Traverse City's Summer Agenda: Art, Music, and Community Happenings

Good morning, this is your Traverse City Local Frequency for Thursday, July 24, 2025. Summer is in full swing in Traverse City and so is our calendar. If you are looking to jumpstart your day, consider joining the Native Garden Workbees along the Boardman River starting at half past eight this morning where volunteers will help nurture our local green spaces. Writers, creatives, and book lovers can stop by Books-A-Million at 10 for Shut Up and Write, a casual session to set aside distractions and finally focus on those personal projects. Or, if you are in the mood for business growth with a sprinkle of breakfast, head to 20Fathoms for their Books Club Breakfast Lab. This morning’s workshop will help entrepreneurs demystify data and make it work for local business success with hands-on instruction and open Q and A with advisors. Art lovers, today is a treasure trove of exhibits. Stroll through the Crooked Tree Arts Center on Eighth Street where two exhibitions open at 11. First, “Turning TC” showcases extraordinary wooden creations from the Northwestern Michigan Woodturners Club, celebrating the beauty of hand-turned wood. In the Carnegie Rotunda, the Paint Grand Traverse Extended Exhibit features original artwork created outdoors throughout our region in June, capturing the changing light and spirit of Grand Traverse. For a taste of international flair, the Dennos Museum Center presents “A Style All Our Own: Canadian Woodland Artists” highlighting innovative art influenced by indigenous traditions. For families and young chefs, there’s a Kids Can Cook class at 10 at the Oliver Art Center, instilling fun lessons about seasonal eating and kitchen basics. If needle and thread are more your style, check out “The Quilt as Archive” exhibit—it’s a deep dive into modern textile artistry’s power to tell the stories of a region. After lunch, don’t miss the Nations Cup CSIO3 in Williamsburg. World-class equestrians descend on Traverse City for fast-paced show jumping packed with food, shopping, and plenty of competitive energy. Local historians and genealogy buffs can gather at the Grand Traverse Area Genealogical Society’s meeting at one for practical research tips and stories from near and far. Tonight, Traverse City is bursting with music and community spirit. At seven, bring a lawn chair to the Music in the Streets series in Beulah to see local indie folk stars The Accidentals. For more live tunes, Concerts on the Lawn delivers yacht rock with Judy Harrison, while Doc Probes and the Riptides cover Jimmy Buffett on Old Mission. The French Valley Vineyards will be swinging to the sounds of Turner Luce—wine glass in hand, of course. Theater lovers have their pick tonight. Empire gets poetic with Lakeside Shakespeare’s riveting “An Iliad,” while Interlochen’s Kresge Auditorium features viral a cappella sensations Straight No Chaser performing their Summer 90s Part 2 extravaganza, complete with guest stars O-Town. Meanwhile at the Old Town Playhouse, “ This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.