The Beach at Green Point Dunes, photo by jimflix!.

The 2011 Benzie County Water Festival takes place next weekend (March 19-21, 2011) in Frankfort. The Water Festival moves around Michigan, bringing the message of the vitality of Michigan’s water all around the state in different seasons.

We have an in-depth feature on Absolute Michigan about the festival that includes a number of videos featuring Water Festival presenters including Tom Kelly of the Inland Seas Educations Association; Derek Bailey Tribal Chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians; Hans VanSumeren, Director of Northwestern Michigan College’s Water Studies Institute and musicians Seth Bernard & May Erlewine.

This will be a unique event designed to engage folks in the stewardship of the Great Lakes, the global freshwater crisis and the cultivation of a vibrant and sustainable local culture. A family-oriented, community-centered program will feature Michigan musicians, speeches from water luminaries, interactive multimedia projects and presentations, artisan foods and beverages, workshops, visual art, theater and dance, children’s activities, an ice fishing contest, as well as connections to campaigns and projects protecting our water locally and/or addressing global water challenges.

The Benzie County Water Festival is co-sponsored by the Benzie Conservation District and Absolute Michigan. For more information, check out the Benzie Water Festival Facebook

Get much more information about performers, presenters and special events at water-festival.org!

Jim took this shot at the Green Point Dunes Nature Preserve, a gorgeous nature area that is part of a huge swath of Lake Michigan shore that has been protected. If you check it out bigger, you can see the Frankfort Lighthouse in the distance (and yes – Jim has one or two shots of that!).