August's Best Ideas

Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre

Honor
231-325-3413
www.cherrybowldrivein.com
August is a great time to catch a double feature at the Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre in Honor, MI! Dusk arrives earlier in August than in the long days of late June and early July, so the movies start earlier. August usually brings balmy summer nights where you can  enjoy sitting outside while watching the show. Enjoy a picnic while you wait or play a round of mini-golf. Features at the Cherry Bowl Drive-In are always family friendly with only G, PG and some PG-13 movies shown.

This year, the Cherry Bowl is celebrating its 55th consecutive season and has opened Cherry Bowl Gifts and Goodies next door. Cherry Bowl Gifts and Goodies carries homemade treats, Amish foods and crafts, Cherry themed gifts, and the Cherry Bear Factory where you can build your own Cherry Bowl souvenir.

Horseback Riding at BOYNE

Harbor Springs
www.BOYNE.com
Boyne Highlands Resort has unveiled new amenities to broaden the resorts’ summertime offerings.  Equestrian activities including Pony, Carriage and Horseback Trail Rides, and a Live Birds of Prey educational program are available this season in addition to the resort's four golf courses, par-3 course, abundant hiking and biking trails, scenic chairlift rides and the popular Young Americans Dinner Theatre.
 
Guided Horseback Trail Rides are courtesy of a partnership with Birchwood Farms of Harbor Springs.  Resort guests and area visitors can explore rolling pastures and wooded terrain on Boyne Highlands grounds each Thursday through Sunday with one-, two- and four-hour rides for $45, $80 and $120 per person, respectively.  Rides depart at 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Children too young for trail rides, ages 8 and under, can delight in Pony Rides escorted by handlers along a gentle walk through the pasture with 15-minute rides for $25.  Carriage Rides can be booked in one-hour increments and accommodates groups up to sixteen people.  To book a Pony, Carriage or Horseback Trail Ride, please call 231.526.3001. 

August in Ludington

August 9
Scottville Main Street Music Festival
The focus of this spanking new, one-day event is on local talent and we’ve got lots of it. From Scottville’s own clown band to jazz fiddle to Edgar Struble to Christian rock and more, the music will be flowing from 10:30 in the morning to late into the evening on Main Street.
 
August 9 & 10
25th Annual Gold Coast Arts & Crafts Fair
If you’re looking for something made in Michigan, you’ll find it here. Over 100 crafters and artists from all over the state (and a few from other states too!) display their wares at Ludington City Park. 

Baby Snow Leopard is Born!

Binder Park Zoo
Battle Creek
www.binderparkzoo.org
On June 16, 2008 Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan welcomed a 1 lb, 10 ½ inch baby female snow leopard cub.  With this birth comes great success in the conservation of this species as their populations have diminished to less than 7,000 animals in the wild.  Due to the scarce population, the snow leopard is listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union/IUCN red list and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species since 1974.

Concerts at the Casino

Odawa Casino
Petoskey
877-4-GAMING
www.odawacasino.com
August 8 - John Anderson with Aaron Tippin
August 22 - John Secada

Holland Museum & Settler's HouseActivities

August 19
Settlers House
Holland
888/200-9123
www.hollandmuseum.org
ARCHEOLOGY FOR YOUNG AMATEURS
Kids have the hands-on opportunity to uncover history of early Holland and
learn about archaeology. They see earlier finds and explore the tiny
restored home of a ship carpenter's family that lived here in the 1860s.
Then they sift excavated backyard dirt for new discoveries. Session is
supervised by a trained archaeologist. Cost: $5, member child $3.

August 24
Holland Museum
Holland
888/200-9123
www.hollandmuseum.org
VINTAGE HOLLAND BOAT SHOW
More than thirty classic boats, many made and used in Holland, MI,
dry-docked on 10th Street in front of the Holland Museum. This FREE event is presented by the Holland Museum in cooperation with the Joint Archives of Holland and is sponsored by TIARA YACHTS.

Cure for Summer Boredom

Michigan Association of RVs and Campgrounds
www.marvac.org

Looking for a way to relieve your kids’ summer boredom? Go camping! Many campgrounds have amenities such as bicycle and hiking trails, playgrounds, swimming pools, game rooms, planned events, miniature golf and boat rentals. Here are some other fun campground activities:

• A scavenger hunt will strengthen kids knowledge of nature as they collect items such as wildflowers, pinecones, feathers and smooth stones. Or, give your child a disposable camera to take photos of animal tracks, birds, spider webs and butterflies.
• Create a journal or scrapbook of camping memories. Document the adventures of each day. If your kids are too young to write, have them draw pictures. Or, create a themed book, such as items in nature that start with each letter of the alphabet.
• Cooking meals at the campfire. Kids think mealtime is much more enjoyable when they are able to cook it themselves over the campfire (with an adult close by). Hot dogs on roasting forks or grilled cheese and pizzas in a pie maker are easy for kids to cook themselves. As they get older, teach them to grill using a rack over the fire pit.

Visit www.marvac.org for an online directory of Michigan campgrounds, or to request a free copy of the RV & Campsite publication.

Barn Theatre Performances!

Barn Theatre
(269) 731-4121
Kalamazoo
www.barntheatre.com
Playing August 5-17 is the colorful and dramatic SHENANDOAH . This beautiful musical revolves around a strong willed Virginia farmer who attempts to keep his family neutral during the Civil War. Their story is a heart warming and heart rending portrayal of the mayhem that left wounds on the land and people. With a score full of memorable songs including “Next to Lovin”, “We Make A Beautiful Pair” and “Freedom”, this musical will be loved by every member of the family.
Playing August 19-31 is the Broadway phenomenon, RENT! Winning many coveted awards, RENT tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling for success and acceptance while enduring poverty, addiction, and AIDS. Among the memorable songs in this revolutionary rock score are “Without You,” “What You Own”, “Take Me Or Leave Me,” “Seasons of Love” and the title song “Rent.” Inspired by  Puccini's opera La Bohème, with music and lyrics written by the Barn’s own Jonathan Larson, RENT is hailed as the Rock Opera of our time!

Rubber Ducky Festival

August 16
Bellaire
(231) 533-6023
info@bellairechamber.org.

Every small town needs a festival, and the resort communities of northern Michigan are no exception. They’ve created festivals to commemorate favorite fruits, like Traverse City’s National Cherry Festival, or favorite fish, like the National Trout Festival in Kalkaska, the Mancelona Bass Festival, or the National Coho Salmon Festival in Honor. They’ve got festivals to celebrate historical events, natural features, famous local heroes, sporting events and just about any other thing you can think of.

But when the tiny village of Bellaire finally got around to starting a festival, it seemed all the good ideas had been taken. Which is how they came up with the Rubber Ducky Festival – a 12-day celebration whose climax is a quarter-mile “race” on Aug. 16 in which thousands of spectators line the banks of the Intermediate River to watch 2,000 yellow ducks float past.

Polish Harvest Festival (Dozynki)

August 22, 23, and 24
Calder Plaza Downtown Grand Rapids
616-791-2110
www.polishheritagesociety.com.
Features continuous polka/variety music & dancing, authentic Polish food, children's activities, vendors & souvenirs, Polish cultural displays, Polish cooking demos and a beverage tent.

Music House Museum Events for August:

Music House Museum
Acme
231-938-9300
www.musichouse.org
Events for August:

• Chamber Concert Series continues on Thursday evenings at 7:30PM.  August 7, when an evening of vaudeville will be presented by Adam Olsen, saxophone and Stephen Warner piano and organ.
• August 14, the Music House Museum presents nationally known “Suzanne and Jim” who sing along with toe-tapping guitar and banjo.
• August 21 we host Lynne Giacolone Church, soprano from the cast of “Phantom of the Opera” in Toronto, singing songs from Broadway and opera,  with husband, Rick Church, on the piano.
• August 28 features the Backroom Gang with Dixieland band at its best!

Whodunit?

August 29 – January 4
Public Museum of Grand Rapids
The Science of Solving Crime
www.grmuseum.org
Back by popular demand for a limited run, this interactive exhibit explores scientific methods of solving crime.  While investigating a robbery at the Memory diner, police discover a body in the restaurant alley.  Junior detectives can test their crime solving prowess. 
 
Sleuths will listen to information from eyewitness testimony, search the alley for physical evidence and analyze the evidence in the crime lab.  They’ll learn about DNA profiling, fingerprinting, firearm identification, forensic anthropology, pathology, evidence collection and the examination of trace evidence.  Medical experts, including a medical examiner, forensic artist, firearms examiner and fingerprint examiner, will offer tips along the way.  We all want to know “Whodunit?”

The Art of Fine Dining Series

The Art of Fine Dining Series
Friday Nights at GRAM Art Forum
Grand Rapids Art Museum
www.gramonline.org      
Every Friday night at GRAM it’s a total immersion in the arts.  In addition to an evening filled with music, gallery viewing, dinner and drinks be sure to check out the Friday Night Art Forum in August, when GRAM features “The Art of Fine Dining” series.

Grand Rapids Press food and feature writer Kathy Carrier joins us visits on August 1 to demonstrate The Art of Assembling a Fresh Summer Salad, simple and simply delicious summer salads made from Michigan’s best fresh vegetables of the season.

The Art of Selecting a Bordeaux Wine is scheduled for August 8.  Peter Eizel of Martha’s Vineyard is on hand to de-mystify the wines of one of the most famous and celebrated regions in the wine world.