Hey TC

Hey, happy Tuesday.

Big week. The Bayshore Marathon is Saturday, Umbo just opened its doors on Front Street, and Memorial Day weekend is officially on deck. If you've been waiting for the moment when TC shifts from "spring is coming" to "summer is here," this is the week.

Here's your rundown.

This week in TC (May 20–25)

🏃 Bayshore Marathon, Half, 10K & Kids Run | Saturday, May 23 | 7:15am
This is the one. The 44th annual Bayshore Marathon kicks off Saturday morning from the NMC campus, with courses running along the shores of Grand Traverse Bay. Full marathon, half marathon, 10K, and a 1.2-mile kids fun run. All events are sold out, so if you're not running, show up and cheer. The course runs along East Bay on Center Road, which means you can post up anywhere along the waterfront with a coffee and watch a few thousand people do something you thought about doing but didn't sign up for in time. The half fills up in under five hours every December, so if you want in next year, set an alarm on December 1st. No, seriously.

Friday events include a shakeout run and yoga in the park if you want to get loose before race day.

bayshoremarathon.org

🦪 Umbo Is Open
This is the one everyone's been waiting for. Sarah Welch (Top Chef finalist) and Cameron Rolka have officially opened Umbo at 430 East Front Street. They're starting with lunch service, Friday through Monday, 11am to 3pm. Expect oysters, tinned fish, a lobster roll, a lunch prix fixe, and daily specials if Rolka is feeling frisky. They're still waiting on their liquor license, so dinner service will launch once the beverage program is ready. For now, expect tepache, amaro spritzes, bubbly stuff, and iced coffee.

Reservations are phone-only at 231-944-2797. Half the seats are held for walk-ins with an in-person waitlist. Go this week before the rest of town figures it out.

🧘 Beach Yoga & Mimosas at Grand Traverse Resort | Saturday, May 23, 10am
An all-levels yoga flow on the resort's private beach on East Grand Traverse Bay, followed by a mimosa. For club members and resort guests.

🛒 Sara Hardy Farmers Market | Saturday, 7:30am–12pm
Week four. The vendors are multiplying, the produce is starting to show up, and the energy is different now. Show up early. Lot B at Cass & Grandview.

Umbo, Sarah Welch, Cameron Rolka, and what happens when Detroit's best chefs move north

For two years, the question in TC food circles has been the same: "When is Umbo opening?"

The answer, as of last weekend, is now.

Cameron Rolka cut his teeth at 3-Michelin star Martin Berasategui in Spain before opening some of Detroit's most talked-about restaurants: Dime Store, Republic Tavern, Takoi, and Marrow. He then opened Mink, a 17-seat seafood restaurant in Corktown with a rotating oyster selection, a seafood tasting menu, and caviar service.

Sarah Welch is a founding partner at Marrow, which was a James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2019. She's been nominated four times for Best Chef in the Great Lakes and competed as a finalist on Top Chef: Houston. She trained at the International Culinary Center in New York after getting her business degree at Michigan State.

They left Detroit. They moved to Northern Michigan. And they spent over a year renovating the space at 430 East Front, hosting pop-ups around town (Little Fleet, Aurora Cellars, Charles & Reid), and building a following before ever turning the lights on.

Eater named Traverse City one of the top 15 food destinations in the world for 2026, and Umbo was one of the reasons why.

The lunch menu is up and running. Oysters, tinned fish, lobster rolls, a prix fixe, and whatever Cameron decides to cook that day.

Go now. While you can still walk in.

430 East Front Street. Friday–Monday, 11am–3pm. Phone reservations: 231-944-2797.

🎵 Live Music at Grand Traverse Resort | Friday, May 22, 7–9pm
Windy Ridge Boys at The Grille. Kick off Memorial Day weekend with live music and dinner overlooking the resort grounds.

🎵 Live Music at Mari Vineyards | Saturday, May 23
Christina Teresa plays live at Mari on Old Mission Peninsula. One of the most beautiful tasting rooms on the peninsula, with views of East Bay from the patio. Grab a glass and settle in.

🔊 DJ Mr. Markis at Turtle Creek Casino | Thursday & Friday, 8pm–midnight
Free. No cover. Dancing. If you need a Thursday or Friday night out that doesn't require a reservation, this is it.

TART Trail: Perfect. Twelve paved miles from TC to Acme. Your pre-Bayshore warmup or your post-Bayshore recovery walk.

VASA Singletrack: Riding great. Dry, fast, and the canopy is filling in. Check Trailforks but conditions have been solid all month.

Palmer Woods (Glen Arbor): 27 miles of mountain biking, 15 miles of hiking. Wildflowers are peaking. Download your maps. Cell service is nonexistent.

Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail: Twenty paved miles through the National Lakeshore. Empire to Glen Arbor. The ride of the summer. Do it this week before Memorial Day weekend brings the crowds.

Handpicked For You:

How did we get into this business?
Our names are Ben and Lillian Swan, and we're the husband and wife team behind RadPadz. We're Traverse City Natives and parents to three wonderful, energetic boys.

It was a picturesque beach day in August 2024. We were watching our sons play on our old foam mat, the one with the massive hole in it from someone jumping and putting a foot right through it. The boys affectionately called it the “monster hole,” but we knew it wasn’t safe and needed to be replaced ASAP.

As a mom, I knew my priorities when seeking a replacement: I wanted something I could fit in my car and manage by myself, something that would entertain the kids for hours while keeping them together in one spot, and something durable enough to last for many seasons.

Looking into our options sparked the excitement and wonder that became “RadPadz” which we came up with the name for that very same day. We had our concept: a durable, family-forward platform that could handle all the roughhousing while still looking great on the water and inspiring kids to imagine games and adventures through our designs. We wanted a pad that not only looked amazing, but also delivered incredible function and portability. It needed to store easily, and be small enough to pack in the car or boat. It also needed to fit everyone and be fun for all ages.

How did you build the brand?
Once we had the concept, we tapped into family and friends to learn what people really want when planning a day on the water. We kept hearing the same frustrations about foam mats, and it quickly became clear that families need solutions that are portable, durable, and genuinely joyful to use. We spent months researching and testing top-rated marine-grade materials, investing in several prototypes and iterations before finally developing our signature design, “The Cannonballer," our 6' x 12' by 6" rigid inflatable dock. It can hold 1,5000+ lbs and is a rigid, steady surface for all types of water. It has handles, attachment points, and inflates and deflates in minutes. It comes with a rope ladder, pump, carry bag, and repair kit. Simultaneously as we were locking in our product, we were building the brand itself, establishing our colors, designs, and overall identity to create something that felt exactly the way we wanted it to: rad, playful, effortless, and, ultimately, like summer memories in the making with your crew.

There's also the building of the website, locking in the top materials and manufacturer, learning to design ads and optimize SEO, building a presence of social media, and so much more. Having full autonomy throughout the process came with immense responsibility, but it was equally rewarding.Throughout the process, we continually came back to our ethos, asking ourselves: “Is this going to make beach and boat days more joyful, easier, and more accessible?” If the answer was no, it wasn’t for us or our community. 

We’re especially grateful to our graphic designer, Katie VanFarowe, also a Traverse City native, for her fantastic art and design work. Our catalogue of professional photography has been crucial for our online visibility and promotional materials, and we've been grateful to work with Traverse City photographer, Chelsea Erwin-Burns.

What's it like building a product-based business in Northern Michigan?
We’re incredibly lucky to be surrounded by water and outdoor enthusiasts who truly value joy and togetherness on the water. In many ways, RadPadz might not exist if we weren’t Traverse City natives. Through this business, we’ve connected with so many wonderful people and learned from entrepreneurs and creatives who paved the way before us. There’s a strong sense of community here, and that support has been a huge part of our journey. 

Speaking of community, here's a list of our current retail partners so you can check out RadPadz in person: Don Orr, The Dam Shop- Elk Rapids, Dewitt Marine- Torch Lake

We're also available online at www.RadPadzUSA.com.

Upcoming Events: The Dam Shop in Elk Rapids: Pop-Up Event Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-24, Bay Harbor Boat Show June 19-21

🦪 Umbo lunch is live. Friday–Monday, 11am–3pm. Go before dinner service launches and it becomes impossible to get in.

🍷 Colibri is coming. Chef Guillaume Hazaël-Massieux is opening his wine bar in the Commongrounds building on Eighth Street this month. Escargot, frites, charcuterie, an oyster bar, and wines from around the world with a focus on France. The hummingbird is back.

🏪 Obscura Jewelry & Curiosities opens May 30 at 441 East Front Street, offering uncommon gifts, distinctive home décor, handcrafted jewelry, and artisan-made items. From the same owners as Sanctuary Goods at The Village.

🍕 Two Sons Pizza is moving to Eighth Street and opening a second location in Grand Rapids. If you love their New York-style pies, they're not going anywhere. Just growing.

🏨 Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer. Book your restaurants now. The patios are open. The wineries are pouring. The trails are dry. The lake is almost warm enough. Maybe. For a cold plunge :)

This week’s Newsletter is brought to you by one of our founding partners Energize.

Energize Wellness & Physical Therapy is a wellness studio in the heart of downtown Traverse City, Michigan where concierge-level physical therapy and specialty fitness classes come together under one roof. Our mission is to create a seamless path to better movement, smarter body mechanics, and strength that lasts.

Founded by licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy Cassidy Klein, Energize was born from a simple belief: that physical therapy and fitness are stronger together. After years of working with active individuals in clinical and private wellness settings, Cassidy returned to her hometown of Traverse City with a vision for a space where recovery, prevention, and performance aren't separate destinations – they are the same journey. 

At Energize, every service is built around movement quality. Our one-on-one physical therapy sessions combine manual therapy, targeted corrective exercise, and full-body movement assessments to get you back to doing what you love. Our group fitness classes — spanning strength training, mat Pilates, strength-based yoga, and mobility — are designed for all levels, with an emphasis on safe technique and proper form so you can build confidence and capability for the long haul.

Physical therapy is now open and accepting new clients. Group fitness classes launch June 1st. Book at energizetc.com and follow along at @energizetc on Instagram and Facebook.

Diversions:

The best reads we came across this week. Not all local. All worth your time.

The Meadow Cabin
Entire home in the Heart of Leelanau County⮡ Sleeps 6
2 main-floor bedrooms w/ King beds
1 second-story loft bedroom w/ Queen bed
2 full bathrooms w/ heated floors

If you're hosting guests this summer: Parcel

If someone asks you "where should we stay when we visit?" and you want to give them an answer that makes you look like you know something they don't, send them to Parcel.

Two Scandinavian-inspired cabins on a 7-acre property in Leelanau, just outside TC. The Meadow Cabin sleeps six and was designed around a big kitchen and dining space for gathering. The Forest Cabin sleeps four and was built as a creative retreat with soft northern light.

A concrete block sauna is tucked into the woods. A boardwalk leads to a secluded waterfront on Little Traverse Lake. There's an outdoor kitchen with a monolithic fireplace and built-in parilla grill. Every detail, from the Noguchi pendants to the Durat countertops, was chosen by a group of designer friends who built this as a passion project.

This isn't a hotel. It's the kind of place where you slow down, cook a meal with people you love, and remember why you came up north in the first place.

parcelfriends.co

See you on the Bay

We're ready for those gorgeous Lake Michigan summer days.

Photo: @Radpadzuse

Peninsula Run Company is a founding sponsor of Hey TC.

Peninsula Run Company offers guided tours led by seasoned locals passionate about sharing the beauty of the region. From scenic lakeshore routes to hidden trails and local favorites, this is more than just a run; it is a way to experience the region like a local.  Book a tour at peninsularuncompany.com