Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce

09/01/2026

☕🍂 ONE LAST CUP BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE TO SUMMER! 🍂☕

Tomorrow morning, Wednesday, September 2 from 7:30–8:30 AM, we’re wrapping up our summer season of Coffee & Connect at the Washington Park Gazebo—and this one is for our members AND our future members! ❤️

Have you ever wondered…

☕ What exactly do I get with a Chamber membership?
📣 How can the Chamber help more people discover my business or organization?
🤝 How do I get more connected in the community?
📅 How can I promote my events, milestones and news?
💡 Am I really taking advantage of everything my membership offers?

Come have coffee with us and find out!

This week we’re focusing on Making Your Member Benefits Work for YOU.

Current members—fall is the perfect time for a little reset! Stop by, grab a pastry and a cup of coffee, bring your questions, and let’s make sure you’re getting the most value possible from your membership.

Not a member yet? Even better—come see what we’re all about! 👋

No sales pitch. No formal presentation. Just coffee, conversation and an opportunity to meet some of the people and businesses that make up our Chamber community. Ask questions, learn about membership and see firsthand what being connected can look like.

❤️ And to everyone who joined us for Coffee & Connect this summer—THANK YOU! You helped turn a simple idea of coffee in the gazebo into a place for conversations, connections, ideas and new relationships.

Tomorrow is our final Coffee & Connect of the 2026 summer season, but the connecting doesn’t stop here! Watch for more opportunities from our Membership Committee throughout the fall, winter and spring before we bring Coffee & Connect back to the gazebo next summer. ☀️☕

📍 Washington Park Gazebo
📅 Wednesday, September 2
⏰ 7:30–8:30 AM
☕ Coffee + pastries + connections
🍂 Everyone interested in learning more about the Chamber is welcome!

👇 LET’S HEAR FROM YOU!

MEMBERS: What’s one Chamber benefit, connection or opportunity that has helped your business?

FUTURE MEMBERS: What’s ONE thing you’d like to know about Chamber membership?

Drop it in the comments—or better yet, come ask us over coffee tomorrow morning. ☕❤️

Because Chamber membership isn’t just about joining an organization.

It’s about joining a community.

09/01/2026

08/31/2026

🌉❤️ OUR BRIDGE MAY BE SMALL…BUT CHEBOYGAN’S COMMUNITY SPIRIT IS MIGHTY! ❤️🌉

Only in Cheboygan can walking across a tiny bridge become one of our favorite Labor Day traditions. 😂❤️

We caught up with Tricia Dieter, Chair of the Downtown Cheboygan State Street Bridge Walk, to talk about a milestone worth celebrating — the 25th Annual State Street Bridge Walk! 🎉

What began 25 years ago as a little tongue-in-cheek nod to Michigan’s MUCH bigger Labor Day tradition — the Mackinac Bridge Walk — has turned into something wonderfully and uniquely Cheboygan.

Because really…why should the Mighty Mac have all the fun? 😉

The Mackinac Bridge Walk has been a Michigan Labor Day tradition since 1958, bringing thousands of people together to cross five miles of the Mighty Mac each year.

Here in Cheboygan?

We decided we could do a bridge walk, too. Ours is just a little shorter. 😂

And the bridge itself has quite a story! The State Street Bridge — officially the Cheboygan Bascule Bridge — was built in 1940, carries US-23 over the Cheboygan River, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For 25 years, our community has celebrated it in the best possible way: hundreds of neighbors, families, friends and visitors walking across it together.

No athletic training required. 😉
No five-mile trek.
No registration.
No entry fee.

Just show up and WALK! ❤️

📅 LABOR DAY — MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
⏰ 12:15 PM
📍 State Street Bridge
🎉 Ending at Festival Square in the heart of downtown Cheboygan
💲 FREE COMMUNITY EVENT — NO REGISTRATION!

Bring the kids. Bring Grandma and Grandpa. Bring your neighbors. Bring your out-of-town guests. Bring that friend who keeps saying there’s “nothing going on.” 😉

And if you’re visiting Northern Michigan for Labor Day weekend, come experience small-town Michigan at its very best.

There’s something pretty special about hundreds of people gathering together to walk one very small bridge simply because, 25 years ago, somebody thought it would be fun.

And somehow…that fun little idea became a tradition. ❤️

🌉 Small bridge. BIG heart. 25 years of Cheboygan tradition.

👇 TAG the people you’re walking with this year!

And tell us in the comments: Have you ever participated in the State Street Bridge Walk? What year was your first?

Thank you to Cheboygan Main Street DDA, Tricia Dieter and all of the volunteers who continue creating the traditions and experiences that make our downtown — and our community — such a wonderful place to call home and visit.

We’ll see you on the bridge! ❤️🌉

To learn more about Downtown Cheboygan, the Cheboygan DDA or the MainStreet Program…contact Executive Director Polly Dontz Schneider

08/28/2026

🐾❤️ Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce CHAMBER CHAT | Shop for a Cause! ❤️🐾

There are garage sales…and then there is the Cheboygan County Humane Society- CCHS MEGA Annual Garage Sale! 🛍️🐶🐱

We recently sat down for a Chamber Chat with Michelle Reed, the new Director of the Cheboygan County Humane Society, to talk about this much-loved annual fundraiser and the important work happening every day for animals in need throughout our community.

📅 TODAY, Friday, August 28 & Saturday, August 29
⏰ 10 AM – 5 PM each day
📍 Cheboygan County Fairgrounds

Come ready to treasure hunt! You never know what you’re going to find — and the very best part is knowing that your purchases are helping support the animals cared for by the Humane Society. ❤️

The Cheboygan County Humane Society has been serving our community since 1972, working to provide rescue, shelter, food and medical care for lost, stray, injured and abandoned animals while helping adoptable pets find loving homes. They also provide animal control services and humane education throughout Cheboygan County.

That means every bargain you find this weekend helps support a mission that has been caring for animals in our community for more than 50 years. 🐾

Can’t make it to the sale but still want to help? Donations are always welcome, and as the Humane Society says, what is raised here is used here to support local animal welfare.

❤️ Shop the sale.
❤️ Find a treasure.
❤️ Help a pet.
❤️ Support an organization doing wonderful work right here at home.

And please join us in welcoming Michelle Reed to her new role! We enjoyed visiting with her and learning more about what’s ahead for the Humane Society.

👉 Learn more about the sale or support the Cheboygan County Humane Society online:
https://www.cheboyganhumanesociety.org/

Watch our Chamber Chat with Michelle, then SHARE this post and tag your favorite garage-sale-shopping partner! 🛍️🐾

08/27/2026

🥩 CHEBOYGAN… WHO’S READY TO WIN SOME BEEF?! 🥩

On this edition of Cheboygan Chamber Chat, I sat down with Rotarian Dwayne LaPointe to talk about one of our community’s favorite new fundraisers, Cheboygan Rotary Club Beef Raffle!

🎟️ Tickets are on sale NOW, but don’t wait!
Once they’re gone, they’re gone, and this is one raffle you definitely don’t want to miss!

Take a few minutes to watch our Chamber Chat with Dwayne, learn more about the raffle and the great work Cheboygan Rotary does right here in our community and then grab your tickets before we SELL OUT!

🥩 Win beef. Stock your family’s freezer!
❤️ Support Rotary.
🏡 Give back to Cheboygan.
Profits go directly back into the community through their generous annual scholarship program and other positive works like community projects, dam flooding recovery & victim relief and support, etc etc

That sounds like a pretty great combination to us!

👇 Who needs a ticket?
Tag your friends, your family, your neighbors …or that person who is ALWAYS firing up the grill and help us spread the word!

I have only 5 of my tickets left!
Text 231-445-0318 to claim
Any of those or reach out to your favorite Rotarian!

Already have yours? Drop a 🥩 in the comments!

Special Thank you for Windy Acres Dwayne and I stopped by their beautiful farm and they allowed us to utilize their farm and steer as the perfect backdrop for the day.
They have the most beautiful variety of chickens and ducks and you can check Rachel out each Saturday at the Cheboygan Farmers Market.
Stop by and tell her we sent you!🤗

And a big thank you to Dwayne LaPointe for joining us for Chamber Chat and to the Cheboygan Rotary Club for everything they continue to do for our community.

🎟️ GET YOUR TICKETS BEFORE THEY’RE GONE!

08/27/2026

🌸 OPENING TOMORROW 🌸

“Steel Magnolias” at the Cheboygan Opera House opens tomorrow!

Celebrate friendship and all of life’s ups and downs this weekend with this talented cast of actresses 💖

📅 PERFORMANCES
Friday, August 28 at 7:30pm
Saturday, August 29 at 7:30pm
Sunday, August 30 at 2pm

Tickets ($10-$25) are available at the door or online at the link in comments.

08/26/2026

🎭🌸 MEET THE DIRECTOR | LAWSON MANN 🌸🎭

There is something pretty special about watching a story come to life on stage — but before the lights go down and the curtain goes up, there are countless hours of creativity, rehearsals, collaboration and heart happening behind the scenes.

Today, we’re introducing you to Lawson Mann, director of Northland Players’ production of Steel Magnolias!

Take a few minutes to meet Lawson, hear about this production, and get a glimpse into what audiences can expect when six unforgettable women take over Truvy’s beauty salon on the stage of our beautiful Cheboygan Opera House this weekend. 🌸

And while we’re celebrating this production, it’s worth remembering just how much community theater is woven into the story of Cheboygan.

Northland Players Inc was organized as a nonprofit community theater in 1971 — more than 50 years ago — with a mission to foster and encourage drama, music, dance and an appreciation for the performing arts throughout Cheboygan County and the surrounding area. (Cheboygan Main Street⁠)

Think about that for a minute. ❤️

For generations, local actors, directors, musicians, set builders, costumers, volunteers and countless others have given their time and talents so that live theater can continue to thrive right here in our hometown.

And what a place they have to perform!

Our historic Cheboygan Opera House — the “Jewel of the North” — traces its beginnings all the way back to 1877. After fires and rebuilding in 1888 and 1903, the beautifully restored Victorian theater reopened in 1984 and today remains one of Northern Michigan’s true cultural treasures. (The Cheboygan Opera House⁠)

If you haven’t experienced a live performance there, Steel Magnolias is a wonderful reason to change that.

This beloved story takes us inside a small-town Louisiana beauty salon and into the lives and friendships of six very different women. There’s humor, sass, strength, heartbreak and, ultimately, the reminder that sometimes the people sitting beside us through life’s ordinary moments are the ones who carry us through the extraordinary ones. (WCMU⁠)

🌸 NORTHLAND PLAYERS PRESENTS: STEEL MAGNOLIAS 🌸

🎭 Friday, August 28 | 7:30 PM
🎭 Saturday, August 29 | 7:30 PM
🎭 Sunday, August 30 | 2:00 PM

🎟️ Tickets are $15–$25 and can be purchased through the Cheboygan Opera House. The Box Office is located at 403 N. Huron Street and is open Tuesday–Friday from noon–4 PM and three hours before showtime. You can also call 231-627-5841. (The Cheboygan Opera House⁠)

Purchase Steel Magnolias tickets through the Cheboygan Opera House⁠

Make it a girls’ night out, date night, mother-daughter afternoon or family outing. Come downtown, enjoy dinner, step inside one of Cheboygan’s most beautiful historic treasures and support the people who continue to make the arts an important part of our community.

👏 Congratulations to Lawson Mann, the cast, crew and everyone at Northland Players who has poured their time and talent into bringing this iconic story to our stage.

Now we want to hear from YOU! 👇

Have you ever performed in — or attended — a Northland Players production over the years? What show do you remember most? Share your memories in the comments! ❤️🎭

And then grab your tickets, because this weekend the salon is OPEN at the Cheboygan Opera House! 🌸✂️

08/26/2026

Our former USCG morale officer, Zoe Cousineau, has been reassigned and is getting settled into her new post.

She’s already sent Cheboygan a post card.

We embrace our Cheboygan Coast Guard residents and they each have a special place in our hearts.

This one certainly touched the community in a special way and we will surely miss her!

Good Luck Zoe!!!

08/26/2026

🌸 Rest in peace to this steel magnolia. 🌸

Dolly Parton played the vivacious and deeply loyal Truvy Jones in the 1989 film, ‘Steel Magnolias.’ Inspired by the deep emotional resilience, gentle exterior, and fierce inner strength of the women portrayed in the film, Parton wrote the song “Eagle When She Flies,” which includes the lyric: “Gentle as the sweet magnolia, strong as steel, her faith and pride.”

The Cheboygan Opera House will be home to Truvy’s salon this weekend, as an incredible cast of Northland Players’ actresses perform the play, “Steel Magnolias”.

More info at the link in comments 🌸

08/26/2026

🌸 “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” 🌸

There are some stories that simply stay with us…and Steel Magnolias is one of them. ❤️

This weekend, Northland Players brings this beloved story to life on the stage of our beautiful Cheboygan Opera House — and after seeing just a few glimpses of this production, I can tell you…this is one you are going to want to see.

For so many of us, Steel Magnolias takes us right back to the iconic 1989 movie — six unforgettable women, a beauty shop, plenty of laughter, a few tears, and a story about friendship, family, strength and showing up for one another.

And this week, that nostalgia feels a little more meaningful.

With the passing of the incomparable Dolly Parton yesterday, it’s hard not to think back to her unforgettable portrayal of Truvy — big hair, bigger personality and that unmistakable Dolly warmth. 💕✨ What a beautiful weekend to revisit a story she helped make so memorable and celebrate, in our own small way, the laughter, heart and joy she brought to generations.

And the best part? You don’t have to travel to a big city to experience wonderful live theater. It is happening right here in Cheboygan.

🎭 Northland Players presents STEEL MAGNOLIAS
📍 Cheboygan Opera House
🗓 Friday, August 28 — 7:30 PM
🗓 Saturday, August 29 — 7:30 PM
🗓 Sunday, August 30 — 2:00 PM

Make it a girls’ night out. 👯‍♀️
Make it a date night. ❤️
Bring your mom, your daughter, your sister or your best friend.
Or simply come spend an evening supporting the talented people who continue to keep live community theater alive in Cheboygan.

And if you have never experienced a performance inside the Cheboygan Opera House, you are missing one of our community’s treasures. The history, architecture and intimacy of this beautiful venue make it such a special place to experience live theater. There really is something magical about settling into your seat as the lights go down and watching people from our own community bring a story to life just a few feet away.

Supporting productions like this means supporting Northland Players, local performers, volunteers, the arts and the continued vibrancy of our downtown and community. ❤️

So grab your people, grab your tickets and spend a little time in Truvy’s beauty shop this weekend.

And in honor of Dolly…maybe add a little extra hair spray before you head out. 😉💕✨

🎟️ Tickets are available through the Cheboygan Opera House.
Stop by the Box office
Or online at:

https://ci.ovationtix.com/36618/production/1274415

Who are you bringing with you? Tag your Steel Magnolias crew below! 👇🌸