The National Cherry Festival is northern Michigan's most popular event. It turns Traverse City, a beach town of thirty thousand, into a thriving city of nearly one million. Begun almost a century ago, the festival started out as a small, neighborhood affair and grew into an international phenomenon that draws in visitors from all over the globe. Twist and pop a pit of Cherry Festival history with author and Traverse City native Brooks Vanderbush as he recounts the festival's growth and its queens and courts, governing bodies, past personalities and other memorable stories that have made it such an essential part of this vacation paradise.

More than 200 blue-ribbon winning homemade dishes from across the country. Americans love to celebrate and share their unique and delicious regional culinary specialties- from Maine lobsters to Gilroy garlic to Texas barbeque to Idaho mashed potatoes. Now, award- winning chef and food journalist James Fraioli has culled the best recipes from the finest food festivals across the United States to delight and inspire cooks everywhere of every level. The wide range of recipes included here are all simple to make, with basic, easy-to-find ingredients. Complete with photographs and featuring a delightful portrait of the festivals themselves, this one- of-a-kind cookbook is certain to satisfy food lovers.

Cradled in the East and West Arms of the Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City is nationally known as the Cherry Capital of the World, and locally known as a four-season playground with a rich agricultural heritage and a thriving, urban vitality. Since settlers first populated the area in the late 19th century, the Traverse City community has cherished and cultivated its natural resources, from the abundant fruit orchards and sparkling waters to the lumber and fuel industries that have provided economic growth. The city's pioneering spirit and strong sense of civic pride have only flourished with the passage of time. This book serves as a visual tour of Traverse City's history, exploring the community's agricultural, industrial, and social origins. Through a rare collection of vintage postcards, author C.S. Wright takes readers on an illustrated journey through the eras of development and influence that have contributed to Traverse City's distinctive culture and character.

Comprehensive, at-a-glance travel and activity guides to some of Michigan's best-known destinations