Arleen Swenson, Treasured Thymes Gourmet Mixes Arleen moved to Norton Shores in 1983; she loves the lake and neighborhood comradery. Treasured Thymes was born out of an idea Arleen had while attending church. “My mother taught me her love of cooking and never being afraid to experiment and make new recipes,” Arleen said. All her...Read More

Ron Carlson, Carlson’s Almonds Ron purchased a concession trailer 21 years ago; the rest is history. Be sure to sample some fresh cinnamon glazed nuts straight from the cooker. Almond, pecans, and cashews, with a cinnamon glaze. Wash it down with a fruit smoothie from Carlson’s Almonds.  Ron is partial to the Almond; he enjoys...Read More

Jenifer Walsh, Photography   A local photographer is viewing life through the lens of her Olympus camera. A Spring Lake transplant 17 years ago, she loves nature in Norton Shores. She was captivated by photography from an early age when shooting on film. Her work features mostly local scenes from Lake Harbor Park, Ross Park,...Read More

Cassandra Simms, Mixed Media Art & Photography Her art is one-of-a-kind that can’t be replicated, genuinely making each piece the only one like it ever created. Growing up in Norton Shores, her inspiration and passion for art came from her grandmother. Cassandra enjoys doing large and small custom pour painting, in addition to custom jewelry,...Read More

Carl Pieczynski, Carl’s Winter Hobby Wooden Bowls & Toys A must-see! This Norton Shores Arts & Drafts exclusive. Carl started out building kayaks, canoes, and small boats, his background as an industrial engineer, road engineer, carpenter, and former Muskegon County Sheriff’s Deputy only sells his work at the Norton Shores Arts & Drafts Festival. A...Read More

Lynell Douglas, Seasonal Signs With a passion for crafting and scrapbooking, teacher Lynell Douglas found she needed something more to stay busy during the downtime of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her hobby suddenly grew into making an abundance of reversible, lightweight signs to help celebrate each of the changing seasons. A lifelong resident of Norton Shores,...Read More

The Norton Shores Arts & Drafts Festival at Ross Park attracts artisans from near and far. In its 9th year, the Arts & Drafts festival brings over 75 craft vendors to enjoy. In this feature, we highlight a few of our local artists who live in Norton Shores, be sure to seek them out and...Read More