Elk Rapids' Winter Is Moving Indoors, One Shared Room at a Time

Rob Ford spent part of 2026 learning to dance in front of his neighbors. In his column for Elk Rapids News, he describes signing up for a new line dancing class with Marcy, then getting more lessons as a cast member in the Elk Rapids Players' production of Oliver!. Both happen at the Historic Elk Rapids Town Hall on River Street.

"If you're confused, out of step, or simply lost, looking at your neighbor's feet is all right."

That line also describes the village's cold season this year. Between late October and early December, much of what is new or on the calendar in Elk Rapids takes place in a room shared with people you may not know yet. These rooms include a wood-fired sauna that seats ten, a town hall booked about once a week, and a library going up under a new roof. The ice rink is the one big outdoor gathering spot, and when the parks commission last took it up on Oct. 7, it had no commitment for this winter.

Ten seats on Ames Street

Hearth Sauna's newest location is at 119 Ames Street, and the entrance is off Lake Street. The Elk Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce set its ribbon cutting for Oct. 21 and named Nick Olson as the person being welcomed. The Chamber calls it a traditional Nordic sauna and cold-plunge experience, and its listing photo shows a wood-fired, cedar-lined sauna.

What makes it a social space is the way it's set up. According to Hearth's FAQ, a session lasts 70 minutes and combines sauna time with a cold plunge. The heat comes from a Finnish wood-fired stove with 450 pounds of sauna stones, inside a red cedar room. Most sessions are social, meaning open to the public. If you want the room to yourself, you buy all 10 seats or contact the business. Booking ahead is recommended, but drop-ins are welcome when seats are open.

The schedule is set up for evenings after work. On Oct. 21, the Elk Rapids booking page listed sessions at 4:00, 5:30, 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. Other dates had different times. New sessions are added during the week and open two weeks ahead, so the schedule isn't fixed.

Hearth's posted prices:

The 10-pack works out to $28 a visit. At four visits a month, the membership comes to $31.25 a visit, which beats paying for single sessions. At five or more visits a month, it also comes in under the 10-pack rate.

Hearth also has neighbors. Blue Heron Gallery is on the same street, and it was one of three galleries, with Mullaly's 128 Gallery downtown and Twisted Fish Gallery on South Bayshore Drive, that hosted Art Beat on Oct. 3. Elk Rapids News reports that the three owners have now co-hosted the semi-annual gallery tour for 21 years.

The hall that books a night most weeks

River Street has the next shared room. HERTH Hall, the Historic Elk Rapids Town Hall at 401 River Street, has its busiest stretch of the year coming up between now and mid-December.

Oliver! is the main event. The Elk Rapids Players run six shows over two weekends. In Elk Rapids News, Ford describes a cast of nearly 40 people, about half of them kids, with choreography by Adrian Chisholm of Alden Dance Academy. Tickets are $25 for adults and $18 for anyone under 18, and a family package of four tickets is $60. That package saves money for any group with at least one adult and two kids. Tickets are sold through the production's Zeffy page, which the hall links to.

Here's what's on the hall's calendar from now through mid-December:

The Dec. 5 gala raises money for the hall. The Chamber lists it as dinner, cocktails, an auction, music and dancing, from 6 to 9 p.m. At the other end of the price range, Tuesday morning line dancing costs $10 and runs every week. In Elk Rapids News, Ford calls Kay "the most inspiring and encouraging person you're going to meet."

A library under a new roof

The library is the shared room that isn't open yet. In July, 9&10 News reported that the district library was moving out of the Island House into a larger former warehouse on Carin Highway. Phase one was expected to take about eight months, and the move itself could take several months after that.

The library's October update in Elk Rapids News shows the building taking shape. The parking lot is paved, and the roof is nearly finished. The façade work comes next, followed by interior work through the winter. The furniture bid is due to be completed by the November Library Board meeting.

For now, programs are still at the Island House. The library's own listings include Chess Mondays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and a Homework Lab on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m., with a snack. The library is also running a Halloween Costume Swap this last week of October. Details are at elkrapidslibrary.org, or call 231-264-9979.

The outdoor room without a commitment

At its Oct. 7 meeting, the Elk Rapids Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed a $12,496 estimate from the Department of Public Works for a winter rink in the 2026–27 season. According to Elk Rapids News, commissioners weighed that cost against how much the rink actually gets used in winter and did not commit to it for the coming year.

The rink has moved before. In 2018, UpNorthLive reported a new rink at Veteran's Park near downtown. In its January 2023 winter guide, Discover Elk Rapids put it at the Elk Rapids Marina and Dam Shop. Village Council was scheduled to meet Oct. 20. The commission meets next on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 6:30 p.m. at the Government Center.

The same meeting set up projects for warmer months. Commissioners amended the Parks and Rec Five-Year Plan to add a covered pavilion at Memorial Park, which supports a planned application for a DNR Recreation Passport grant. Elk Rapids Grant Administrator Janet Rentsch said the application window opens in January 2027 and closes April 1, 2027, with awards expected in September 2027. The commission also recommended Paddle ER to Village Council. It's a paddleboard rental proposed for Memorial Beach that would run from a tent taken down at the end of each day.

The outdoor dates still on the calendar

Two outdoor events are firmly scheduled. The Halloween Trunk & Treat is Friday, Oct. 30, from 5 to 8 p.m. at AMVETS Post #114, 410 Bridge Street. Families can trick-or-treat or decorate a car, and hot dogs and chips are free.

The downtown tree lighting and Santa's arrival are Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, from 6 to 8 p.m. The tree stands in front of Bayfront Beach and Bike, and the Chamber lists caroling, cocoa and sled dogs. It's the only big outdoor gathering on the village calendar between Halloween and the gala. Whether a rink comes after it depends on what the Village decides about that $12,496 estimate.

If you're thinking about how a home near the village center fits into a winter like this one, Michigan LifeStyle Homes knows these blocks season by season. Request a Private Consultation, and we'll walk you through which streets put the sauna, the hall and the harbor closest to home.