Sauna Festival Proposed for Clinch Park, Name Eyed for Slabtown Creek

Traverse City Parks and Recreation commissioners will review an application Thursday for a new festival proposed to be held in Clinch Park. The inaugural Michigan Sauna Fest is planned to take place February 28-March 2 and will offer attendees the chance to experience at least 10 different saunas, music, yard games, educational events, and more. Parks and Recreation commissioners Thursday will also consider a proposal to recognize an unnamed creek in Slabtown, which residents often refer to as Willow Creek.

Michigan Sauna Fest
Two local sauna operators – Nick Olson of Hearth Sauna and Vlad Borza of Sleeping Bear Saunas – are partnering to bring a new event called the Michigan Sauna Fest to Traverse City February 28-March 2.

“Across the United States, sauna culture has become widespread over the past few years and largely embraced in the public domain,” the duo wrote in their permit application to use Clinch Park. “Several states already host wintertime sauna festivals, although (lower) Michigan is yet to be there. Over a three-day weekend, we will bring public mobile saunas from around Michigan up to Traverse City so that visitors can experience the beautiful variety of experiences.”

Olson and Borza are proposing to enclose the east parking lot of Clinch Park (north of the boat ramp) as a stationing area for the saunas. A second area closer to the beach would house sauna-related vendors, a stage for lectures, enclosed fire pits, and music. That setup will offer parking both on-site and across Grandview Parkway (with Clinch Park accessible by tunnel) and allow organizers to “host the event without closing down any roads or disturbing other public spaces,” they wrote.

A community cold plunge is planned for Saturday and Sunday mornings, with free public activities offered throughout the day. Access to the mobile saunas will be available in 90-minute session blocks for $20. Olson and Borza noted that standard commercial sauna rates in Michigan average $30-$50; the festival is priced lower “to encourage high participation rates and welcome the public into the experience.” A limited number of VIP tickets will be for sale for $50 and provide access to opening day sessions and events on Friday, plus Saturday and Sunday sessions as space allows.

Olson says the event team already met with city department heads to ideally iron out any concerns prior to Thursday’s Parks and Recreation commission review. City Clerk Benjamin Marentette says that once the commission “has reviewed and provided my office with input for consideration, then I’m able to decide whether or not to issue the permit.” Pending approval, the festival hopes to put VIP tickets on sale Friday and session-specific tickets on February 21. In addition to Hearth Sauna and Sleeping Bear Saunas, a festival website lists Howl at the Moon Sauna Company from Grand Rapids, PONDR from Port Austin, and Northern Heat Sauna Rentals from Traverse City among the other Michigan sauna companies slated to participate.

Willow Creek
Parks and Recreation commissioners will consider a request from residents to install signage recognizing a tributary – which is technically unnamed but often referred to as Willow Creek – that winds through Slabtown and empties into Grand Traverse Bay.

The cold-water trout stream originates in the Hickory Hills Ski Area and drains down the hills before it becomes a perennial stream in Hickory Meadows, according to information compiled by resident Bob Otwell. It remains an open stream as it enters Slabtown neighborhood for a short time but then enters a storm drain, flowing through covered pipes for 2,500 feet before emptying into the lake. The hidden pipe extends out into Grand Traverse Bay, so beachgoers don’t see the creek’s flow merge with the lake water.

Otwell hopes that can change this summer when the state reconstructs Grandview Parkway between Division Street and M-22, as the stream runs under that road. He says he’s already had discussions with the Michigan Department of Transportation about daylighting – or exposing – the stream’s outlet so residents can see its natural flow into the bay. MDOT has been receptive to that idea, he says. Otwell has a long-term vision of potentially daylighting more of the stream throughout Slabtown neighborhood but acknowledges that could be a tougher hill to climb. In the meantime, however, he’s hoping the city will at least consider acknowledging the creek’s presence with official signage.

“(The goal is) to raise more awareness so more people care about it,” he says. Otwell believes the creek contributes both ecologically and socially to the neighborhood and deserves formal acknowledgement. He notes that while Lake Michigan often gets the most attention, the region’s numerous creeks, streams, and tributaries also are a key part of the local watershed. “They’re important, too, and they also connect to the bay,” he says.