Old Mission Culture Co. Brings Fresh Coast Film Festival to Traverse City

Old Mission Culture Co. will present the inaugural Fresh Coast Film Festival: Traverse City April 30–May 3, 2026, bringing a handpicked selection from the Marquette flagship, Geoffrey Holstad’s commissioned poster, and screenings across City Opera House, ELEV8, The Alluvion and neighborhood venues. Early-bird City Opera House gala tickets are available at $20 through Dec. 31, 2025, with regular and late tiers following in 2026.

Fresh Coast began in Marquette in 2016 and has grown into a documentary-driven showcase focused on outdoor adventure, conservation and Great Lakes storytelling. For 2026 the Traverse City edition will draw from more than 100 entries screened in Marquette, add original titles curated for the region, spotlight local filmmakers and include a limited number of narrative films along with short and feature-length documentaries.

Geoffrey Holstad, a Michigan-born artist who created the festival design in 2017, returned to craft the Traverse City look and feel. Old Mission Culture Co. says Holstad “celebrates the emergence from winter hibernation with a playful, throwback aesthetic highlighting beloved northern Michigan iconography in waves, sunshine, paddles, the Manitou Islands, and Petoskey stones in vibrant hues of blue.” Deliverables include a double-sided 18" x 24" limited-edition poster printed on 130# uncoated matte stock, silk-screened stickers, a small-batch Higher Grounds Coffee label, and merchandise; only 200 posters will be produced and local pick-up will be available at pop-up stores 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. daily Apr. 30–May 3, 2026.

Old Mission Culture Co. is partnering with Alluvion Arts and the Traverse City Arts Commission to expand visual art programming. Commongrounds Cooperative will host archival displays of 10 years of Fresh Coast posters, visual projections and behind-the-scenes materials from Holstad’s design process. Holstad and his wife Sarah Darnell will attend; Holstad will sign posters at a free artist panel titled “A Convo with Geoffrey Holstad” at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at The Alluvion. Jessica Kooiman Parker, Alluvion Arts curator, will host the panel; a suggested $10 donation will benefit the festival’s “Making Waves” commitment grant for young artists, and Old Mission Culture Co. states “All donations to OMCC are tax deductible as allowed by law.”

Programming will play across downtown and unconventional spots: City Opera House, The Alluvion, Silver Spruce Brewing Company, Right Brain Brewery, Up North Pride Community Center, ELEV8 Climbing and Fitness and the Traverse Area District Library, which will offer select closed-captioned screenings. ELEV8 will host a free opening-night gala and community screening on Thursday, April 30, 2026, that will be simulcast to the Garden Theater in Frankfort and the Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay.

City Opera House is scheduling two gala nights: a Friday Night Gala on May 1 titled “Birds & Words - the theatrical premiere screening of a film we can’t announce yet, along with a moderated conversation featuring the uniquely Midwest creators.” Doors open 6:00 p.m.; program and screening begin at 7:00 p.m.; Q&A at 8:45 p.m.; estimated end 9:15 p.m. City Opera House notes the program “has not yet been rated, but is recommended for those 18 and older and may include adult language, birdwatching, and displays of grown-ups deeply jealous of each other.” Saturday Night Gala is set for 7:00 p.m. on May 2. Ticketing is first-come, first-served seating; transfers are available through Ludus.com and all sales are final.

Local organizers led by Joe Beyer, described as stepping in alongside a group summarized as “Loud” in early reporting, handled on-the-ground planning. Peterson, identified by the festival as a senior organizer, called the Traverse City expansion “a no-brainer,” adding, “Our second highest attendance is actually from Traverse City. The Marquette area, obviously, is first, but Traverse City is not that far behind. So, we know it’s a film community, that it had a fantastic festival for years, and that folks are excited to have one back. And then, on top of that, it will just be a financial shot in the arm for the home festival. It makes sense on all fronts.”

Limited poster inventory, the artist panel and ELEV8’s free opening-night screening position the festival as both a collectible-driven art event and a community-facing film series. With venues, ticket tiers and special guests still being finalized, organizers say program details are subject to change and recommend checking official festival channels for updates as April 30 approaches.