Upcoming Events
The Open Page: A Queer Writers Circle
The Open Page: A Queer Writers Circle is a monthly writing group hosted in collaboration with Up North Pride and The Folded Leaf. This circle is designed for LGBTQ+ writers, questioning creatives, and allies who are looking for a soft, supportive place to write, explore, and connect.
Each gathering begins with a short prompt inspired by queer literature, memory, identity, place, imagination, or joy. From there, participants will have quiet writing time followed by optional sharing. You do not need to be an experienced writer to attend, and you never have to read aloud. Poems, fiction, essays, memoir, journaling, letters, fragments, and unfinished thoughts are all welcome here.
Meet Cute: A Romance Book Club
Join us June 11, 2026, at 6 pm to discuss A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall! Don’t have a copy? That’s okay! You can pick yours up at The Folded Leaf anytime!
Audiobook & Brew Walk
Audiobook & Brew: An Audiobook Walk Around NoBo
Join The Folded Leaf for a wandering audiobook social through the NoBo district. Your ticket includes one complimentary beer, cider, house wine, or nonalcoholic beverage at each participating stop, plus entry into a raffle to win 10 Libro.fm audiobook credits, generously provided by Libro.fm. Bring your headphones, choose your current listen, and wander with fellow book lovers.
Second Breakfast Book Club
Have you ever dreamed of making Second Breakfast, chocolate frogs, or Turkish delights? This is your chance!
Queer Joy Story Hour — For Grown-Ups
An evening of readings and reflection honoring the LGBTQ+ stories that have shaped us, steadied us, and helped us feel less alone. Guests are invited to bring a short passage from a queer book that mattered to them, or simply come listen, gather, and celebrate the stories some people tried to silence — and the people who found themselves in the pages anyway.
Stairytime
Join us on the big stairs at Commongrounds for Stairytime! On the third Tuesday of each month, at 3:30 p.m. Rachel will read 1-3 themed stories! There will always be a fun activity or thought exercise to do together!
While this event is geared towards younger kiddos, all ages are welcome!
We’ll see you on the stairs!
Drag Me to the Bookstore
A literary drag event celebrating big stories, bold self-expression, humor, performance, and queer joy in true bookish fashion. We’ll share poems, essays, picture books, short fiction, and joyful queer excerpts in a warm, low-pressure space. Come to listen, read, laugh, maybe cry a little, and remember that queer stories are not only about survival — they are also about delight.
Author Event: Signing & Open House with Tylee Shay!
Join us for Tylee Shay’s debut book launch, signing, and open house. Life on the Lake is an ode to summer days on freshwater shores, pairing lake life photography—beaches, boating, sand dunes, sunsets—along with creative essays on slowing down and savoring the sacred summer season.
Pride & Pages Bookfair
A full-day queer bookfair to close out the month, featuring LGBTQ+ books across genres, staff picks, local/community highlights, and a celebration of queer stories all year long.
Books by the Glass
Books by the Glass is a monthly literary gathering in the Lounge at Colibri Wine Bar within Commongrounds, pairing thoughtful conversation with wines inspired by the landscapes, cultures, and lives behind each book.
July’s book is The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. If you already have a copy of the book, great! If not, please consider purchasing it from us in-store or through one of our partner platforms linked below.
Libro.fm
Bookshop.org
There are three tiers of this club!
FREE - Join us at Colibri with no pressure to purchase anything. If you’d like to change your mind when you get there, by all means, purchase some food and drink! No pressure!
Sommelier-Selected Wine Pairing - Enjoy a glass of specially selected wine to be presented and poured by the incredible Sommelier at Colibri Wine Bar. Purchasing this ticket tier gets you one glass and 10% off at The Folded Leaf.
Sommelier-Selected Wine Pairing & Appetizer - Not only do you get the specially selected wine, but also a thoughtfully paired small plate. You also earn 15% off at The Folded Leaf.
Choose your tier below!
Join us at Colibri with no pressure to purchase anything. If you’d like to change your mind when you get there, by all means, purchase some food and drink! No pressure!
* This tier does not guarantee you will be served the special select wine.
Enjoy a glass of specially selected wine to be presented and poured by the incredible Sommelier at Colibri Wine Bar. Purchasing this ticket tier gets you one glass and 10% off at The Folded Leaf.
Not only do you get the specially selected wine, but also a thoughtfully paired small plate. You also earn 15% off at The Folded Leaf.
Second Breakfast Book Club
Have you ever dreamed of making Second Breakfast, chocolate frogs, or Turkish delights? This is your chance!
Letters to Our Younger Selves
This is an on-going in-store community support event!
Letters to Our Younger Selves
Write the words you needed to hear. To your younger self, your future self, or someone still trying to believe they belong.
You can choose to:
Keep your letter
Seal it and take it home
Add an anonymous excerpt to the community wall
Leave a note for queer youth/community members to read
Always remember that you are loved.
Book Donation Day!
To better serve our community, The Folded Leaf Foundation will accept book donations every other week on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only. Thank you for helping us stay organized!
We are kindly asking that you pre-sort your donations. We cannot accept any books that smell like mold or must, have mold or animal feces, have yellowed or brittle pages, have missing covers, are textbooks or travel guides more than 2 years old, or are mass-market paperback books.
We happily accept hardcover fiction (from the last 3 years), local history and authors, well-maintained classics, high-quality kids' books, and well-maintained banned or challenged books. There is also a list of preferred titles on The Folded Leaf Foundation page!
Thank you for supporting The Folded Leaf Foundation!
Book Donation Day!
To better serve our community, The Folded Leaf Foundation will accept book donations every other week on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only. Thank you for helping us stay organized!
We are kindly asking that you pre-sort your donations. We cannot accept any books that smell like mold or must, have mold or animal feces, have yellowed or brittle pages, have missing covers, are textbooks or travel guides more than 2 years old, or are mass-market paperback books.
We happily accept hardcover fiction (from the last 3 years), local history and authors, well-maintained classics, high-quality kids' books, and well-maintained banned or challenged books. There is also a list of preferred titles on The Folded Leaf Foundation page!
Thank you for supporting The Folded Leaf Foundation!
Stairytime
Join us on the big stairs at Commongrounds for Stairytime! On the third Tuesday of each month, at 3:30 p.m. Rachel will read 1-3 themed stories! There will always be a fun activity or thought exercise to do together!
While this event is geared towards younger kiddos, all ages are welcome!
We’ll see you on the stairs!
The Marginalia Society: A Literary Experience Club
Step into your favorite fight scene with The Marginalia Society!
Book Donation Day!
To better serve our community, The Folded Leaf Foundation will accept book donations every other week on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only. Thank you for helping us stay organized!
We are kindly asking that you pre-sort your donations. We cannot accept any books that smell like mold or must, have mold or animal feces, have yellowed or brittle pages, have missing covers, are textbooks or travel guides more than 2 years old, or are mass-market paperback books.
We happily accept hardcover fiction (from the last 3 years), local history and authors, well-maintained classics, high-quality kids' books, and well-maintained banned or challenged books. There is also a list of preferred titles on The Folded Leaf Foundation page!
Thank you for supporting The Folded Leaf Foundation!
Book Donation Day!
To better serve our community, The Folded Leaf Foundation will accept book donations every other week on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only. Thank you for helping us stay organized!
We are kindly asking that you pre-sort your donations. We cannot accept any books that smell like mold or must, have mold or animal feces, have yellowed or brittle pages, have missing covers, are textbooks or travel guides more than 2 years old, or are mass-market paperback books.
We happily accept hardcover fiction (from the last 3 years), local history and authors, well-maintained classics, high-quality kids' books, and well-maintained banned or challenged books. There is also a list of preferred titles on The Folded Leaf Foundation page!
Thank you for supporting The Folded Leaf Foundation!
Meet Cute: A Romance Book Club
Join us May 14, 2026, at 6 pm to discuss Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon! Don’t have a copy? That’s okay! You can pick yours up at The Folded Leaf anytime!
Voices in Olive & Ink
Voices in Olive & Ink celebrates Palestinians through poetry and performances
Second Breakfast Book Club
Have you ever dreamed of making Second Breakfast, chocolate frogs, or Turkish delights? This is your chance!
Book Donation Day!
To better serve our community, The Folded Leaf Foundation will accept book donations every other week on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only. Thank you for helping us stay organized!
We are kindly asking that you pre-sort your donations. We cannot accept any books that smell like mold or must, have mold or animal feces, have yellowed or brittle pages, have missing covers, are textbooks or travel guides more than 2 years old, or are mass-market paperback books.
We happily accept hardcover fiction (from the last 3 years), local history and authors, well-maintained classics, high-quality kids' books, and well-maintained banned or challenged books. There is also a list of preferred titles on The Folded Leaf Foundation page!
Thank you for supporting The Folded Leaf Foundation!
Book Donation Day!
To better serve our community, The Folded Leaf Foundation will accept book donations on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only. Thank you for helping us stay organized!
We are kindly asking that you pre-sort your donations. We cannot accept any books that smell like mold or must, have mold or animal feces, have yellowed or brittle pages, have missing covers, are textbooks or travel guides more than 2 years old, or are mass-market paperback books.
We happily accept hardcover fiction (from the last 3 years), local history and authors, well-maintained classics, high-quality kids' books, and well-maintained banned or challenged books. There is also a list of preferred titles on The Folded Leaf Foundation page!
Thank you for supporting The Folded Leaf Foundation!
Grand Re-Opening Celebration & Independent Bookstore Day!
We are ready to party at our new location in Traverse City! Come kick it with us to celebrate one full year in business and the official launch of our new home on Eighth St! We will be celebrating Independent Bookstore Day and you’ll get a sneak peek into Colibri, the new French bistro and wine bar in Commongrounds Cooperative!
Stairytime
Join us on the big stairs at Commongrounds for Stairytime! On the third Tuesday of each month, at 3:30 p.m. Rachel will read 1-3 themed stories! There will always be a fun activity or thought exercise to do together!
While this event is geared towards younger kiddos, all ages are welcome!
We’ll see you on the stairs!
Meet Cute: A Romance Book Club
Join us April 9, 2026, at 6 pm to discuss Story of My Life by Lucy Score! Don’t have a copy? That’s okay! You can pick yours up at The Folded Leaf anytime!
Pattis Book Awards
This free event is a partnership between Interlochen and National Writers Series.
We are inviting Friends of the National Writers Series to a special event on Wednesday, April 8 in partnership with Interlochen at the Alluvion. That's when author Parul Kapur will be presented with the Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award, and a $25,000 check for her stunning novel, Inside the Mirror. This complimentary event is our way of expressing our sincere gratitude for your generous support over the past year. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with appetizers and refreshments served prior to the ceremony beginning at 7:00 p.m.
About the Book
In 1950s Bombay, Jaya Malhotra studies medicine at the direction of her father, a champion of women’s education who assumes the right to choose his daughters’ vocations. A talented painter drawn to the city’s dynamic new modern art movement, Jaya is driven by her desire to express both the pain and extraordinary force of life of a nation rising from the devastation of British rule. Her twin sister, Kamlesh, a passionate student of Bharata Natyam dance, complies with her father’s decision that she become a schoolteacher while secretly pursuing forbidden dreams of dancing onstage and in the movies.
When Jaya moves out of her family home to live with a woman mentor, she suffers grievous consequences as a rare woman in the men’s domain of art. Not only does her departure from home threaten her family’s standing and crush her reputation; Jaya loses a vital connection to Kamlesh.
Award Ceremony
Kapur will be honored at this special event and join New York Times bestselling author Doug Stanton for an onstage conversation. Stanton is a co-founder of NWS and a graduate of the Interlochen’s Creative Writing program.
About The Pattis Family Foundation
With a history originating from book and magazine publishing, The Pattis Family Foundation of Highland Park, Illinois, actively supports programs that elevate the value of the written word and intellectual inquiry. In addition to The Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award at Interlochen, The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award is awarded annually with The Newberry Library and The Pattis Family Foundation Global Cities Award is awarded in association with Metropolis in Barcelona, Spain. Similar book awards in partnership with other leading organizations and other subject areas will be announced in the future. The Pattis Family Foundation also supports various health, educational, and cultural initiatives as well as programs that help bridge the opportunity gap for talented students with limited financial resources.
Local Author: Cody Cook-Parrott
Join us for the hometown book launch of The Practice of Attention by Cody Cook-Parrott