Community Calendar

Join us for our next community lecture, an inspiring evening with Warfighter Scuba, a non-profit dedicated to helping combat-wounded veterans heal through the transformative power of scuba diving.

This month a group of Purple Heart recipients are coming to Alpena to work with the non-profit. Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) offers an extraordinary opportunity to explore maritime history while engaging in meaningful, hands-on conservation work.

During the lecture, Warfighter Scuba board member and technical diver Kevin Sheard will share how scuba diving not only supports physical and mental rehabilitation for veterans, but also empowers them to become citizen scientists — helping TBNMS with documenting historic shipwrecks, monitoring aquatic life, and collecting data.

Expect a fascinating blend of personal stories, underwater exploration, and cutting-edge therapy that’s changing lives. Learn how the serenity of diving and the strength of community are helping veterans
rediscover purpose and connection — all while contributing to the preservation of sanctuary resources.

Doors open at 5:30pm and the lecture begins at 6pm.
This event happens in the theater of the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in downtown Alpena and is free and open to all.

Detroit MI.- Woodbridge Pub | Unlimited Sky Production | Preservation of Jazz Jazzy Sundays Outside Summer Music Series, Concert & Jam Session. This weekly event will be Hosted and featured by multi-Detroit Music Award recipient Sky Covington Ft. Club Crescendo Terrance Neal on Drums, Phil Hale on Keys and Ibrahim Jones on Bass. The jam session starts on the second set.

Woodbridge Pub has a great menu… cash bar and a great staff. Also, excited to announce the new performance stage and outside ambience across the street from the Pub. Enjoy Jazz, cocktails and dinner under the stars. Although table and benches are available, feel free to bring your own lawn chairs

Sky Covington (skycovington.net) will also be collecting backpacks and school supplies all summer. Feel free to donate every Sunday night from 12 p - 12 a. Simply drop off your backpacks, school supplies and school uniforms in the Hug Detroit Day Drive box at the front entrance.

Love isn’t part of the agreement. But life has other plans.
Some unions are built on love. Others are built on paperwork. And sometimes, even the most transactional arrangements reveal something unexpectedly tender.

In Paper Marriage, a Chinese immigrant facing deportation pins her hopes on a marriage of convenience with an unemployed American drifting through life. What begins as a bureaucratic charade quickly unravels into something far more complicated—and deeply human. Together, Fanny and Jeff navigate clashing cultures, quiet tensions, and reluctant moments of grace as they try to outlast the system and one another.

With understated charm and emotional precision, filmmaker Jeff Man—mentored by the Duplass brothers—makes a powerful feature debut. Paper Marriage is a story about survival, identity, and the uncomfortable intimacy of forced proximity. It’s also a reminder that sometimes the most fragile connections can carry the greatest weight.

Theatre NOVA presents:
Radical Empathy
by David Wells
WORLD PREMIERE
August 1 - 24, 2025
​
Radical Empathy is not about you.​
When an American college professor’s TED Talk on empathy goes viral, he meets an Iraqi man who becomes a fixture in his virtual classroom. But when the brutality of the U.S.-led invasion hits the Iraqi man directly, the professor is forced to explore “the kindred connection from a place of deep knowing that opens your spirit to the pain of another as they perceive it.” (Isabel Wilkerson) A true story.

The cast features Jeannine Coughlin, Maya Gangadharan, Fedor Kinaya, and *Phil Powers. Directed by Briana O’Neal (director), the production team includes Craig Hane (set), Jade Guerriero (lights), Micha Victoria (costumes), Kennikki Jones-Jones (sound), and Elise Blochwitz (stage manager).

*Member Actors' Equity Association

Emberlight Photographers is sponsored by The Leather & Gift Shop
—————————————————————
WHEN MOMENTS BECOME MASTERPIECES
The striking beauty of the Upper Peninsula — its dense forests, cascading waterfalls, and charming small towns—has long inspired photographers to capture its essence. Emberlight Photographers is a special exhibition at the Historic Depot Museum, showcasing stunning images that celebrate the deep connections between art, nature, and community.

This collection highlights the vistas, people, and spirit of our hometowns through the eyes of local photographers, each offering a unique perspective on what makes our region extraordinary. From sweeping landscapes to intricate close-ups of wildlife, delicate florals, and nature’s hidden wonders, each photograph offers a unique perspective on the connections that shape our world.

Experience their work from July 16 through August 23, and if a particular piece speaks to you, you can bid on it to take a piece of the Northwoods home!

Now through October 31, families are invited to enjoy the Story Walk Trail at Hidden Lake Gardens! This 0.4-mile trail, full of twists, turns, gentle hills, and scenic views, is located near the Picnic Area, just west of the conservatory. Along the way, little ones can follow signs that bring a delightful children’s story to life.
This year’s featured book is Sip, Pick, and Pack by Michigan author Polly Cheney. Through playful rhymes and vibrant illustrations, this educational tale introduces children to seeds, plants, and pollinators in a fun and engaging way. Copies of the book are available for purchase in the Daffodil Gift Shop.

Arts Alive is pleased to announce our next gallery show of 2025, “Savor the Flavor.” This show is open to any member of the public and all mediums are accepted.

Artists can interpret each gallery theme in any way they see fit. All ages are welcome to submit artwork. Enter up to 3 pieces per show at $5 per piece. Pieces may be submitted at the Tibbits Administration Office (93 W Chicago St. Coldwater, MI) Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Pieces must be ready to display or hang. PLEASE USE HANGING WIRE because tooth hangers or anything other than hanging wire is not compatible with our system. Sculptures and all other mediums accepted. Please do not submit artwork that contains nudity. Arts Alive has the right to refuse entries. The submission deadline for this show is July 8, 2025 at 5pm and the show will hang July 9-September 1, 2025 in the Tibbits Opera House Art Gallery.

Consistently rated the best local scavenger hunt since 2016!

Puzzling Adventures are a cross between a scavenger hunt, an adventure race, and an informative self-guided walking tour. Each adventure consists of a series of locations that you are guided to where you are required to answer a question or solve a puzzle to receive your next instruction. Compete as a group, individually or create multiple teams and race each other. Almost all of our adventures are designed to be wheelchair and stroller friendly and all are carefully crafted to be entertaining and informative with something to appeal to all ages. Complete the adventure as quickly as possible to win first place or take your time and enjoy the journey. Price is per team, not per person. Groups can be any size, but small groups are recommended for the best experience.

Enter the code EVENTPASS on the payment page for a $10 discount!

Consistently rated the best local scavenger hunt since 2016!

Puzzling Adventures are a cross between a scavenger hunt, an adventure race, and an informative self-guided walking tour. Each adventure consists of a series of locations that you are guided to where you are required to answer a question or solve a puzzle to receive your next instruction. Compete as a group, individually or create multiple teams and race each other. Almost all of our adventures are designed to be wheelchair and stroller friendly and all are carefully crafted to be entertaining and informative with something to appeal to all ages. Complete the adventure as quickly as possible to win first place or take your time and enjoy the journey. Price is per team, not per person. Groups can be any size, but small groups are recommended for the best experience.

Enter the code EVENTPASS on the payment page for a $10 discount!

Most locations are available daylight hours every day.

Consistently rated the best local scavenger hunt since 2016!

Puzzling Adventures are a cross between a scavenger hunt, an adventure race, and an informative self-guided walking tour. Each adventure consists of a series of locations that you are guided to where you are required to answer a question or solve a puzzle to receive your next instruction. Compete as a group, individually or create multiple teams and race each other. Almost all of our adventures are designed to be wheelchair and stroller friendly and all are carefully crafted to be entertaining and informative with something to appeal to all ages. Complete the adventure as quickly as possible to win first place or take your time and enjoy the journey. Price is per team, not per person. Groups can be any size, but small groups are recommended for the best experience.

Enter the code EVENTPASS on the payment page for a $10 discount!