WEDDING DAY BUS SCHEDULE (July 22, 2023) Arrival: 1:45 PM Guest Bus Leaves Shanty Creek 2:30 PM Guest Bus Arrives at Castle Farms 3:30 PM Late Guest Bus Leaves Shanty Creek 4:15 PM Late Guest Bus Arrives at Castle Farms Departure: 7:30 PM Early Bus Leaves Castle Farms 8:15 PM Early Bus Arrives at Shanty Creek 9:15 PM Guest Bus Leaves Castle Farms 10:00 PM Gest Bus Arrives at Shanty Creek One of the most unique and spectacular locations found in the Charlevoix area is historic Castle Farms. Built in 1918 by Albert Loeb (acting president of Sears, Roebuck & Company), Loeb Farms (as it was known then) was designed as a working model dairy farm to showcase products available in the Sear's catalog. 35 European craftsmen worked with local men and local field stone to fashion this Northern Michigan castle based on the architecture of the soaring stone towers found in barns and castles of Normandy, France. For 10 years, Loeb Farms flourished; then came the Great Agricultural Depression. Following the family's 1927 decision to close the farm, the buildings were used for storage purposes, and eventually fell into disrepair. In 1962, John VanHaver purchased 100 acres of the original Loeb Farms, hoping to create an artist's Mecca. After restoring some of the buildings, he renamed the property Castle VanHaver and in 1962 opened to the public for tours. By 1969, financial concerns forced him to sell the property to Art and Erwina Reibel, who changed the name to Castle Farms. A massive concert stage was built, and from 1976-1993, Castle Farms played host to more than 100 different rock groups, including Aerosmith, the Doobie Brothers, Chicago, Willie Nelson, and The Beach Boys. Following Art Reibel's death in 1999, Castle Farms was put up for sale. In 2001, Linda Mueller of Long Beach, Mississippi, became the fourth owner. Her restoration of the buildings, faithful to the original designs, occurred over a period of four years.