Silent Disco @ TCMMF

After recovering from the recent Traverse City Microbrew & Music Fest, we all had one thing on our minds:  the Silent Disco was awesome!   For those of you who have never attended one, a Silent Disco entails dancing to music which can only be heard through headphones.  So, dancers can hear the dj & the tunes, while bystanders can only hear the participants cheering and singing (usually… & comically) off-key :)  It’s quite a spectacle…in a good way.  Approaching the crowd, it just looks like a bunch of weirdos, randomly hanging around and gyrating to imaginary songs.  Once the headphones are donned, however, all of those weirdos become your comrades in a sort of private club! 

Anyway, my point is that we would love to host a Silent Disco here in The Mercato.  What do you think?  Would YOU participate?  I’m pretty sure that I can count on my Village People to get down.  I think I love the idea…

Orange on Blue

It’s official!  The Village is coming alive with the yellows, oranges and reds that we’ve come to expect during this time of year.  Whether you’re here to shop, dine, or make good use of our fabulous trail system, you’ll be in for an ocular treat.

Red Beauty

Take pictures…LOTS of pictures!  The brick buildings on campus, nestled in the colorful, seasonal backdrop, are quite stunning. 

Autumn @ LFC

No fall excursion to The Village would be complete without some hot cocoa, coffee, hard cider, or mulled wine from one of our fine purveyors of beverage.

Rainbow Ivy

Before long, however, the vibrant spectacle will give way to bare branches…the very reason we call this season fall.  Don’t fret!  You can still enjoy the crunching leaves underfoot, as you scuffle your way inside to warm yourself up :)

End of Autumn

Confection Perfection

Every once in a while I get a sweet craving…for something other than chocolate.  Sometimes I like to have a dessert with a rich, buttery crust.  An ooey, gooey, tart filling is a plus.  Ooh!  Don’t forget a heavy dusting of powdered sugar on top!  “What on Earth could satisfy these 2pm snack desires?” you ask.  The Underground Cheesecake Company’s Key Lime Bars could…and they did :)

Ahhh.  A perfect compliment to coffee, these little babies are about as good as it gets.  I wonder how well they go with Margaritas…

Yummy, Little Bites of Heaven

Spring is officially here, in The Village at Grand Traverse Commons.  The famous, yellow ”Cottage 20 Crocus” has come up through the cold earth, to let us know that we can start planning for warm weather!  It’s always exciting to see this little glimpse of color, when the snow begins to melt away. 

I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but it just reminds me of the fun we’ll have this summer…music on the Left Foot Charley patio, outdoor festivals galore, watching the community garden flourish, the Bocce Tournament & Frisbee on the Front Lawn.  Ahhhh.  I can’t wait!

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons & the Great Indoor Farmers Market present “You Art What you Eat” Edible Art Show on Saturday, March 6th during market hours, from 10am to 2pm in The Mercato. View displays of outrageously delicious art, made entirely of edibles, created by local farmers, Village merchants, artists, and chefs. Enter your silent-auction bids to take home select consumable artwork, and purchase tickets at $1 each to cast votes for Best in Category and Best of Show. ALL proceeds benefit local food banks.

From 11:00 to 1:00, Grand Traverse Pie Company presents “Kids Make & Take” Road Show in Suite 25. Children learn about local agriculture, while handcrafting their very own pie! Donations (optional) support our local foster youth. Also bid on a gigantic GTPC Pie, a 7-pie equivalent, and either take it home or we’ll happily bring it to our local Goodwill Inn! Great fun for the entire family!

All together, now.

You (all of you) are invited to The 2nd Annual Great Indoor Folk Festival…and best of all, IT’S FREE!

Last year’s fest was a ball…we had folks of all ages roaming The Mercato halls, listening, singing along, and dancing to the merry tunes.  It was quite a spectacle.  We are expecting tomorrow’s event to be even better; an additional stage has been added at Left Foot Charley, so more great musicians will be able to play.  60 musicians, to be exact.  The rest of the stages (Soloist, Duo, Band, Kids, & Open Mike) will be scattered all along The Mercato in Building 50.  Food & beverages will be available for purchase from Cuppa Joe, The Silvertree Deli, TASTES of Black Star Farms, Trattoria Stella, Sweet Asylum, Pleasanton Bakery, The Underground Cheesecake Co, Left Foot Charley, and Higher Grounds.  We will also be hosting “Hotdogs for Haiti,” which will benefit the people of Haiti (of course.)

So, for all of you with Cabin Fever, or just a hankering for some good, organic music, come on over to The Village this Saturday, 12-5:30pm.  It will be  fun, free, and family friendly :)

Facebook Event Page  -  Musician Schedule (See page 37)

Pac Choi, Bok Choy, & Pak Choi are all different spellings for the same vegetable. Whichever name you use, it's the ultimate green veggie for stir-fries.

Cooking Demos @ TASTES (11am & Noon)
Stop by TASTES of Black Star Farms, during the Farmers Market for free, farm-fresh cooking demonstrations!  Their visiting chef will be preparing a delectable dish using local ingredients, with a recipe to go.  Taste test the dish with a wine sample for $3.  231.944.1349

Come visit Kevin @ TASTES...he's always good for a story, and he can tell you exactly how they get those pears in the bottles.

Essential Oil & Aromatherapy Class (3-4pm)
Anna Sangemino from Creation Farm is offering a free class, to educate you in the use of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy.  Normally these free classes are held on Friday, but due to popular demand, Anna had decided to offer an encore presentation!  The topic:  Coping with the dryness of Winter heating, and comforting all your body’s systems during the dry, indoor winter season.  Class will be held in Suite 25 in The Mercato, by The Silvertree Deli.  231.352.9600

Lavender is one of the many essential oils for health & well being, that Creation Farm offers.

 See you in The Mercato!

Snowshoeing on the Village Lawn

Looking for something fun to do with the fam?  Something to rid you of that Cabin Fever?  Something FREE??? 

Come on over to our place!  We have a huge front lawn & a GIANT back yard (480 acres of preserved parkland), perfect for snowshoeing, hiking, skiing, sledding, snow sculpture building, dog walking, and more.  Plus, we’re right in town…closer than you think.

Man-made Mountains for Sledding

Occasionally, while hiking along Kid’s Creek, you can catch a glimpse of rabbits, woodpeckers and other birds, or even deer.  Our wildlife is pretty tame…Lucy the squirrel may even walk up and ask for a Payday.  (She’s a bit spoiled.)

Pileated Woodpeckers

After you’ve had your winter fun, you can warm up with a coffee or cocoa from Cuppa Joe or Higher Grounds, some vino at Left Foot Charley or TASTES of Black Star Farms, or some hot, homemade soup from The Silvertree Deli or Underground Cheesecake Company :)  Happy trails!

Initially, I couldn’t figure out what to write for the very first blog…was my mind that empty?  (Quit giggling.)  Then, it came to me!  (Eureka moment.)  Why don’t I just dive in?  That’s what Ray did, all those years ago, when he decided to renovate and rehabilitate an abandoned asylum.  Was he nuts?  Nope…it’s all coming together rather nicely, in fact!  If you’d like to check out our rebuilding progress, you can visit The Village Website, or just come on over :)

We’ve actually been meaning to start a blog for a while, now.  It seems, however, that no one person has the time to make it happen regularly.  So, I came up with a plan (I do that, from time to time.)  Our blog will be authored by several different “Village People,” instead of just one administrator.  By hearing from several guest bloggers, you will get a better idea of what Village life is really like.  You can expect to read about events, news/gossip, specials from Village merchants, tax incentives, and what’s happening on the construction front.  Stay tuned!