Community Conflicts

Today's Ticker: TCFF & Paella: Summer 2012 Woes hit on something I was thinking about this past weekend.

No, not "these pirates are not historically accurate representations of pirating in the Great Lakes" nor was it "I have to pay for a Pirate breakfast and coffee is $1.75 extra?!" but rather "how many festivals are there?"

This past weekend we had the Michigan Schooner Festival, the Epicurean Classic, the NMC Mike McIntosh Memorial Truck & Car Show, and Acme Fall Fest. I'm sure I am missing some things.

The most people I saw at the Schooner Festival were the throngs outside of the paid area to watch the ships under sail Friday night. The Epicurean Classic was using tents on Garland St. - less dignified surroundings than in previous years and I heard turnout was less too.

In August The Commons has a Wine and Art Festival one weekend and a Microbrew and Music festival the next. Wuerfel Park had a beer festival this year too.

So many festivals, so little time. Could any of these be combined or scheduled more efficiently?

For example, if the Classic Boats on the Boardwalk and the Schooner Festival were the same weekend wouldn't their combined draw be more than each on its own?

Who could be a liaison between all of these festivals?

Mayor Bzdok wants a Neighborhood Ombudsman.

I've been against the City adding a neighborhood advocate because:

1.) isn't this why we elect City Commissioners?

2.) we need to think of ourselves as a single City rather than a series of tribes or neighborhoods.

3.) neighborhoods tend to advocate for their own interests rather than the City's best interest.

Examples include Slabtown neighborhood wanting their own beach even though there is a nearby existing beach and research shows beach grooming degrades fish habitat directly offshore and up to 150 ft along the shore.

Central neighborhood wants to keep Seventh and Eighth streets one way even though it can be easily demonstrated that two-way streets are better for the neighborhood and city.

Old Town Neighborhood Association wants a bypass built next to Boardman Lake even though a comprehensive 10 year traffic study from the University of Toronto clearly shows more roads always lead to more traffic.

Three neighborhoods wanting what they think is best for them but when taking the big view could actually lower the quality of life in the City.

I am not sure someone advocating for the neighborhoods would help.

Something that might help is this question a friend posed: why don't we elect City Commissioners by district like at the County? I like it, each neighborhood could elect their own commissioner and then each neighborhood would have their own official advocate.

Then could the Neighborhood Ombudsman idea be expanded into a Community Ombudsman? Someone who could coordinate events and resolve conflicts with all of these festivals and non-profits and also serve as a single point of contact for citizens' concerns and complaints.

Just a thought I had this weekend.

The Winter Microbrew and Music Festival

I'm not ashamed to say I've been looking forward to this since last year's event. I was even more excited to learn it will happen in Old Town.

The summer edition is nice but has a different feel. There's much less clothing at the summer Microbrew and Music festival and hence much more posturing by those in attendance. Whereas the winter festival is more about friends, discovering new drinks and new music. My own taste is for the Winter festival.

And for the first time ever you will be allowed to re-enter the festival! This is being done so that people can take in an act at the Comedy Arts Festival and then return. (this is something people have asked for in the past so it is great to see it implemented)

Porterhouse Productions has the full schedule and brewers.

This will also be an interesting test of the Braess Paradox. Will closing off Old Town to traffic make the surrounding streets worse or better?

'The Soup' Exposes The Comedy Arts Festival

Saw this by complete accident on Friday - Jeff Garlin on E's 'The Soup' to promote the Traverse City Comedy Arts Festival.

Short's Weekend

One week after the Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival there will be 13 taps of Short's at The Loading Dock.

See: Short’s Brew Multi Tap Night at The Loading

Welcome to Beer Town USA.

"The 2011 Epicurean Classic will be held September 15-18 at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons"

Might be the best thing I read today.

See UpNorthLive: The Epicurean Classic is coming back

Welcome back.

Re-Inventing The Cherry Festival

I am going to admit something that for someone in Traverse City is similar to a rural Michigander saying "maybe we don't need so many townships?" - and that is, maybe the Cherry Festival is too long and not focused on the right things?

Because in its current incarnation I don't care for the Cherry Festival. One reason is because I feel like a minority for NOT smoking cigarettes. Another reason is I prefer farmers to carnies. Plus there are the piles of trash (I will not reveal if I am referring to people or refuse) and as Gary points out over at MWaT, Traverse City gets trashed in general during the TCCF. See: The condition of the Open Space, post-Cherry Festival

What I would like to see is a shortened Cherry Festival that doesn't span two weekends, and a Cherry Festival that is re-imagined as a food festival much like the lost Epicurean Classic.

Alas, the only victory at this year's Festival was no twilight air show. I think the outcry from the downtown parents after the last time the Blue Angels flew at night precluded any future consideration for evening strafing runs.

Traverse City Microbrew And Music Festival Makes Forbes

At the Forbes Life Find of the Day

Known as well for its golf courses as it is for its wineries and ski resorts, Traverse City is one of Michigan's top year-round spots for quickie getaways. This weekend, the city will host its annual festival dedicated to draft beer, world music and the local harvest.

Goodbye To A Classic

The Traverse Epicurean Classic is moving to St. Joseph, MI in order to draw more participants from a more populous area and because of an opportunity to partner with KitchenAid.

Traverse City will miss the Epicurean Classic more than the festival organizers will miss Traverse City. This event has been known as the "Traverse Epicurean Classic" after all.


Right at the point when this festival was becoming popular and associated with Traverse City it gets moved in a boneheaded move.

Maybe the Cherry Festival should move to Washington or Oregon?

This is a frustrating development because the original molehill that had to overcome was finding a location other than the Great Lakes Culinary Institute at NMC. That's right, the culinary school didn't want to host a popular culinary festival because it was "too difficult" for the students. Yes, good thing to keep them from the real world. That's real good training.
Now Traverse City is facing a mountain of a battle in establishing itself as a culinarian capital and a destination for foodie tourists when it doesn't even hold onto a premiere culinary event.

This is the kind of ridiculous decision I expect from the luddite City Commissioners, but not NMC.

Via UpNorthFoodies: Epicurean Classic heads to St. Joe’s

Traverse City Water Festival

DECEMBER 12 - 14,2008

The Water Festival seeks to attract, entertain, educate and activate individuals and communities.The first Traverse City Water Festival will take place at the City Opera House on Friday and Saturday, December 12th and 13th, and at the Grand Traverse Commons on Sunday, December 14th.

The full schedule. However, as I rule I do not attend events featuring group drumming.

Horse Lovers Love Traverse City

TC gets a glowing review in Equestrian Magazine - 2008 Horse Shows by the Bay Series Offers Activities for Riders and Families