s Hearts Endowment at the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, supporting women in northern Michigan impacted by ovarian cancer. The event honors Kenny Olson’s late cousin, Hallie Olson Wastell, who died from the disease at age 44 in 2016.

“I began this event 10 years ago as a way to share my music and raise funds for a terrific organization, in memory of my cousin, who lived life to the fullest and showed amazing grace and courage,” Olson said. “It’s been rewarding to watch this event grow over the years. Regardless of where my schedule takes me, I find joy in returning to Traverse City each year for this special cause.”

Registration for the scramble is $550 for a foursome, or $150 per golfer. This covers 18 holes of golf, cart/green fees, lunch and dinner, and one ticket to the show. To sign up and pay for the event, contact Cindy Johnson at 231-392-0379. A 50/50 raffle and silent auction will be open to participants during the golf outing and concert. Concert-only tickets can be purchased for $30 the night of the show. (Bring a chair to ensure seating.)

Local event sponsors include KLT – The Rock Station, Jimmy John’s, and In Memory of Eddie Janis. Sponsorships are still available from $250 to $2,500; call 231-392-9379 for details.

Kenny Olson has recorded and performed in live shows and on television with many iconic musicians including Aerosmith, Metallica, Run DMC, Hank Williams Jr., Sheryl Crow, Billy Gibbons, Billy Cox, Buddy Miles, Les Paul, Buddy Guy, Bootsy Collins, Chaka Khan, Faith Evans and Mick Mars. He was lead guitarist for Kid Rock’s Twisted Brown Trucker band for 11 years, performing around the world, including at Super Bowl XXXVIII. Olson has performed with the Experience Hendrix Tours and on the Jimi Hendrix Tribute CD. He is lead guitarist for BEYOND THE WALL – the Pink Floyd experience by THINK: EXP, and tours with the Kenny Olson Cartel. Olson is currently releasing numerous songs from past catalogs as well as new material produced at his Detroit area recording studio, The Unforbidden.

Contact:
Cindy Johnson
231-392-9379
cindyjjohnson@sbcglobal.net

The annual 5K Walk/Run raises funds and awareness to support evidence-based suicide prevention training, mental health education, and community resources throughout Michigan and beyond. More than 2,000 participants are expected. This year’s theme, “Superheroes,” recognizes everyday individuals who support mental health and help others feel connected.

Preliminary 2025 data highlights the ongoing need for prevention efforts, with nearly 50,000 suicide deaths nationwide and approximately 1,200 in Michigan. In response, the Network trained more than 3,800 individuals and supported over 1,500 people through its programs.

The Little Traverse Historical Society is holding its annual fundraiser, a Corn Roast Cookout, on Friday, August 14 at the museum on the Petoskey Waterfront. The menu includes: roasted corn, brats, hot dogs, coleslaw, potato salad, tomato salad, watermelon, and brownies. Beer and wine will be available for purchase.