Traverse City film festival stop to fund accessible Medalie Park launch

Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation is turning a Traverse City film night into a fundraising push for a more accessible way onto Boardman Lake. The April 22 screening of the 2026 Paddling Film Festival World Tour at Howe Arena will support the purchase and installation of an accessible kayak launch at Medalie Park, a project aimed at making lake access easier for more people in Grand Traverse County.

The county has set the event for 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Howe Arena, 1213 W. Civic Center Drive, with regular admission listed at $12. Donations can also be made without attending, widening the support beyond the people who buy a seat for the films. Proceeds and donations are slated to go toward the Medalie Park and Boardman Lake launch, a local improvement with direct value for paddlers, families and visitors with mobility needs.

The Traverse City stop is the county’s only local screening on a world tour that visits more than 120 cities and towns across the United States, Canada and around the world. The festival bills the 2026 lineup as about 12 short paddling films drawn from more than 800 global competitive entries, with a focus on whitewater, sea kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding. Organizers say the evening will run about two hours and will include expedition films and environmental documentaries.

That mix gives the event both entertainment and practical civic value. A county calendar listing says attendees can watch paddling short films, browse a paddling gear swap and check out a silent auction. The local edition also includes partner expo tables, a gear marketplace run with Paddle Antrim and refreshments from local vendors, adding a community-market feel to the fundraiser.

The Paddling Film Festival says its World Tour has been screening since 2006 and has reached more than 300,000 audience members. Traverse City’s place on the schedule reflects a regional interest in water access that has already shown up locally before. Paddle Antrim’s earlier Traverse City page noted the 2024 screening was the only one in Michigan, underscoring that this kind of event has become a recurring draw for northern Michigan paddling fans.

For Grand Traverse County, the immediate payoff is concrete: ticket sales, auction bids and donations will help move a Medalie Park access project closer to reality, with the goal of getting more people onto the water at Boardman Lake.