Long Lake Township will hold a public celebration in honor of its 150-year anniversay on Sunday, August 20 from 11am to 3pm at Haywood Park.

The event will be held rain or shine at the park, located at 8870 North Long Lake Road. Food will be provided, including a pig roast, hot dogs, chips, and ice cream. There will be supervised activities, games, and a bounce house for kids. Antique cars and other historic items will be on display. Live music will be provided by the Cass Street Band.

“The sesquicentennial event is a way for the township to commemorate the past and celebrate our heritage," says Township Supervisor Karen Rosa. "We couldn’t let this anniversary go by without recognizing it and bringing the community together."

While more than 9,000 year-round residents call Long Lake home today, the community was starkly different at its founding 150 years ago. After forest land was cleared by logging companies, farming was the primary enterprise for the township’s original 333 residents. "Traveling to Traverse City for early Long Lake residents was an infrequent journey made for trading and bringing back crucial supplies," according to a township release. "Today, few signs remain of a train depot, grange hall, and post office. No fewer than four one-room school houses dotted the countryside in Long Lake Township long before public schools were consolidated."

The earliest recorded plats were at the south end of Long Lake and surrounding Bass Lake. Crescent Shores Peninsula and Long Lake Peninsula were not platted and settled until the mid-1900s.