Baynanza - The Bay Harbor Fundraiser of the Year!

Country music star Steve Azar will be the featured attraction at the Bay Harbor Foundation’s Horse n Around BAYNAZA philanthropic event on Saturday, July 17 at the Bay Harbor Equestrian Club.  Azar’s recent hits are “I Don’t Have To Be Me (til Monday)” and “Waiting for Joe”.

Since its inception, the Bay Harbor Foundation has distributed $826,000 to 63 nonprofit organizations in the Little Traverse Bay region.

Saturday’s event is open to the public and tickets are available at Bay Harbor Foundation’s office, 4160 Main Street, Bay Harbor or by calling 231-439-2700.  Tickets are $150 and include dinner, silent/live auctions and entertainment.  Sponsor opportunities are still available.  Live auction items this year include a trip for two from Banff, Canada to Vancouver on the Rocky Mountaineer Train, a vacation for two to Fiji, five day excursion to British Virgin Islands-Biras Creek Resort, and a white-water rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.  To see a complete list of auction items, visit the Bay Harbor Foundation website at bayharborfoundation.org.

Funds raised from the auction are used to support the mission of the Bay Harbor Foundation to provide grants for health and human services, education, arts, the environment and a scholarship program.

Bay Harbor Vintage Car & Boat Festival

12th Annual Bay Harbor Vintage Car & Boat Festival

For Immediate Release   
Contact:  Candace Fitzsimons
Bay Harbor Foundation
231-439-2700
candy@bayharborfoundation.org

This year’s Bay Harbor Vintage Car and Boat Festival will be held June 25th and 26th in the Village at Bay Harbor. The public is welcome!

The Festival kicks-off on Friday, June 25th with the 5th Annual Bay Harbor Northern Michigan Dream Cruise from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Patrons can expect a fun filled family night of cruising during this 1950’s and 60’s themed evening.  Visitors are welcome to bring their hot rod or muscle car and cruise the streets of Bay Harbor where local favorites will entertain throughout the evening.  We will also feature great food, live entertainment, kid’s activities and an exhibit on how electricity is made.

In addition to Friday night’s Dream Cruise, DJ’s North will play Motown tunes for our sock hop from 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm. Come out and enjoy a coney dog, a burger and fries or a glass of beer or wine. 

The Festival continues on Saturday, June 26th at 10:00 am with the Vintage Car and Boat  Parade in the Village at Bay Harbor featuring an exquisite display of motor cars from the early years, the classic years, post WWII and modified custom hot rods along side our electric vehicles. Plus, visit a superb display of wooden boats at Bay Harbor Lake Marina. Have lunch and watch a fashion show, “Dress for a Cause” sponsored by the Merchants of Bay Harbor from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm where over $1,000 in prizes will be raffled off. 

The Bay Harbor Festival has themed this year’s event “Classic Glass” to celebrate the fiberglass Corvettes and classic fiberglass boats.  Awards will be announced at 2:00 pm for vehicles and boats.  Join us for the afterglow in the Hospitality tent where you can meet the exhibitors and learn more about their awards. The show closes at 5:00 pm.

This unique event only comes once a year and is sure to be a memorable experience for the entire family. Proceeds are used to assist the Bay Harbor Foundation with grant distributions to local nonprofit organizations.

Bay Harbor Foundation would like to thank the sponsors and donors of this years event:

Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation, Hagerty Insurance Agency,  Norman Yatooma & Associates, Odawa Casino Resort, Heacock Classic, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, Art Van Furniture, John McMullen – McMullen Collection,  Michigan Yachting Registry, Village at Bay Harbor Merchants, Down East Yachting, Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau, Harold Ziegler-Lincoln Mercury, Meguiars, Reliable Carriers, Bay Harbor Properties, Waterford Media, Street Legends of Charlevoix, William and Barbara Parfet, David and Pamela Johnson, Water Wonderland Chapter of Antique and Classic Boat Society.

Bay Harbor Foundation is a charitable, nonprofit organization established to provide a structure for receiving donations and distributing grants in northern, lower Michigan that provide programs in the arts, education, the environment and health and human services.

Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Bay Harbor Foundation office at 231-439-2700 or visit www.bayharborfoundation.org

Short Movie Filmed in Bay Harbor

Brian Vander Ark, a Michigan born singer/songwriter and lead singer of the band Verve Pipe has written a dark comedy screenplay entitled "Bullies on Vacation". This short film began shooting and will wrap up this week in Bay Harbor.  There will also be scenes shot in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 4 - 6. 

The film plot revolves around writer David Sandstead, played by Mark Kelly, who while on vacation with his family discovers that his childhood taunter Steve Vanderlaan, played by Brian Vander Ark, is also vacationing with his family at the same resort.  A simple "sucker punch" is anything but, and lessons learned are few and far between.  Poolside scenes will be filmed at Bay Harbor Swim & Fitness Club and bar and fight scenes will take place in cava restaurant. 

Besides his musical talents, Brian Vander Ark's acting credits include a stage performance as Charlie Bowdry in The Collective Works of Billy the Kid and the movie Rock Star starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston.  Mark Kelly who plays Steve Vanderlaan has acted in many stage productions and has T.V. appearances on the Emmy/Golden Globe winning dramas Mad Men, CSI, CSI:NY, Alias, Angel and over 50 television commercials.  Devon Gummersall, the Director has had a lengthy acting career, most notably playing Brian in the 1990's drama "My So-Called Life".  He has directed three short films over the past eighteen months and has shadowed acclaimed directors of "Once and Again" and "Six Feet Under".

Don't Forget to Register - Bay Harbor 5K Run & Walk - May 15

For Immediate Release
Contact: Candace Fitzsimons,Director, Bay Harbor Foundation
231-439-2700 or candace@bayharborfoundation.org  

Bay Harbor, MI— Register today for 7th annual Bay Harbor 5K Run/Walk, which is planned for Saturday, May 15.  The run/walk is the Bay Harbor Foundation’s first event of the season. This year, a new beneficiary, Char-Em United Way has been selected to receive proceeds from this year’s run/walk.
Runners and walkers will follow a course in the area of Bay Harbor Lake. Check-in for the event will begin at 8 a.m. May 15, with the race starting at 9 a.m. in The Village at Bay Harbor. A quarter-mile kids’ race begins at 10am, which will be down Main Street in The Village.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in all male and female age divisions, with additional prizes to be provided for overall and masters achievements. All entrants registering by May 1 are guaranteed an event T-shirt.

The run/walk is once again endorsed by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports. Based on this endorsement, runners in the Bay Harbor event can enter a lottery to win one of 300 slots in the Labor Day Run on the Mackinac Bridge.

The registration fee for the run/walk is $20 if submitted by May 1 or $25 thereafter. For the kids’ race the fee is $10 if submitted by May 1 or $12 thereafter. The registration form for the run/walk is available online at www.bayharborfoundation.org. Those with questions about the event can call Bay Harbor Foundation’s office at 231-439-2700.

Download Registration Forms Here.

Introducing...the Bay Harbor Intimate Wedding Package

Bay Harbor Village Hotel & Conference Center has teamed up with the fabulous boutiques and restaurants within the Village at Bay Harbor to bring a solution to those brides and grooms-to-be who may not be dreaming of a large wedding.  The Bay Harbor Village Hotel now offers a simplified and cost effective package designed especially for elopements and smaller weddings.

The Village at Bay Harbor Intimate Wedding Package incorporates all the essential items a couple will need on their wedding day including lodging and ceremony location at Bay Harbor Village Hotel, floral provided by BLOOM, wedding cake from Galley Gourmet, dinner for two at cava, breakfast for two at The Original Pancake House as well as special amenities within the couple’s suite upon arrival. Bay Harbor has also included friends and fellow wedding professionals, Reverend Ed and Pastor Glad Remaly to perform the ceremony and Photography by Paquette to offer their expert photography within the package. Couples are encouraged to bring their closest friends and family members to join the celebration and the package can be tailored to include a guest count up to 20. There are also many optional upgrades and additional items that can be incorporated into the package so the couple can design their package based on their personal needs and vision of their wedding day.

Bay Harbor still offers multiple, beautiful solutions for weddings up to 300 guests. In the past, the hotel has solely focused their marketing strategies on couples who are seeking a larger, more extravagant event. However, according to a recent survey performed by The Knot, Inc., the average wedding is now costing $27,800, which is a huge expense, especially during these difficult economic times.  To keep up with the financial needs of their guests, Bay Harbor now offers this inclusive package at a small fraction of the price!  This allows those to have the wedding of their dreams and enjoy their very special day without breaking the bank.

In addition to providing couples with a cost effective option for their wedding day, the Village at Bay Harbor Intimate Wedding Package now places northern Michigan as an ideal location for smaller destination weddings and elopements.  No longer is there the need to travel to Las Vegas, Mexico or the Caribbean for your destination wedding.  You can have an all-inclusive, beautiful wedding on the shores of Lake Michigan within the Village at Bay Harbor.  It is the goal of Village at Bay Harbor and Hotel to be a destination for couples with weddings of all sizes and budgets and to continue to bring guests from all regions to northern Michigan.

Bay Harbor Village Hotel & Conference Center offers year-round luxurious accommodations, charming vacation rental homes, nationally recognized marina, challenging golf courses and elegant wedding and conference services. www.bayharbor.com/weddings

Contact Megan at 231-439-2422 for more information on this great package!

Bay Harbor Hotel Announces Official Name Change

Bay Harbor, MI , January 1, 2010 – There has been a name change in Bay Harbor.  Bay Harbor Resort & Marina Hotel has officially changed their name as of January 1, 2010 to Bay Harbor Village Hotel & Conference Center.

The luxurious suites and lodge rooms that sit above the boutiques and restaurants in the Village at Bay Harbor were built in 1999 as part of the reclamation project to turn Bay Harbor into a resort destination.  During the construction stage, the area was named “The Marina District” and many were not aware of the hotel that is part of the Village at Bay Harbor.

The Bay Harbor Village Hotel & Conference Center staff is excited about the new name change and is dedicated to providing the service and accommodations that are beyond compare. When you come to Bay Harbor, we want your stay to be relaxing and exceed every expectation.
 
The Conference Center can accommodate groups for social events, retreats and very special weddings.  We also offer special packages for that perfect getaway.  Bay Harbor can make your special event be full of lasting memories.

For more information on the Bay Harbor Village Hotel & Conference Center including special promotions and rates and packages, please contact us at 231-439-2400 or visit bayharbor.com and villageatbayharbor.com.

Victor International Wins Prestigious 2009 CNBC Property Awards!

Best Development USA - Bay Harbor

Best Marina Development Caribbean - North Sound Yacht Club 

(Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands) - November 24, 2009 Leading real estate developer, Victor International, announces that two of its developments have won esteemed CNBC International Property Awards.  North Sound Yacht Club has been named Best Marina Development and Bay Harbor has been named Best Development USA.   Slated to open in fall 2010, North Sound Yacht Club is one of the most luxurious and technologically advanced super-yacht marinas in the British Virgin Islands.   Bay Harbor is a 1,200 acre luxury resort community in northern Michigan. 

The CNBC Property Awards, in association with CNBC Arabia and the New York Times, are judged by a panel of 52 independent professionals whose collective knowledge of the property industry is unsurpassed by any other property awards. The International Property Awards are also supported by 12 professional bodies and many of these are represented on the judging panel.

As well as entries from across the USA, the Caribbean, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Canada, Belize and Bermuda were represented this year. There were 36 different residential and commercial categories in total. These international accolades were announced at a gala presentation dinner in San Diego.

Victor International creates upscale residential, resort and commercial real estate, and provides the highest quality lifestyle and leisure experiences through its developments. Victor International's mission is to create and facilitate unique living and working environments in ecological harmony with the land.

Situated on the North Sound of Virgin Gorda, well known for its safe harborage, North Sound Yacht Club is a world-class facility opening in November 2010. Featuring a state-of-the-art marina with up to 38 slips for super-yachts from 100-350 feet (35-100 meters), as well as on-site dining and boutique shops, North Sound Yacht Club can accommodate any super-yacht, both power and sail, offers privacy and optimal vessel security, and has been built in environmental harmony with the land, with deep water berthing and no dredging.  In addition to all the amenities offered by NSYC, founding members will also receive access to Biras Creek Resort, a Relais & Chateaux property, and membership to the exclusive Oil Nut Bay Club, where amenities included hiking trails, a secluded beach, tennis, fine dining, a spa, and a nature center (Nuthouse for Kids).

A world-renowned, $1 billion resort community in northern Michigan, Bay Harbor was once the site of an abandoned century-old cement plant and limestone quarry. Bay Harbor is now a 1,200 acre luxury resort community extending along five miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline, featuring a world-class deep water harbor and marina, the Olympic caliber Bay Harbor Equestrian Club and the 27-hole Bay Harbor Golf Club.

Having earned these high accolades, winning developments including North Sound Yacht Club and Bay Harbor are now entitled to display the CNBC Property Awards logo with pride. This symbol of excellence has become recognized and appreciated by property buyers the world over. 

About Victor International Corporation
With a 30 year history of integrity and a strong focus on creating one development at a time, Michigan-based Victor International Corporation is a leading real estate developer, founded by David V. Johnson. Victor has created more than 40 developments throughout its history, including, in the U.S., the Urban Land Institute’s Award of Excellence winner, Bay Harbor, Michigan, a $1 billion, 1,200 acre luxury resort community extending along five miles of Lake Michigan; and Turtle Lake, a premier, $400 million low density private community in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In the Caribbean, Victor International is developing Oil Nut Bay, a generational family community featuring 88 homesites on 300 acres (www.oilnutbay.com), as well as North Sound Yacht Club, and operates Biras Creek Resort, top luxury destinations in the Caribbean and world. Victor International boasts no debt. www.victorintl.com

About North Sound Yacht Club
Sitting adjacent to Oil Nut Bay and Biras Creek Resort, awaits the North Sound Yacht Club, a Victor International luxury mega-yacht marina that will accommodate 100 ft. to 350 ft. yachts. A state-of-the-art marina facility, this boutique club will also host villas and upscale retail shops. www.northsoundyachtclub.com

About Bay Harbor
A world-renowned, $1 billion resort community in northern Michigan. Once the site of an abandoned century-old cement plant and limestone quarry, Bay Harbor is now a 1,200 acre luxury resort community extending along five miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, featuring a world-class deep water harbor and marina, the Olympic caliber Bay Harbor Equestrian Club and the 27-hole Bay Harbor Golf Club. www.bayharbor.com

"We Did It" Now Available For Purchase - Pick Up Your Copy Today!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Person: Candace Fitzsimons, Foundation Director
Phone: 231.439.2700
E-Mail: Candace@bayharborfoundation.org
Fax: 231.439.2701

We Did It! Samara D. Johnson, daughter of developer David V. Johnson, has written a book to encompass the history of Bay Harbor. The book chronicles the creation of the community from the time when the land that now makes up the Bay Harbor development was owned by the Penn-Dixie Portland Cement Company and was occupied by a massive cement plant. Since then much has changed, in fact where the cement plant once stood is now occupied by a bustling downtown area known as the Village at Bay Harbor. The five miles of shoreline that once held a quarry and factory now hosts luxury homes and condos along with shops, restaurants, an inn and a resort, marina and conference center. Throughout the book you are seamlessly led through the many changes that what is now known as Bay Harbor has undergone to become the world renowned resort community it is today. Through pictures, as well as personal testimonials, you are allowed a unique glimpse into all the remarkable aspects of Bay Harbor that may previously have gone unnoticed.

We Did It! Is now available for purchase at the Bay Harbor Signature Store which is located in the heart of the Village at Bay Harbor, get yours today! 

Bay Harbor Welcomes the Antique & Classic Boat Society, Inc. in 2010

Bay Harbor Resort & Marina, Hotel and Conference Center is excited to announce its selection to host the Antique & Classic Boat Society, Inc.’s 9th Annual International Boat Show and Meeting, to be held September 12-18, 2010.  Bay Harbor has been chosen as the group’s 2010 host venue amongst some of the finest locations throughout North America including Lake Tahoe, CA, Lake of the Ozarks, MO and Coeur D’Alene, ID, where the group just recently completed their 2008 meeting.

This international event will attract approximately 500 antique boating enthusiasts from fifty-five regional chapters throughout the United States and Canada.  This event is the largest group Bay Harbor Resort & Marina has had the opportunity to host and is predicted to greatly benefit the entire northern Michigan area through tourism; generating a high demand for hotel accommodations, dining and entertainment. 

The group will also host their annual boat show at Bay Harbor Lake Marina on Friday, September 17, 2010 and Saturday, September 18, 2010.  This show is open to the public and will feature 120-140 antique and classic boats.  This fantastic show will be in addition to the annual Bay Harbor Vintage Car & Boat Festival, held in the Village at Bay Harbor every June.  Next year, the annual festival will take place June 26-27, 2009.

The Antique & Classic Boat Society, Inc. is an international group designed, amongst other missions, “to bring people together with a common interest in historic, antique and classic boats, sharing fellowship, information, experience and exchange of ideas”.   For more information, please visit the Antique & Classic Boat Society, Inc.’s website at http://www.acbs.org.

Bay Harbor Resort & Marina, Hotel and Conference Center is Michigan’s premier year-round family destination.  With the exquisite balance of natural beauty and world-class luxury, Bay Harbor Resort & Marina offers superior accommodations, including spacious suites, charming vacation rental homes, and elegant wedding and conference services.  Bay Harbor Lake Marina has been deemed the “Nautical Center of the Great Lakes”, one of the “Top Ten Ports” by MotorBoating Magazine, and has received the Clean Marina Designation from the Michigan Boating Industries Association.  For more information, please call (231) 439-2400 or visit bayharbor.com.