Tag: castle farms

Linda’s Garden Tips for Fall

Written by Karrie Mueller on September 18, 2018. Posted in Blog, Gardens. No Comments on Linda’s Garden Tips for Fall

Unfortunately, it is time to say goodbye to the fruits and flowers of summer.

Good news is…

There is still gardening fun ahead with planning and planting your spring garden while still keeping your current garden beautiful. Owner, Linda Mueller, gave a few of her own tips to help keep your garden gorgeous.

One important tip for fall gardening is focusing on color. A quick and easy way to add fall color is to buy pumpkins in various shapes and sizes. Put an arrangement by your front door and place the others in your garden beds to fill in those empty spots. Chrysanthemums are fabulous for fall color by your entrance or in your garden and the plants should come back next spring. Also, pansies, violas and sweet alyssum help to get some pretty fall blooms in planting beds and pots.

Make sure to deal with leaves. It is tempting to ignore the leaves that tumble from trees, but allowing them to pile up on a lawn can harm your grass. Using a leaf vac will make work quicker for dry leaves, plus it chops them into smaller pieces which are perfect for composting or using as mulch on planting beds or an empty vegetable garden.

September is the time to start garden cleanup but also keeping your garden looking good. Any compacted mulch should be fluffed up to look fresh. Annual flowers that are not looking their best should be removed along with any weeds to go to the compost bin. If you haven’t brought in your house plants, it would be good to do so before you turn on your heat so they have some time to adjust. But make sure to wash them first to get rid of pests!

Stop by the Castle to check out our gardens and feel free to talk to any of our gardeners around the property for more tips!

A Castle Fit for a Queen

Written by Karrie Mueller on September 17, 2018. Posted in Blog, Peek into the Past. No Comments on A Castle Fit for a Queen

In the last blog, we learned that the Castle had seen its final concert in 1993, then following Arthur Reibel’s death in 1999, the property went up for sale again…

Linda had always been fascinated with stone architecture and when she travelled up to Charlevoix with her high-school sweetheart, Richard and his family, Linda had the opportunity to visit the Farms. Even with its roofs in ruins and interior in shambles, the magnificent structures called to her.

Years later, with Linda and Richard now happily married and still spending summers in Charlevoix, The Castle property came up for sale. Linda knew that she needed to save these buildings and when she finally got the opportunity to do so, she jumped at it.

“When I was 18 years old, I was fascinated with the great stone walls and arches of The Castle, and I visited it every time it was open for events,” Linda recounts. “Now I have an opportunity to restore part of a grand estate, and create new memories for Charlevoix residents and visitors.”

Though it took some time, her patience paid off and on January 4, 2001, Linda because the fourth owner of Castle Farms. It wasn’t much of a dream castle, there were major repairs and renovations needed to bring this property back to life.

Castle Farms, reduced to a thirty-seven acre property, was a public eyesore, with broken windows and crumbling fieldstone walls. Deterioration had set in and the property suffered severly from neglect. The dairy barns and silos were roofless, except for the service wings. The horse barn roof was sagging and near collapse, but Linda was determined to do everything she could to rescue The Castle for future generations.

Ceremony Music-What to Know

Written by Karrie Mueller on September 11, 2018. Posted in Ask the Coordinators, Blog, Wedding Tips & Trends. No Comments on Ceremony Music-What to Know

Although we set the mood pretty well as the backdrop for your ceremony, music is also a very impactful way to help a memory last and live on. With the flexibility that we offer, choosing your musicians or narrowing down your playlist also brings questions about how this all comes together in the first place. Although the options for song choices, bands and DJ’s are seemingly endless, we have only two basic options to talk about today that will help you better decide if live or recorded music is best for you.

The first option-which tends to be the more popular option-would be to create a playlist on your phone and have us run the music for your ceremony. Your reservation includes an Assistant Venue Coordinator that will be an extra set of hands for your Venue Coordinator. This is who we have run our sound system for your ceremony. Our sound system covers the use of our lapel microphone (your officiant will probably wear this), the handheld microphone (for any readings/speeches), and our personal favorite, a smart phone (one you would provide) with a playlist downloaded to your phone via Spotify or iTunes. While we cannot mix songs or repeat certain sections, we can smoothly fade the music in and out as each group of attendants process down the aisle. Choosing pre-recorded music is great for couples who have dependable songs that would be difficult for live musicians to reproduce and for those looking to keep costs at a minimum.

If live musicians are more your style, your musicians will be required to bring in all of their own equipment (instruments, cords, speakers, microphones, etc.). We will provide them with the electrical outlets and a game-plan for their set-up location based on your ceremony sketch which is part of your Set-Up Packet. This is a stunning option to elevate the overall vibe for your ceremony and to keep the entertainment factor at a maximum for your guests. Be sure to check in on the Entertainment section of our Preferred Service Providers list for some incredible live musician options!

Fall Fun in Northern Michigan, 2018

Written by Karrie Mueller on August 15, 2018. Posted in Blog, General. No Comments on Fall Fun in Northern Michigan, 2018

The summer heat may be fading, but the number of remaining area activities is still abundant!

Whether you’re able to remain in Northern Michigan through the fall months, or you’re able to visit on weekends away from school or work, there is plenty to do! Most popular is viewing the fall colors. This can be done by finding scenic overlooks or simply driving through the countryside. There is no shortage of views in our area!

Top on the list for many is the Tunnel of Trees, located north of Harbor Springs and going towards Cross Village. The winding, narrow road features canopy trees and breathtaking views of Lake Michigan. If you’re not as far north as Harbor Springs, another great spot is the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and more specifically the North Bar Lake area, located near Glen Arbor. Or, if you’re past Harbor Springs and heading towards the Upper Penninsula, the Porcupine Mountains is a stunning section of wilderness, and the Lake of the Clouds Overlook truly speaks to its name. Further west than the shoreline? Check out Deadman’s Hill Overlook west of Gaylord, where you will have views of rolling hills and the Jordan River Valley.

Your color tour can even simply be a beautiful drive between your visit to local points of interest and activities, including a Wine Tour! Northern Michigan is home to many vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms, featuring wines, ciders, meads, and some even double as breweries! Most well known are the Old Mission and Leelenau Wine Trails, near Traverse City. The Leelanau Trail consists of three different loops, making for endless opportunities to make your own tour and find unique towns and shops along the way. Further north, joining Charlevoix, Petoskey and Harbor Springs, is the Bay View Wine Trail. With twelve wineries spread through the three towns (1918 Cellars included… and we have to say, it’s one of our favorites!), it’s a great activity for the day!

Apart from stunning views and points of interest, many towns still have a lot of happenings through the fall months. Charlevoix hosts its famous Apple Festival the second weekend of October, a festival dedicated to all-things fall! Apples, cider, donuts, pies, and art – what could be better! Also beginning in November is the Live from Charlevoix art and entertainment series, which features acts from musicians, comedians and magicians for fall-spring evenings out. North of Petoskey at Boyne Highlands, enjoy brews and microbrews at the Hops ‘n Highlands Festival at the end of September. Looking for a more ‘savory’ visit? Check out Restaurant Weeks in Boyne City, Charlevoix, or Petoskey!

Draping at your Wedding

Written by Karrie Mueller on August 6, 2018. Posted in Ask the Coordinators, Blog, Decor Ideas, Real Castle Wedding, Wedding Decor, Wedding Tips & Trends, Weddings. No Comments on Draping at your Wedding

While our reception rooms are stunning on their own, we have seen draping being added in several different ways.

Some couples choose to highlight certain areas in the reception with backdrops, such as behind the head table or around the cake display while other couples have had ceiling draping throughout their entire reception room.

A professional draping company is always a good idea when looking into elaborate draping. They will have the proper equipment and fabric to create the right look. No nailing, drilling, or adhesive can be used on the Castle walls or ceilings, so professional companies come in with items such as clamps, wires and poles to put up the fabric. These companies can often do several different types of draping, whether it is full-scale ceiling draping or smaller backdrops.

If a professional draping company is not hired, there are a few options available to couples. For any draping that requires a ladder under 10’ tall, the couple could hang it on their own. The Castle Coordinators have measurements for each room to be able to estimate the amount of fabric that will be needed, and we can discuss what is possible based on the different reception rooms.

If a ladder over 10’ tall is required, the couple does need to hire their Castle Coordinator to do the decorating, which is $50 per man hour. Again, no nailing, drilling or adhesive is allowed on the Castle walls or ceilings, so any hooks or hanging equipment will need to be provided by the couple, along with the fabric, whether the couple is handling the draping or hiring their Coordinator. The Castle Coordinators are not professionals in draping nor handling fabric, but we can discuss what we have done or seen and what is possible based on each couple’s vision.

Music Theater and Community

Written by Karrie Mueller on July 15, 2018. Posted in Blog, Peek into the Past. No Comments on Music Theater and Community

Last month we learned about Arthur and Erwina Reibel’s vision for the property after purchasing it from John VanHaver.

It soon turned into a premier music venue for rock concerts. For two decades, well known acts such as Tina Turner, Metallica, The Beach Boys, and Stevie Nicks performed before crowds numbering up to seventeen thousand people. Rock fans could not be more thrilled to have a venue so close, rather than having to trek five hours south to Detroit or other far-away venues to hear their favorite groups.

The problem was that others weren’t so thrilled. The Castle was often cited for health complaints, noise violations, litter, violation of local zoning ordinances, and many Charlevoix residents weren’t happy with the high decibel castle. Since the late 1800s, the quiet little town had gained a reputation as an exclusive summer resort community that catered to the best of families; now Charlevoix was becoming known for huge traffic jams and a sex-drugs-and-rock’n-roll atmosphere that seemed to invite trouble to the area.

Oftentimes, concert goers would end up drunk, stoned and fighting in public so local police were frequent visitors to The Castle. The community was relieved when the last concert was performed in the early 1990s but sadly, the death of the music seemed to also bring a death claim to the buildings. The Castle fell into a state of disrepair again. Extensive roof and foundation damage occurred during the years of neglect.

Arthur Reibel passed away in 1999, putting the land and buildings up for sale once again…