Buchanan Un-Sanctioned (May 29th)

19. May, 2010 1 Comment

Hanging traffic lights often hang in tiny towns, so seeing one usually prompts me to roll up the windows and hit the gas. But I make an exception for Buchanan, Michigan. Sure, my heart still quickens, but not from fear but because I can’t wait to visit the town’s growing number of antique stores, restaurants and speciality shops. But despite its charms and close proximity to Harbor County’s Red Arrow Highway shops, Buchanan is still the best kept secret for 200 square miles. For example, can you believe Google doesn’t auto-complete the phrase downtown Buchanan Michigan? Outrageous! Earlier this afternoon, I ran into a couple of friends who just bought a place in Harbert, Michigan, and when I told them I’d be in Buchanan on May 29th to shoot a house and attend Buchanan Un-Sanctioned, they had no idea where I was talking about. Sheesh!

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Keep reading for more Buchanan goodness . . .

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Yet the woman whose house I’m shooting (Johanna Brannan Lowe) moved to Buchanan from England! And my friend, the artist Jan Quinn, who works at the ultra-modern, ultra-cool Front, moved to Buchanan from Utah! Curiouser and curiouser! In a cosmic twist, moments after telling my friends all about Buchanan, I ran into antique dealer Tom Jolly, who owns showrooms in Chicago and Buchanan. According to Tom, the other night a group of Buchananites built a bonfire behind one of the shops downtown, and they all talked and laughed and drank and listened to jazz music floating out from one of the bars. Wow. Either that was one magical evening or that story was a big whopper designed to enhance Buchanan’s mystique. Either way, I’m pumped about the 29th. We’ve all heard stories about how cheap this, that or the other town/neighborhood/whatever was ten years ago, and I’m pretty sure Buchanan is going to be one of those stories. Visit Buchanan Un-Sanctioned‘ Saturday the 29th from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. There’s going to be food and wine, music, art, sales and antiques.

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