In spite of recently enacted restrictions that have chased some events and festivals out of downtown Traverse City's Open Space, local event organizers are continuing to explore creative uses for other community parks and venues. The Ticker has a sneak preview of three high-profile events planned for later this year that prove that while the area's event scene may have hit a road bump, it shows no signs of slowing down.

The Boardman Open
With open-water events including June's Paddle Across West Bay and the upcoming Power Island Rapa Nui paddle run on August 2 already under his belt, RaceTC founder Daniel Novak is ready to take on the rapids at the Boardman Open on Saturday, August 30 from 8-11am.

The inaugural paddle race at the Brown Bridge Quiet Area – in which participants can compete using kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards – will feature a 5-mile course for recreational paddlers and amateurs and a 16-mile course for more serious competitors along the Boardman River. Both courses launch at Scheck's Landing; the shorter route will end at the former Boardman Brown Bridge Dam Landing, while the longer route will stretch to Beitner Landing.

“The dam removal has created a pretty good stretch of water,” says Novak of the course, noting in his permit application that the race will “be conducted with maximum respect for nature” as well as general public users of the Boardman. “It's amazing how fast the river is recovering.”

A nonprofit organization itself, RaceTC will donate a portion of every entry fee to the Grand Traverse Conservation District. Event registration and pricing will be posted on RaceTC's website as soon as final permits are issued (see below).

Traverse City Glow Run
As community leaders ponder the future of Hickory Hills, a new family event could help highlight some potential community uses for the city-owned park.

The Traverse City Glow Run – hosted by Troy Daily of Create TC – is a planned 5K nighttime family run and one-mile kids run through Hickory Meadows on Saturday, September 27 from 4-10pm. Participants are encouraged to “get out the glow sticks and neon” for a course featuring “multiple glow zones” courtesy of LED lighting, black lights and strobes. The event will feature live music, non-alcoholic refreshments and family-friendly entertainment, including possible face painting, glow-in-the-dark disc golf and a kids movie screening on the lawn.

“The race is less about how fast you run and more about enjoying the music, dancing and having fun with your friends and family,” according to Daily. A portion of ticket sales from the event will benefit Hickory Hills.

City Clerk Benjamin Marentette – whose office is reviewing the Boardman Open and TC Glow Run applications – says both events have gone through the city's event planning team and “no concerns have been raised.” City staff are allowed to issue high-impact event permits without commission approval if the event is under three days (unless a commissioner specifically requests the event be added to a commission agenda, which hasn't occurred for these events). Barring any last-minute issues, both events will likely receive permits within a week, according to Marentette.

River's End Block Party
An annual pig roast hosted by The Cooks' House to benefit Traverse Health Clinic will get a major upgrade this year as the restaurant partners with The Little Fleet and Front Street Tattoo to host a community block party on Wellington Street on Saturday, September 27 from 1-9pm.

Jennifer Blakeslee of The Cooks' House – who says the East Front Street business owners have playfully coined the term River's End to describe their block – says her restaurant is planning on acquiring two 250-pound pigs for the event for an estimated 500 attendees. Several other local eateries will help prepare dishes for the event, including The Franklin, Stella Trattoria, Georgina's, Harvest and Siren Hall.

The River's End Block Party, which has received permission to close off Wellington Street between The Cooks' House alley and Front Street for the event, will also feature a morning motorcycle ride across Old Mission Peninsula, a tug-of-war competition between local businesses, New Holland Brewery pours and a live music lineup that includes New York's The London Souls and Nashville's Bobby Emmett.

Tickets for the event are on sale now online and are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and $30 for a motorcycle ride package.