What’s Happening in Northern Michigan: Shady Lane Cellars, Winter Festival, Traverse City’s Restaurant Weeks

It might be cold, but there’s still plenty of ways to make the most out of your winter weekends.

Courtney Sheffer from the West Michigan Tourist Association shares some ideas for you.

Shady Lane Cellar’s Expanded Trails

Shady Lane Cellars in Suttons Bay invites you out to explore their newly expanded trail system! They have a 3 mile loop of groomed cross-country ski, snowshoe, fat tire biking, and hiking trails that take you around the vineyard. After you explore the trails, you can warm up by their patio fire with a glass of wine! The tasting room is open Thursdays through Mondays, and their wine is also available online for shipping.

28th Annual Winter Festival

Celebrate winter in Mackinaw City during this year’s 28th Annual “Winter Festival” on Saturday, February 20th. Winter Fest includes kids sled races, the “Big Freeze” obstacle course for kids and adults, and the popular Outhouse Races. Teams of five make creative, colorful, and entertaining outhouses which are pushed and pulled on skis to race for a grand prize of $500. Race registration, the full winter fest schedule, and event updates can be found at MackinawCity.com.

Traverse City’s Restaurant Weeks

And lastly, mark your calendar for Traverse City’s Restaurant Weeks! This year, they’ve expanded this celebration of Traverse City restaurants to two weeks of delicious deals, taking place February 21st through March 6th. Over 20 of Traverse City’s finest restaurants will offer a three-course dinner menu for $25 or $35 per person. Reservations are strongly encouraged, and takeout options will be available at select locations. You can even share photos from Restaurant Weeks on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #TCRW for a chance to win gift cards from local restaurants.