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Empire Winterfest

Name: Empire Winterfest
Start: 2026-02-21T09:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-02-21T19:00:00-05:00

February 21 @ 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

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The Empire Winterfest returns in 2026! Join us for a day of winter fun in Empire!

Schedule of Events

9am | Yoga at the Township Hall
11am | Ranger program at National Park Visitor’s Center, “Island Life: The Story of North Manitou Island”
11am-3pm | Book Sale at the Library
12:30-3pm | Saunas at the Empire Beach
1pm | Polar Plunge at the Empire Beach
2-5pm | Winter Activities at Grocer’s Daughter and Tiffany’s Cafe
2:30pm | Leelanau Conservancy Docent-led hike at Chippewa Run Register Here
5-7pm | Soup Potluck & Music from Charlie Arnett
Bring a soup, salad, or dessert to share. BYOB

All Winterfest activities are free to attend, and the event is sponsored by the Empire Area Community Center (EACC). A freewill offering will be taken during the potluck to support EACC’s general fund, which is invested back into the community through events like this one.

Empire
POLAR PLUNGE

1:00 PM | February 21 | Empire Beach

POTLUCK & LIVE MUSIC

Join us for a soup potluck at the Empire Township Hall from 5-7pm. Potluck attendees are invited to bring a salad, soup, or dessert to share.

Music will be provided by Charlie Arnett. Arnett is a singer/songwriter based in Traverse City. His repertoire is a mix of originals and feel-good covers from artists such as Cat Stevens, John Prine, James Taylor, and Jimmy Buffet. Charlie spent most of his career as a band and orchestra teacher in Brighton, Ann Arbor, and Harper Woods, Michigan, as well as in Estes Park, Colorado. He has also been active in church music ministry for many years. Charlie and his wife enjoy life at their home on the Leelanau Peninsula and their cottage in Port Austin. You can find Charlie’s music on his YouTube channel.