Summer's End: Your Guide To The Impending Offseason In Leelanau County

The seasons are beginning to change in Leelanau County, and we’re not just saying that because of this week’s rainy, cloudy weather and sub-60-degree temperatures. The Leelanau Ticker has your guide to seasonal closures, fall hours, autumn events, and more.

>It’s officially maze season at Jacob’s Farm, which officially debuted its Grateful Dead-themed “Steal Your Face” maze at a grand opening party on August 24. The maze will be open daily through October 31.

>Paradise Cove is “taking a short break,” but will be back for one last stretch of days this season, from September 11-14.

>Bulldog Berries, a popular U-pick blueberry destination at the base of Leelanau County, had its last day of the 2025 season on August 31.

>Also now closed for the season is Bay Burrito in Suttons Bay. The establishment’s sister restaurant, Bay Pizzeria, is still open and operates throughout the winter.

>Speaking of Bay Pizzeria, the restaurant is having a buy-one-get-one-free deal on medium pepperoni throughout the month of September, to celebrate its one-year anniversary. Bay Pizzeria will be closed tomorrow (Saturday), but will reopen next week with its fall Tuesday through Sunday hours.

>Capital Dog is also downshifting into fall hours. The Lake Leelanau restaurant has announced that it will only be open on Saturdays and Sundays in September.

>Locals Lake Leelanau, one of the county’s summer 2025 debuts, has been without a liquor license since it opened on May 10. In a summer wrap-up video posted on Labor Day, owner Tony West promised that the wait for alcoholic beverages at Locals is finally almost over.

“My fantasy football team is ‘Where’s the Liquor License,’ because if I go to the gas station or if I’m just in here working, or out doing an event, people want to know,” West said. “It’s so soon, you guys. And it was totally out of our control; from the beginning, we did everything the right way, and we’ve asked for grace and space with that. But I’ll tell you what: can’t wait to celebrate football soon, having some libations here.”

Fall will also see new menu items at Locals, and noon-9pm hours, seven days a week.

>As the Leelanau Ticker reported last week, the Leland Township Library will be closed from Monday, September 22 through Sunday, October 5 while its parking lot and sidewalks get an upgrade as part of the library’s ongoing renovation project. The book drop at the library will not be accessible during the closure, and due dates will be extended.

>Some seasonal businesses keep the doors open deeper into the fall. Case-in-point is the Village Cheese Shanty in Fishtown, which has traditionally kept serving sandwiches until late October. The establishment hasn’t announced its season-ending plans for yet, but last year’s final day for sandwiches fell on October 25.

>River Club Glen Arbor (RCGA) owner Mike Sheldon says will “officially close for the season on November 1,” with plans to reopen for the 2026 season on May 1. According to Sheldon, RCGA was up “over 25 percent from our debut in 2024,” with more than 80,000 visitors tallied so far.

After seeing success with new menu items this summer, including “Mucho Macho Nachos” and a frozen margarita menu, Sheldon says RCGA will “showcase some new food items” this fall, including homemade BBQ chicken wings and honey-smoked pork bites, as well as autumn-centric drink specials. “Think warm, spice, apple, pumpkin,” Sheldon tells The Ticker.

RCGA hours through September will be 11am to 8pm Thursdays through Monday; October will shift to a Thursday-through-Sunday schedule.

>9 Bean Rows will resume regular hours today (Friday) after closing early yesterday for an employee appreciation event.” While some elements of 9 Bean’s summer operations have already wound down – the farm stop closed its pizza oven on August 19 – fall also tends to be a busy time. September 25 marks the start of 9 Bean Rows’ 12-week fall CSA.

>Farm Club is gearing up for its fall event slate, which includes a “Field Social” (a free “mix and mingle with our brewers and farmers” on September 11); the annual Corn and Chile Roasting Festival on September 20; and an apple pressing day on October 11.

>The Mill Glen Arbor, fresh off what owners say was “certainly the busiest” summer season since the business opened in 2023, will be closed tomorrow (Saturday) and next Wednesday and Thursday (September 10-11) as they “slowly roll into fall” and take care of “some much needed cleaning and resting.”

>Blue Moon Ice Cream Shop in Cedar has transitioned to fall hours: Monday through Saturday from 11am-8pm and Sundays from noon-8pm. The ice cream stand typically stays open through Halloween.

>Sleeping Bear Surf in Empire is “slamming the doors shut this weekend for a fancy schmancy wedding in Californ-i-a,” but will be open again starting next Monday, September 8.

>Of course, summer is never really over in Leelanau County until Leelanau UnCaged has come and gone. The 11th annual incarnation of that Northport-based music, art, dance, and food festival is Saturday, September 27.

>Speaking of popular fall events in Leelanau, the Lake Leelanau Harvest Schedule is slated for Saturday, October 11.

>Across the county line into Benzie, catch the final weeks of the 2025 season at the Cherry Bowl Drive-In. Saturday, October 11 is the last night of the season, and will include the Cherry Bowl’s second annual Trunk or Treat from 4-6pm and “a single-feature, family-friendly Halloween movie at dusk.” The film is still to-be-announced. Until then, it’s already spooky season at the drive-in, which will show a double feature of Beetlejuice and The Conjuring this weekend, September 5 and 6.

>Also in Benzie County, next Sunday, September 14 marks the annual Ironman 70.3 Michigan in Frankfort. Road closures and traffic disruptions are outlined here.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly noted that the Frankfort Ironman race would take place on a Saturday. The correct race day is Sunday, September 14.