Calendar of Events
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Volunteer Stewardship Workday: Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation Division.
July 11, 18, & 26. All invited to help city staff maintain the natural areas in various city parks. Also, staffers lead a short nature walk at the end of each workday. Minors must be accompanied by an adult or obtain a release form in advance. Today: Furstenberg Nature Area Native Plant Garden, where local master gardener Aunita Erskine leads a walk through the garden to spruce it up and learn about what's in it, and Barton Nature Area to identify native plants and weed the prairie area.
meet in the Furstenberg parking lot off Fuller Rd. across from Huron High or in Barton Dam Parking lot, Huron River Dr. from Bird Rd. via Newport Rd. Free. 996-3266.
Ecosystem Restoration Workday: U-M Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum.
July 8, 11, & 18 (different locations). All invited to help Matthaei staff members remove invasive plants and prepare new planting sites. Dress for outdoor work. Snacks and tools provided, or bring your own.
meet at the Arb Reader Center, 1610 Washington Hts. Free. Registration requested. 647-8528.
"All about Butterflies": Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission.
WCPARC naturalist Faye Stoner gives a brief talk on butterflies, followed by a chance to see some up close.
Park Lyndon North, North Territorial Rd. (east of M-52), Lyndon Twp. Free. 971-6337, ext. 334.
"Kids Treasure Hunt & Hike": U-M Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum.
July 8 & 11. All families invited for a guided hike through Nichols Arboretum (July 8) and Matthaei Botanical Gardens (July 11) to look for interesting plants and animals. Followed by crafts.
Matthaei, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. $2 (craft materials included). 647-7600.
Storytime: Nicola's Books.
Every Sat. Storytelling program for kids under age 7.
Nicola's, Westgate shopping center. Free. 662-0600.
Children's Storytime: Barnes & Noble.
Every Sat. Storytelling programs and occasional craft activities for kids.
Barnes & Noble, 3235 Washtenaw. Free. 973-1618.
Waterloo Recreation Area.
Every Wed.-Sat. Programs presented by WRA park interpreter Kathy Kavanagh unless otherwise noted. Today's topic: TBA.
Eddy Discovery Center, Bush Rd. (west from Pierce Rd. off I-94 exit 157), Chelsea. Free. $6 vehicle entry fee. 475-3170.
Hudson Mills Metropark Interpretive Nature Programs.
July 4, 11, & 18. Programs presented by Hudson Mills naturalist Jennifer Hollenbeck. Today: "Bug Hunt for Toddlers." All toddlers invited to look for and learn about some of the insects that inhabit Hudson Mills.
Hudson Mills Activity Center, 8801 North Territorial Rd., Dexter. $2 unless otherwise noted. Preregistration required. $4 vehicle entrance fee. 426-8211.
Carnival: Tree Town Toys.
July 11 & 12. All invited for carnival games with prizes, face painting, balloon animals, and more. Popcorn.
Tree Town Toys, Traver Village, 2611 Plymouth Rd. Free. 929-6545.
"Music in the Park": Herb David Guitar Studio.
June 1-Oct. 31. Musical entertainment by a variety of local performers TBA.
Liberty Plaza, E. Liberty at S. Division. Free. 665-8001.
10th Annual Elvisfest: Ypsilanti Depot Town Association.
July 10 & 11. Thousands annually celebrate the memory of the Man from Memphis at this festival highlighted by performances by 10 professional Elvis tribute artists from around the nation, including Ontario singer Stephen Kabakos, English singer Mario Kombou, 12-year-old female singer Demi Downing, and others. They are backed by the Change of Habit Tribute Band. Also, Elton John, Tom Jones, and Ricky Nelson imitators. Sale of Elvis memorabilia, raffles, door prizes, concessions, and a beer tent. Bring folding chairs. Saturday only: a gospel hour (2-3 p.m.), a candlelight vigil (time TBA, BYOC) that commemorates the 32nd anniversary of Elvis's death on Aug. 16, and kids activities (noon-6 p.m.), including face painting, clowns, stilt walkers, a costume contest, and more.
Riverside Park near Depot Town, Ypsilanti. Tickets $10 (July 10) & $15 (July 11) in advance; $15 (July 10) & $20 (July 11) at the gate. Kids age 12 & younger, free. 483-4444, 544-3800.
Draw Doubles: Local 101 Disc Golf Club.
Every Sat. All invited to play disc golf at one of Hudson Mills Metropark's 24-hole disc golf courses. Beginners are paired with advanced players to create parity. Prizes. Golf discs available free.
Hudson Mills Metropark Activity Center, 8801 North Territorial Rd. (between Dexter-Pinckney Rd. & Huron River Dr.), Dexter. $5 per player; free for spectators. $4 vehicle entrance fee. 449-4300.
2009 Michigan Atlatl Championship: Michigan Atlatl Association.
Atlatl is the Aztec word for the Neolithic spear thrower, a weapon that predates the bow and arrow by millennia. Today, atlatlists from around the country compete in men's, women's, and children's divisions.
for competitors), Chelsea Rod & Gun Club, 7103 Lingane Rd. (south off Waterloo Rd., west of Chelsea). Free (competitors, $10). (810) 231-2314.
33rd Annual "One Helluva Ride": Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society.
More than 1,000 bicyclists are expected to participate in this ride sanctioned by the League of American Wheelmen. Includes routes of 39, 54, 63, 76, and 100 miles over paved roads and a 34-mile dirt-road ride. The 76-mile and 100-mile routes take riders through the hamlet of Hell. Also, 15- and 30-mile fun rides (8 a.m. - noon) start at Portage Lake State Park. Buffet lunch stop at Portage Lake State Park and fruit and beverage stops along the route are free to participants. Postride entertainment and watermelon. All riders receive multicolored embroidered patches.
Chelsea Fairgrounds, corner of old US-12 and old Manchester Rd., Chelsea. Entry fees: $20 (children age 16 & under, $12) in advance and $30 (children age 16 & under, $12) day of ride (if spaces still available). Online registration at aabts.org. 904-6431.
"Super Science Shows": Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.
Every Sat. & Sun., except July 4. Museum staff give family-friendly science demos. On July 11 & 12, a "Sciencepalooza" with activities "All about Ancient Cultures." 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,
Hands-On Museum, 220 E. Ann. $8 regular admission (members & infants, free). 995-5439.
13th Annual Saline Celtic Festival: City of Saline.
Saline's celebration of its sister city, Brecon, Wales. The day starts with competitive Highland dance (9:30 a.m.) and the North American Full-Contact Jousting Championship (noon). Children's events: a "Wee Folks" area with games, crafts, music, and a kids' parade (4 p.m.). Musical events: 3 different stages feature Celtic song and dance. This year's headliner is Tartanic (3:30, 6:30, & 8:30 p.m.), a kilt-clad Houston band that plays pop, rock, and traditional Celtic tunes on Highland bagpipes and drums. Also, many other local and visiting Celtic music bands, pipe and drum bands, and dance ensembles, plus local favorites the Chelsea House Orchestra and Saline's Fiddlers ReStrung. Other features: a Viking encampment, historical reenactment troupes, jousting by knights in full armor, demonstrations by the local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism, a birds of prey demo, and a display of shaggy Highland cattle and Celtic canines. Food tents, beer tents, clan tents, sale of imported and handmade crafts, and a parade from Liberty School to Mill Pond Park at 10 a.m. No pets. Related Celtic Week events: charity whisky tasting (July 8, 6:30 p.m. Mac's Acadian Seafood Shack), rugby matches (July 9, 5:30, 6:30, & 7:30 p.m., Saline Middle School), and "Pub in the Park" (July 10, 7:30 p.m., Mill Pond Park). 9:30 a.m.-midnight, Mill Pond Park, end of W. Bennett St., west of Ann Arbor St., Saline.
Tickets $12 in advance at the Celtic office & Saline City Hall (both at 100 N. Harris) and other locations TBA, $15 at the gate. Children 12 & under with adult admitted free. 944-2810.
57th Annual Summer Carnival: Ann Arbor Jaycees.
July 9-12. Carnival games, adult & kid rides, a wing eating contest, and a petting farm. Food concessions.
Pioneer High School parking lot, 601 W. Stadium at S. Main. Free admission. 913-9629.
Magic: The Gathering Tournament: Get Your Game On.
Every Sun. & Tues.-Fri. and July 11, 12, 16, 29, & 20 (different programs). All invited to compete in tournaments of this popular collectible card game using a Magic 2010 sealed deck. Prizes.
Get Your Game On, 709 Packard. Registration begins at noon. $27 in advance $29 at the door includes cards. 786-3746.
Eric Stone: Aunt Agatha's.
This L.A. mystery writer presents a PowerPoint program on Shanghai, his experience as a journalist there, and his new book Shanghaied, the 4th in his series about an expat American journalist and detective living in China's biggest city. Signing.
Aunt Agatha's, 213 S. Fourth Ave. Free. 769-1114.
U-M Exhibit Museum Planetarium.
Daily (except July 4). Four different audiovisual planetarium shows. The Sky Tonight (1:30 & 3:30 p.m. daily) is an exploration of the current night sky. The Zula Patrol (12:30 p.m. weekdays) is an animated exploration of weather, both terrestrial and interplanetary. MarsQuest (2:30 p.m. weekdays and 12:30 p.m. Sat.), narrated by Star Trek star Patrick Stewart, is about the history of the Red Planet and the reasons for our interest in it. Followed by a brief update on current issues about Mars. Origins of Life (2:30 p.m. Sat. only) is an audiovisual show about the prebiotic chemistry of the Universe after the Big Bang, the formation of the stars and solar systems, the first life on Earth, the great extinctions, and the search for extraterrestrial life.
U-M Exhibit Museum, 1109 Geddes at North University. $4.75. 764-0478.
Warhammer/Warmachine Open Play: Get Your Game On.
Every Tues., Thurs., & Sat. All invited to play these 2 tactical miniatures board games.
Get Your Game On, 709 Packard. Free. 786-3746.
Ann Arbor Juggling Arts Club.
Every Sat. All invited to practice their juggling skills. Beginners welcome. Indoor location TBA in case of inclement weather.
U-M Diag. Free. 761-1115.
"The New UMMA": U-M Museum of Art.
Every Sat. & Sun., except July 4. Docent-led tours of the recently renovated museum.
UMMA, 525 S. State. Free. 764-0395.
"A Picasso": Performance Network Professional Season.
Every Thurs.-Sun., June 11-July 19. Tony Caselli directs Jeffrey Hatcher's drama, set in 1941 Nazi-occupied Paris, about a high-stakes battle of wills between Pablo Picasso and a beautiful German agent who needs him to authenticate 3 of his works that the Nazis have confiscated from their Jewish owners and intend to feature in a public art-burning. Cast: John Manfredi, Emily Sutton-Smith.
Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Tickets $27 & $29 (Thurs.), $32 & $34 (Fri. & Sun.), $25 & $27 (Sat. matinee), $39 & $41 (Sat. eve.). $3 discount for seniors age 60 & over. Tickets available in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. $10 student discount in advance, half-price student tickets at the door only. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696.
"Wake": Purple Rose Theatre Company.
Every Wed.-Sun. June 18-Aug. 23. Guy Sanville directs local actors in the world premiere of Carey Crim's comedy about an agoraphobic mortician whose vivacious mother and precocious teenage daughter try desperately to get her to leave the house. Stars Stacie Hadgikosti, Michelle Mountain, Sandy Ryder, and Bill Simmons. Purple Rose, 137 Park St., Chelsea.
Tickets $25 (Sun. eves., Wed. & Thurs.), $33 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $38 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.
"Weed 'n' Sing": Community Farm of Ann Arbor.
July 1, 11, 15, 25, & 29. All invited to sing rounds and other songs while weeding the farm's crops.
Community Farm of Ann Arbor, 1525 S. Fletcher Rd., Chelsea. Free. 475-7451.
In Good Company African American Book Club: Nicola's Books.
All invited to join a discussion of Only You, Francis Ray's romance novel about a smart, stubborn young woman who reluctantly falls for a billionaire who "winsî her at an auction.
Nicola's, Westgate shopping center. Free. 662-0600.
Board Game Night: Get Your Game On.
Every Thurs. & Sat. All invited to bring a favorite board game or play one of the store's.
Get Your Game On, 709 Packard. Free. 786-3746.
"Saturday Splash": Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation.
Every Sat. A variety of water activities for kids ages 6-12. Includes water-balloon contests, water baseball, raft races, a hula-hoop relay, and more.
Veterans Park Pool, 2150 Jackson Rd. $4 (youths age 17 & under and seniors age 60 & older, $3.50). 794-6235.
"Playing Around": Ann Arbor Civic Theatre.
July 10, 11, 17, & 18. Civic Theatre actors perform 2 plays from the theater's annual playwriting contest. July 10 & 11: Janie Deegan directs Savannah Hagen's Great In-Expectations, a drama about a middle-aged man who has a few weeks left to live. July 17 & 18: Mark Batell directs Michael Kramer's Not Then, Not Now, a drama about a middle-aged theater manager who endangers his marriage when he looks up his old high school girlfriend.
AACT Studio, 322 W. Ann. Tickets $10 & $15 in advance and at the door. 971-2228.
"Return": Nightfire
. This local troupe presents an environmental dance theater work with mythic overtones that features choreographed segments and improvisations involving call and response between dancers, accompanied by live music, narrative, and poetry. The 10 adult and children dancers are accompanied by percussionists Alex Terzian and Kevin Coppock. Followed by open dancing.
Island Park, 1450 Island Dr. off Maiden Lane. Donation. 996-1772.
Dan Levy: Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase.
July 10 & 11. Best known from his role in the 2007 romantic comedy My Sexiest Year, Levy is a young New England comic who specializes in hip observational humor about popular culture and everyday life. Preceded by 2 opening acts. Alcohol is served; all Fri. & Sat. early shows are nonsmoking.
314 E. Liberty (below Seva restaurant). $12 reserved seating in advance, $14 general admission at the door. 996-9080.
