Editor’s note: This article was published in Grand Traverse Scene magazine’s Fall 2025 issue. Pick up a free copy at area hotels, visitor’s centers, chambers of commerce or at the Record-Eagle building on Front Street. Click here to read GT Scene in its entirety online.
When I think about northern Michigan and how fantastic it is to live up here, my mind goes well past the phenomenal summer months.
We’re all a little disappointed when summer ends, but are we really? I ask, because the fall season and all its luster is an exciting time for our quaint towns.
“For us it’s a great little bridge between summer and winter when ski season starts for our three ski resorts (in the Little Traverse Bay area), so we see fall as another extension of summer now,” Nikk Devitt, president and CEO of the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce told me. “After summer, we’re a thriving, strong year-round community that’s an economic hub of the entire county.”
That rings true for all our northern Michigan communities. Restaurant workers view the fall color season as the last chance for big cash before our snowy winter months hit, retailers cater to the cooler weather by offering warm and cozy gear and outdoor activities include color tours and a fantastic list of Halloween happenings.
Local farmers markets start selling their delicious squashes, root vegetables and leafy greens. Carved pumpkins make their way to our front porches and comforting fall spices fill the air of our kitchens.
As Devitt noted, fall is indeed a wonderful continuation of our summer months.
In this edition of the Grand Traverse Scene magazine, we take you to the Petoskey and Harbor Springs area, highlighting fun activities to enjoy through October.
I found out that Harbor Springs has a skeleton tour around Halloween, called the Skelotour. Throughout October, there are more than 100 skeletons that are decorated throughout the area, and I’ve definitely added it to my list of things to do this fall.
This magazine also outlines two farmers markets that cater to the fall-loving foodies and also takes you down to Ludington, spotlighting an amazing alpaca farm that sells cold-season gear as we prepare for winter.
“Alpaca fiber is softer than cashmere and warmer than wool,” Kristin Nelson told our reporter Sally Barber. Kristin co-owns Crystal Lake Alpaca Farm with husband Stephan. “Once you start wearing alpaca, it’s hard to wear anything else.”
If you’re looking for a good laugh, look no further than Christopher Smith’s essay on Halloween. When I edit his work, I find myself laughing so hard that I’m afraid I’ll spit my coffee onto my computer screen, which is why I just don’t drink it when I edit his stuff.
And I invite you to enjoy our in-depth cover story about a fourth-generation horse show jumper. The article outlines how well the horses are treated by riders and all those who put so much work into the Traverse City Horse Shows.
I truly hope you enjoy this magazine as much as you enjoy the fall season up north.