Day 1 Interlochen | Michigan Ecovillages and Intentional Communities Tour
Thu, Jul 17
|Interlochen Center for the Arts
Time & Location
Jul 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Interlochen Center for the Arts, 4000 J. Maddy Pkwy, Interlochen, MI 49643, USA
Guests
About the event
We will be at Interlochen Center for the Arts All Day. Interlochen Arts Academy is a century-old intentional community, which hosts more than 3,300 transient visitors each year, from all states and many foreign countries. Interlochen itself is engaging in many successful sustainability projects relevant to other intentional communities, and Interlochen has already adopted its own comprehensive Climate Action Plan. Discussions are starting now about the best ideas for Interlochen’s second century, which begins in 2026.
Each guest will pay for their own meals. Guests are invited to attend any or all of the activities.
Agenda
8:00 to 9:30AM – Optional Breakfast @ Interlochen Stone Cafeteria. Stone Hotel cafeteria meals are described here: https://www.interlochen.org/college-creative-arts/planning-your-visit-lodging. Daily menus can be found here: https://www.interlochen.org/about/visit-campus/facilities-and-venues/stone-cafeteria/dining-menu. Reasonable prices include all you can eat buffet service. Go to the Hotel main desk to purchase meal tickets.
10:00 to 12:00PM – Interlochen Campus Sustainability Tour. Meet at the R.B. Annis Botanical Lab, just off of Lyon Street off J. Maddy Parkway. PLEASE USE CAUTION AROUND THE STATE PARK AND ESPECIALLY NEAR THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK. GO SLOWLY FOR THE LAST MILE NEXT TO INTERLOCHEN PLEASE.
There is plenty of parking, a nice large portapotty, and drinking water available there. Bring your own snacks and a water bottle. Insects are not bad now, but bring insect repellant. If sun is a challenge for you, bring a hat, sun screen, or whatever you need. Get your campus map here: https://www.interlochen.org/sites/default/files/documents/2025-06/EVENT%20MAP%20GENERAL%2011x17%20main%20campus%202025.pdf.
See details about the Interlochen Sustainability Programming here: https://www.interlochen.org/about/sustainability. The enthusiastic and already very successful leader of the Interlochen Sustainability Team, Emily Umbarger, will give us a guided tour and a brief history and future plans for Interlochen.
12:00 to 1:00PM – Optional Lunch @ Interlochen Stone Cafeteria. A very short drive to another parking lot. Then a two minute walk to the cafetera, where you will notice many sustainability practices already underway.
1:00 to 3:00PM – Interlochen Campus History Tour. Guided by an Interlochen expert.
3:00 to 5:00PM – Open Discussion (Topics: Michigan Ecovillages and starting the process of brainstorming ideas for Interlochen's second century, which starts in 2026. Chat with members of the Interlochen Sustainability Team and the office of planned giving. We will explore ideas about how everyone affiliated with Interlochen in any way can contribute financially to help move the sustainability, resilience, and ecocological restorations forward with all due haste! Also joining us, the arts/culture/action specialist working for Michigan Climate Action Council, Serena Amdur, who will help us think about the possible intersections between art, culture, and what former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder called “relentless positive action.”
5:00 to 7:00PM – Optional Dinner and craic @ Interlochen Stone Cafeteria.