Cherryland

Growing up, Traverse City always felt like a magical place to visit. Now that I live here, I’ve realized that the magic isn’t just in the beaches or summer sunsets, it’s in the town’s obsession with cherries. Everything is cherry-themed here: restaurants serve cherry sauces, local ice shops sell cherry scoops, wineries pour cherry-flavored wine, the local baseball team is named the Pit Spitters, and even the airport is named Cherry Capital. Cherries aren’t just a crop; they’ve become the identity of the town, woven into its economy and culture. The National Cherry Festival each June-July takes that to its peak, drawing nearly half a million visitors for a week of parades, fireworks, concerts, and, of course, more cherry-themed everything. Locals may roll their eyes at the crowds, but I see it as a privilege to live in a place that embraces something so wholeheartedly, where an entire town has turned a fruit into a way of life.

This project is currently a work in progress!