Friday Recess Brings Curling, Community Socializing to Traverse City
The Ticker hosted the first ever Friday Recess at the Traverse City Curling Club on November 7, offering curling demonstrations, local beer and coffee samples, and community prizes. The two hour after work event aimed to introduce more residents to one of the country's fastest growing sports, while showcasing local businesses and county recreational assets.
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On the evening of November 7 the Traverse City Curling Club opened its doors inside the Cherryland Center for the inaugural Friday Recess, a two hour after work gathering designed to mix recreation with local commerce. The event was organized by The Ticker and supported by Grand Traverse County under the county brand Grand Place to Live, Work & Play, with admission set at ten dollars and open to the public.
Attendees found a casual social atmosphere in the club taproom with tailgating snacks, local and domestic beers on tap, and coffee samples provided by Panther Coffee. On the ice, organizers offered curling demonstrations and a chance to try the sport in short activities. Tennis or rubber soled shoes were recommended for participants. The event also ran a Closest to the Button game with the chance to win a Traverse City Curling Club t shirt or long sleeve tee, and all attendees were entered in a prize drawing with items including a small group ice rental for up to eight people valued at three hundred twenty dollars, a ninety minute Try Curling beginner class for two valued at sixty dollars, and K1 Speed racing race tickets for two.
The format paired light competition with social time, reflecting a broader push to use recreational programming to strengthen local ties and support small businesses. By staging the gathering inside the Cherryland Center at 1712 South Garfield Avenue, organizers positioned the curling club as both a community amenity and a potential entry point for new participants. Curling has been described as one of the country's fastest growing sports, and local leaders see events like Recess as low cost ways to convert curiosity into ongoing participation.
From an economic perspective the event blended modest direct revenue from admission with indirect benefits for nearby businesses. Taproom sales and Panther Coffee sampling put revenue and exposure into the hands of local vendors, while prize values such as the three hundred twenty dollar ice rental translate into future paid bookings when winners schedule group sessions. For a county marketing itself as a place to live, work and play, grassroots recruitment of recreational participants can increase weekday foot traffic and support service sector employment.
Recess also serves as an example of how monthly after work programming can diversify the county recreation portfolio without heavy capital outlays. If repeated monthly, the event could provide a steady pipeline of newcomers to the curling club, growing membership and youth programming over time. For residents the immediate benefit was accessible, affordable recreation and an opportunity to sample a new sport while supporting local vendors and community spaces.
