Blog

When Bob Sutherland founded Cherry Republic in 1989, his mission was to create a company that celebrated both Michigan cherries and the hardworking men and women who plant the trees, prune the branches, harvest the fruit, and spend sleepless nights worrying about pests and weather. Meet Sarah, Nels, and Nikki -- three great examples of why we love the cherry industry. SARAH HALLSTEDTReturning to Michigan after raising their family in Indianapolis, Sarah Hallstedt and her husband, Phil, ...

Throughout the Land of Life, Liberty, Beaches and Pie, Christmas is one of our favorite holidays! When you walk into one of our six Cherry Republic stores, we hope you will feel invited to join us in celebrating the season and our ruby red morsels of joy. You'll find a different Christmas tree display in each of our stores, making every tree unique to that location. At our Glen Arbor location, you'll be greeted by Big Bertha, a 14 ft tall concolor fir tree from Schmuckal's Tr ...

Cherry Republic is proud to announce the final dash to the finish for our 2019 donations -- Our 31 Days of Giving. Several times a week through the month of December, we will announce our recipients. This year, Cherry Republic has saved $250,000 to give away over the 31 days this month. As we have for decades, we prioritize our giving toward organizations protecting Northern Michigan’s water, land and quality of life. Our 2019 focus will be on Climate Action and Michigan’s move to renewable ...

On Tuesday, Glen Arbor and its surroundings woke up to the most astounding 30 inches of snow I've witnessed in my half century in the north. It was powdery like the stuff the mountains get. It was picturesque like the wildest north woods. The morning was calm and quiet, and while there was barely anywhere to go, it felt so good to be outside.When the official snow totals were in, Glen Arbor had 30 inches and a few hillsides had 38 inches that left us all stunned while working to move it out of o ...

If you ask most Cherry Republic employees what their favorite season is, they’ll more than likely tell you that it's fall. In Northern Michigan, the weather during this time of year is still beautiful, and there’s a nice lull between the crazy days of summer and the jolly-yet-hectic weeks leading up to Christmas.The only problem is, there isn’t an official holiday throughout the fall season. So with a nod toward our whimsical company value of ‘Beaches’ (as in “Life, Liberty, Beaches & Pie"), ...

Meet the Albee Family. They came to us all the way from Arizona. Michael, Karena and their kids Sawyer and Rigby spent lots of time having fun tasting all of the different samples and playing in the ball pit at the Cherry Republic of Frankenmuth store. Being from Arizona, Michael said he's not unfamiliar with Cherry Republic, having spent many summers in Northern Michigan on Little Glen Lake at his grandparents house. He said no trip to Michigan is complete without a trip to Cherry Republic a ...

Nature's Way From The South Manitou Island LighthouseBy Jonathan SchechterThe landscape that is now Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is rightfully described as a masterpiece of ice, wind and water. It came into existence some 13,000 years ago as the last great glacier retreated leaving behind a raw landscape that gave birth to our Great Lakes and the rugged moraines along the western shore of northwest Lower Michigan. And then as winds howled, and waves crashed against the shores for hundr ...

If you've followed Cherry Republic for long, you know that we are big opponents of the Line 5 oil pipeline that runs under the Straits of Mackinac. Things are reaching a critical point at our state government over this issue, and now is the time that our voices need to be heard. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel made strong campaign pledges to shut down Line 5 due to the risk of a catastrophic oil spill, and they are now attempting to follow through on those comm ...

Tackle the Sleeping Bear Dunes ‘Dune Climb’ What’s better than climbing up a golden sand dune? Running back down, of course! Serious hikers can choose to make the 3+ hour trek to Lake Michigan. Just be sure to bring water and sandals … that sand gets hot!   Kayak, canoe or tube the Crystal River A leisurely float or paddle down the lovely Crystal River in Glen Arbor is the epitome of summertime relaxation. Let your fingers skim the cool, clear water between lily pads, watch for Great Blue ...

With June comes high school and college graduations, and at Cherry Republic it's a time to celebrate the young men and women who have come to mean so much to us over the years. Many of our Cherry Ambassadors and Cherry Factory employees work for us part time all through high school with many taking advantage of our Cherry Republic College Match Program (see details below) to help cover tuition costs. This year we are proud to recognize the accomplishments of 12 bright-eyed, hard-workin ...

Cherry Republic was honored to welcome world-renown social media influencer Jessica Beinecke to our Glen Arbor campus this week as part of her whirlwind trip to Northern Michigan. Jessica created her Chinese/English digital travel series I Know This Spot as a way to introduce Chinese travelers and foodies to U.S. destinations that aren't as well known internationally. "One of the top things Chinese travelers want to do is have unique culinary experiences, and everything in here definitely ...

Traverse City artist Charles R. Murphy has long been revered for his inspiring and iconic watercolor paintings, which have found their way into private and public collections, have graced the pages and covers of books, and have even adorned CDs and wine labels. Over the past 40+ years he's also shared his knowledge with budding artists through innumerable painting classes and workshops throughout the Midwest and has exhibited with the American Watercolor Society and International Society of Expe ...

During their first visit, André left thinking, "Who knew there were so many great ways to eat cherries?!" Payal and André take great pride in the fact that since their discovery of Cherry Republic of Ann Arbor, they have sampled nearly every one of our products. They’ve even made the trek to Cherry Republic of Traverse City to check out our northern neighbors! As much as they love our store, it’s Colette, their French bulldog, who is our biggest fan. "We love that you let Collete come in here ...

Cherry Republic partnered with Leelanau Vacation Rentals to recognize those amazing women we call Mom! We asked people to tell us why their Mom deserves to be crowned Mother of the Year, and in return, we promised to make sure she’s treated like a queen! With over 150 submissions for our 1st Annual Mother of the Year Contest, this decision was not an easy one! With so many submissions, we decided to give away $50 gift cards to the four runners up as well. Thank you to all those who shared the ...

Cherry Republic is partnering with Leelanau Vacation Rentals to recognize those amazing women we call Mom! Tell us why your Mom deserves to be crowned Mother of the Year, and we’ll make sure she’s treated like a queen! Sing your Mom’s praises in 100 words or less. Submit here or email contests@cherryrepublic.com. The winner will be announced on Mother’s Day, May 12. Visit https://leelanau.escapia.com/Unit/Details/141178 for available dates; must be redeemed before May 12, 2020. ...