July is one of the busiest months in St. Joe when you are thinking of arts and music and entertainment. Starting with the July 4th fireworks on the beach (along with the symphony on the beach), the next weekend is the Krasl Art Fair and the Smooth Jazz at Sunset Concert down on Silver Beach, and finally, Venetian Festival the following week.

Today, I want to talk about the weekend of Krasl Art Fair and the evening jazz concert. Krasl Art Fair is one of the top juried art fairs in the country. Sited on the bluff downtown, overlooking Lake Michigan, people flock for the 2-day event. It is a time for buying unique artwork, eating lots of wonderful food, and bumping into all of your friends as they shop and munch. Here is the website for your review. Every year we buy a special piece of art and have made friends with the artists who have sold to us. Some come back each year and we look forward to catching up on their lives and seeing what new things they have brought. One of my favorite is Reza Pishgahi, who is a contemporary sculpture and does beautiful things with glass and iron. His website is www.pishgahi.com. & if you look closely, you will see a large sculpture that is now in my backyard.

But, after the hot sun and a full day of walking, one of the most anticipated concerts of the summer is the Smooth Jazz at Sunset. Last year, the weather was perfect and as the sun set over the lake, the musicians were so moved by the surroundings they tore into their song and then stopped the concert to talk about the sunset, the water, and why this is their favorite place to play. This year, the special guest opener is Bryan Lubeck and Acoustic Vineyard. The guest artist is trumpeter Rick Braun. Here is the webiste for the concert www.smoothjazzatsunset.com; take a look for ticket information, etc. Tickets are a remarkably inexpensive $20 for reserved seating and $15 for lawn seating. We have always done reserved, but this year I am doing lawn so we can take our blankets and lay back and close our eyes instead of sitting upright in a chair….not as close to the stage, but I am feeling the kickback mode more than the sit-up-straight evening. There is available for purchase, food and beverages. You can also purchase a picnic table and seating for 10 for $300 and tickets are available on line at their website or by phone. No matter where you sit, I guarantee, this is one of the most pleasurable events of the year!

Posted By: Linda Folk

One of the greatest things about this corridor along Lake Michigan is the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables. Restaurant owners from Chicago discovered our orchards and farms years ago, and those of us lucky enough to live here eagerly await the fruit season so we can grace our own tables with fruit that is fresh, sweet, and very reasonably priced.

My great-grandpa was a very large fruit farmer here and when I was little. It was a big event if Grandpa Bort would let us ride on the back of the trailer with his workers and pick whichever fruit was in season. I loved picking strawberries, except for the daddy-longlegs, and if I remember correctly, more went into my mouth than my container….but we always had enough for that pie when we got home and the memories that still linger today.

If you are in the mood to make your own memories, here is a list of farm markets where you can go get fresh berries and I guarantee, if you have never had fresh picked fruit, you will be in for the delight of the summer! Call them for complete directions, all are in or near St. Joseph/Benton Harbor.

• Ashman Farm, U-Pick, 269/925-8079 or 313-7270, bring your own container.
• Krohne’s Last Stand, 269/424-5423
• Piggott’s Farm Market, strawberries plus perennials, potted lilies, 269/876-9269
• Foster Strawberries, open 7 days, 269/876-7709 or 621-3789, or 782-7507
• U-Pick Strawberries, beginning June 12th, 269/429-5757 or 845-1879

Click Here for a handy website that shares tips on keeping berries fresh, recipes, and just about any strawberry trivia you may wish to learn.

Think about Father’s Day Weekend: you could come to St. Joseph for the WWII Re-Enactment and then catch a Scooter Joe scooter and scoot over to a strawberry field to u-pick!

Enjoy and keep watching for more local updates.

Posted By: Linda Folk

Boy, oh boy, St. Joe just gets better and better with all the activities and stores that are starting up for summer. Just last Friday, Joe Allen opened his scooter rental business, aptly named Scooter Joe’s Scooter Rentals & Fun. Located right downtown, at 213 State Street, Joe has a fleet of 2009 gasoline-driven scooters available for rent at extremely reasonable prices. He is flexible in his packages, allowing you to tailor your rental anywhere from a $45 dollar/4 hour package to renting for the week or anything in between. I called him Sunday morning and had a nice chat about the area and what he is offering to “locals” and tourists and promptly reserved 3 scooters for Father’s Day (remember, that is also the Lest We Forget WWII Re-enactment weekend) and told the boys in my house to be prepared for a great Father’s Day adventure.

Rental includes a full tank of gas, free use of a safety helmet and a wheel lock. You must be 19 or older to rent and if you are under 21, you must have a points-free driving record. Check out his website above for more details or call him at 269/408-8133. Reserve early, I think this is going to be a popular venue….and tell him I told you to call!

Posted By: Linda Folk

Grab your lawn chairs and shades and head to Bridgman, MI for another toast to Weko Beach! Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival at Weko Beach is June 20th starting at 1:00p.m. to 10:00p.m. Live music will add to the festivities. Relax all day and stay to watch the sunset over one of Lake Michigan’s finest beaches, Weko Beach. Award-winning Michigan wines will be for sale.

For more information, Click Here.

This is a blast to go to, and a great way to kick off summer! I hope you enjoy it too!

Posted by:Sharon Murphy

When people think of SW Michigan and the summer months, typically the first things that pop into mind are beautiful sunsets, fabulous beaches, lazy days on the water, art fairs, and ice cream sundaes on Lake Boulevard while watching the world go by in its summer finery.

Last summer, St. Joe had an opportunity to host a WW II re-enactment done by the Lest We Forget group of Veterans. It was a several day event with beach invasions and air battles. The town was overflowing with people from all walks of life and in all stages of life, celebrating a common theme….our freedom and what the previous generation sacrificed for our country and the world. Grandparents walked with grandchildren and great grandchildren and I overheard story after story as they shared their lives with friends and family while sitting in the park or eating dinner downtown. From my house on the bluff, I could watch the WW II airplanes and the ships and the soldiers as they re-enacted the Normandy D-Day Landing and other battles down on the beach. What an opportunity to talk to my teenager about the grandpa he never met and what he did to serve in World War II and his other grandpas who served so proudly and passed those stories onto him before they also died.

It is my pleasure to be able to share with people that this year we we are having a 3-day event this June 19th - 21st, Father’s Day Weekend. The Lest We Forget organization and the City of St. Joe have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours planning an event that will be unforgettable and humbling. To read all about it, and to check the itinerary, click here, so you can plan now to make it a weekend event for the whole gang.

P.S. It is Father’s Day Weekend so after you take in all the activities, be sure to treat dad to a perfect way of finishing the perfect weekend….ice cream at South Bend Chocolate or Kilwin’s. While you are at South Bend Chocolate, be sure to check out my wonderful Real Estate Window where you can check out all of my local listings in this little piece of Heaven.

See you there!

Posted By: Linda Folk

Wow, summer is kicking off with a renewed spurt of interest in properties located in fabulous SW Michigan.One of the first questions new buyers ask is “what will my taxes be?”. If you are new to the Michigan tax structure, let me forewarn you about the fact that anyone owning a 2nd home in Michigan is subjected to a higher property tax rate referred to as “non-homestead”. Click the graph to the right to see all the homestead and non-homestead rates for the townships and cities in this corner of Michigan. As always, consult your Realtor for more specific information on how to apply these rates to a specific home you are interested in purchasing. Taxes become complex on this side of the Lake and your Realtor will know how to assist in obtaining the very best guess answer to future taxes.

Posted By: Linda Folk

Getting away in your own backyard can prove to be inexpensive and very relaxing. Outdoor space can be turned into your own personal backyard oasis by adding simple pleasures like potted and hanging plants, candlelight, solar powered lighting made especially for outdoors, comfy lawn furniture scattered with colorful pillows, and don’t forget the hammock!

This listed home has a hidden and secluded backyard. It sits atop a wooded dune in Bridgman. Mature hardwoods surround the home making the multiple decks and patio a backyard oasis to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. So relax, read or write that great american novel, meditate, barbecue and enjoy time with family. Who knows, you might just see the occasional deer or fox meander through the yard.

Also, this vacant land listing has the same topography. It’s located in Bridgman’s Woodland Shores on Concetta Drive and tucked away in the wooded dunes.

Posted by:Sharon Murphy

Hopefully, you have had the opportunity to take your first leisurely drive this spring with the windows down and the wind in your hair. It’s one of my favorite things to do in the spring while enjoying the colorful blossoms and aroma of freshly cut grass. While most home owners are dragging out their lawn mowers for the season, there are some yards that just need a fresh layer of mulch spread. You can find that low maintenance yard up in the wooded dunes! With the natural surroundings of the densely wooded dunes there is no need to spend your time mowing the lawn every week. You can spend your precious time relaxing on a sandy beach or driving around Harbor Country’s wine trail.

Here’s a home that is unattached from a lawn mower! Check out this REDUCED listing in Bridgman. It’s situated on over two acres of wooded dunes unimpeded by growing grass. This craftsman-style, four bedroom, four bath home has multiple decks to enjoy all of the nature that abounds. It has all the necessities of graceful living and is minutes from Weko Beach and Warren Dunes and less than 90 minutes from Chicago.

http://www.9419dunewood.rubloff.com/

Also, check out this vacant lot in Bridgman’s Woodland Shores situated on almost an acre of wooded dune with association beach access! Gorgeous!

http://www.concetta.rubloff.com

And if you still need that aroma fix of freshly cut grass-take the leisurely drive!

Sharon

Posted By: Sharon Murphy