Turning Page: Your Guide To The Impending Offseason In Leelanau County

We know it seems like summer just started, but somehow, September is upon us, Labor Day is looming, and fall is beckoning. From the first wave of seasonal business closures to the perks of locals summer, the Leelanau Ticker has your guide to the impending offseason.

>Bulldog Berries had its final string of U-pick days for blueberries last week. The farm is still selling prepicked blueberries for another few days, with berries available for $4 per pound with a minimum order of 10 pounds.

>U-pick season has also drawn to a close for Northport’s Hallstedt Homestead Cherries, which had its final day of picking on August 14.

>Paradise Cove tiki bar will wrap up its season on September 13.

>According to owner Roger Colburn, it’s a one-season-and-done situation for Leelanau Steakhouse and Tapas & Tacos Beer Garden, two restaurant concepts that opened this year at the former Nittolo’s space in Lake Leelanau.

“The restaurant was doing well, but due to issues with the chef we had to unexpectedly close,” Colburn tells The Ticker. The head chef had been Anthony Craig, who made a name for himself with his acclaimed Traverse City restaurant Georgina’s before sexual harassment allegations stalled his career.

Per Colburn, both Leelanau Steakhouse and Tapas & Tacos are now permanently closed, with all leftover food donated to local charities. Leelanau Christian Neighbors shared on social media last week that Colburn had donated “well over 1,000 pounds of food.”

As for the real estate, Colburn says the Leelanau Steakhouse building “is going up for sale and/or lease,” and that he is currently in talks with a potential lessor who “might open the restaurant as a pizza and light meals spot for the winter.”

>Capital Dog in Lake Leelanau has scaled down its hours for the fall and will now be closed Mondays and Tuesdays for the rest of the season. The restaurant is up and running 11:30am-9pm Wednesdays through Sundays. It typically closes out its season in mid to late October.

>Jacob’s Farm opened its corn maze on August 19 and will keep it open Mondays through Wednesdays (3:30-9pm) and Saturdays and Sundays (10am-9pm) through Halloween. This year’s maze has a dual theme, celebrating both America’s 250th anniversary and the January passing of founding Grateful Dead member Bob Weir.

>Crystal River Outfitters in Glen Arbor “will remain open for kayaking through October 12,” according to owner Katy Wiesen. She notes that September and October “are always great months for kayaking as the salmon start running the river.” Other businesses in the Crystal River Outfitters Recreation District – including The Cyclery, M22, and Coastal – stay open year-round.

>River Club Glen Arbor owner Mike Sheldon says the business will be celebrating locals summer with buy-one-get-one deals for putt putt golf on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout September. Additionally, the first-ever River Club Run and Hole in One event is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, and River Club will also be hosting pro and college football watch parties all fall long. The business will close for the season on Saturday, October 18, and will “be doing a big food blowout that day to clear the fridge,” Sheldon says.

>Hop Lot also paid tribute to the return of locals summer in a Facebook post last week, noting that college football will be back on the tent projector screens starting this weekend and seasonal beers and food items will be circling back into rotation soon. Asked specifically about their famous spicy fried chicken sandwich, Hop Lot said it will make its return as a weekday special starting after Labor Day.

>Speaking of famous sandwiches, there’s still plenty of time left in season number 29 at Leland’s Village Cheese Shanty. Owner Jennifer Kareck says the last day for sandwiches at the popular Fishtown spot will be Friday, October 23, with the shop's annual cheese sale scheduled for the next day.

>Farm Club has a busy September event slate, including a pair of “field social” celebrations on September 17 and 24, the annual Corn and Chile Roasting Festival on September 19, and the first-ever Green Door Folk School Field Dance on September 22.

>Fall CSA (community supported agriculture) sign-ups are now available from multiple top Leelanau County CSAs, including MI Farm Coop and 9 Bean Rows.

>Northport’s Leelanau UnCaged street festival, the county’s unofficial passing of the baton from summer to fall, is scheduled for Saturday, September 26.

>Leelanau Paddle Club (formally known as Paddle Courts of Leelanau) opened its new facility at Dune Bird Winery in Northport in July and is now prepping for an uptick in activity as fall arrives. Platform tennis is played on a raised court, with heaters below the ground that keep the playing surface free of snow and ice, allowing the game to be played outdoors even in the winter.

“I would say the primary seasons for platform tennis are the cooler weather months, so we're really trying to gear up for the fall,” says Leelanau Paddle Club board member Pam Kelley. “Viking, who is a big racket and ball supplier to the sport, wants to do a destination camp up here this fall, and we have some other pros downstate that want to come up and do the same thing. So, we’re expecting a busy fall. I think [this facility] will be a really good thing to have in the area, especially as some of the summer sports are no longer available.”