Lively Acres

09/07/2026

Image credit Rural Vermont, quoting recently passed poet, academic, essayist, and farmer, Wendell Berry.

We express our deepest gratitude to the farmers, laborers, truck drivers, animal caretakers, producers, packagers, stockists, waste managers, and folks on stop of the agricultural process who keep markets going, machines working, and people fed. We wish you all a wonderful and sunny Labor Day Monday up here in the north!

We’re OPEN today from 9 AM - 3 PM and have everything you need to help you enjoy the day with fresh, locally sourced produce and Michigan-made products.

09/05/2026

Please note we have an hours update for the weekend! We will be OPEN Labor Day Monday with reduced hours from 9 AM - 3 PM.

Grab some picnic fare for the beach, fresh Northern Michigan produce to take home, a great new or used book from our The Folded Leaf Foundation book shelves, or some already made fresh dinners to go from mel and fell in our deli cooler.

We will NOT be hosting Open Mic tonight or Sunday Brunch tomorrow.

Thanks all, we’ll see you out here!

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

Far from the last hurrah, but sure, the sanctioned last hurrah of summer before the rhythms of life become a little less lazy & hazy & relaxed. ☀️

We’re open all weekend - closed Monday - and ready to greet you with the season’s most beautiful produce, Michigan sourced products, and artisan made goods. Grab & go prepared food including sandwiches, falafel pita, and deli salads from our kitchen are right on your way to the beach, and already prepped fresh meals and decadent treats from mel and fell are stocked in our shop ready to take on a picnic.

We’re SO thankful & grateful you’ve kept us busy and on our toes all summer, we look forward to maybe the most perfect Northern Michigan weather of all time this weekend (?!!?!) and a day off before we transition to fall 🌻

📍 3805 W Empire Highway, Empire • Leelanau County

09/02/2026

Geesh, we don’t think it gets any more beautiful than late summer in the Market. Welcome to September - where you’ll find peaches next to apples, blueberries next to squash, fresh salad greens next to colorful carrots, and pretty much anything you can grow in the dirt in Northern Michigan sitting our shelves (no pumpkins yet, don’t rush it folks).

As we are carrying a more diverse array of produce than any other time all year, we’re glad to welcome Local’s Summer with open arms, and are having so much fun hearing what you’re cooking up!

New Fall Hours will be shared after mid September, but for now you can find us open M-F 9 AM - 7 PM, Sat 9 AM - 7 PM, and Sun 9 AM - 4 PM.

08/29/2026

It’s a music filled last weekend of August here in our neck of the woods 🫜 We invite you to come on over for a proper summer send off at Lively Acres with two sweet events tonight in the Backyard behind our Market!

We’re kicking off with our weekly Saturday Night Open Mic at 6:30 PM, followed by a beautiful evening of live music featuring local artists and

PLEASE NOTE: + will be playing their gig AT Lively Acres, 3805 W Empire Highway@starting at 7:30 PM and not at Bow Road. Location changed due to weather!

Both events are BYOB & family friendly.

We’ll see ya out here! 🫜

08/28/2026

Happy birthday to this guy! And happy 2nd birthday to the NeighborFood Market 🍻

Jim Lively is the dreamer, founder, and co-owner with his wife Kelly of this sweet little spot - a year round, everyday farm stop market that joyfully offers folks in our community a chance to shop local and support our regional farmers and their families.

While Jim is off on a much deserved little trip with his family, we’ll be holding down the fort here and open all weekend long for good eats and a place to gather. Let’s enjoy these last beautiful summer weekends to the fullest folks ☀️

📍 NeighborFood Market, 3805 W Empire Highway, Empire

Open Friday & Saturday 9 AM - 7 PM and Sunday 9 AM - 3 PM

08/24/2026

A new week and some sweet treats have arrived 🍑 without further ado, it’s peach time!

This year’s sweet haul comes from BrixStoneFarms in Bear Lake 🍑 an historic orchard and family farm focused on stone fruit, heirloom apples, and maple syrup production.

You might have noticed delayed peach harvests, less peach offerings, or smaller peaches at your local farms and markets, and if you’re wondering why it’s because Michigan’s peach crop was highly impacted this year from extended cold temperatures in January, and a late season frost into spring.

It’s worth remembering that each sweet bite into a peach this year is worth celebrating - a whole lot of love and care goes into these fruits all year long to get them into our stores, and we couldn’t be more grateful to our Michigan farmers for making it all happen ☀️🍑💛

peaches michigan farms leelanau traverse city farm to table farm market

08/20/2026

Psst….its still summer.

We still have 33 days of warm beaches, hot sand, cicada filled nights, barbecues, flip flops (subjective when we take these off in the Midwest), popsicles, drippy icecream cones, long drives with the windows down, blueberry pie eating, lemonade sipping, run-down-your-chin late summer fruit waiting for you, and farm stand stocked with summer produce. Don’t let ole’ big retail tell ya otherwise ✌🏼

We’ll see you out here!

This week/end:

THURSDAY: UP style pasties available hot and fresh starting at 4 PM. Vegetarian, meat, and gluten free available.

FRIDAY: Housemade cinnamon rolls perfect for a drive to the beach on M72.

SATURDAY: Open Mic Night begins at 6:30 PM on our outdoor stage. Join locals for music, song, storytelling, poetry, and laughs in our casual, family friendly Bsckyard event space behind the Market. Free to attend and food available. BYOB.

SUNDAY: No brunch this week, we’ll let you know about our fall schedule soon!

📍 3805 W Empire Highway, Empire - Leelanau Co.
☀️ Open every day, M-SA 9 AM - 7 PM and Sun 9 AM - 3 PM

ｐｏｐ•ｃｙｃｌｅ pops photo by market artisan Holly of Holly Therrien

08/18/2026

Last night, we hosted another super fun, deliciously special Farm-to-Table Dinner at our NeighborFood Market! Inviting 28 of you into our candlelit cafe space at a long table where food is shared communally, bringing the best of our region’s summer bounty to your plate.

We have a few upcoming dates for you to join us at one of these splendid evenings, and would love for you to be our guest!

Visit livelyacres.com for additional information and to reserve your seat!

* Please note, we can accommodate dietary preferences and needs, and our menus are released the week before the event in order to draw on seasonal produce and products. Alcohol is not included, however you may BYOB.