Community Calendar

This annual exhibition transforms moments both grand and intimate into works of visual storytelling. Featuring the work of Emberlight’s acclaimed photography team and guest artists, these images form a vivid portrait not only of a region, but of the artists who continue to interpret it through their own unique lenses.

https://emberlight.org/event/emberlight-photographers-2026/

Free event

The Harrietta Blueberry Festival began in 2007 when local residents wanted to organize an event to bring the community together. Choosing to highlight local attractions and businesses, the Village celebrates annually with food, games, a parade, and more!

The festival is a free family-friendly event! Live music, pie eating contests, a quilt raffle, children’s games, and a fire hose spray provide entertainment for the participants and viewers alike. Many skilled artisans line the streets and fill the Village Hall to offer their goods for sale. The highlight of the day is the Leo Porter Memorial Parade, featuring local leaders, sponsors, and various local organization floats. Visitors of all ages and creeds are guaranteed to find something they enjoy.

The Harrietta United Methodist Church and the Slagle Township-Harrietta Fire Department put on major fundraisers. The Fire Dept. offers an amazing blueberry pancake breakfast, with eggs, sausage, coffee, and juice. The Fire Dept. also hosts a beer tent! The HUMC puts on a cookout lunch from noon until the food is gone, along with a great rummage and bake sale in the church. A community church service is also held the following morning.

Are you just here for the blueberries? Festival-goers are able to purchase a wide variety of blueberry items: ice-cream sundaes, hand-held pies, themed t-shirts, and fresh blueberries to support the Festival. Get them before they’re gone! If you want to pick your own, Harrietta’s Blueberry Hill is just down the road.

The Packard Farmers Market returns for the 2026 season at the historic Packard Proving Grounds, bringing together local farmers, artisans, bakers, makers, and small businesses in a one-of-a-kind setting where history and community meet.

Formerly known as the Shelby Farmers Market, the newly rebranded Packard Farmers Market reflects its deep connection to the Packard Proving Grounds and its mission to support the preservation of this iconic historic site. The market runs Saturdays from May 16 through October 10, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., on the expansive front lawn of the Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site.

Each week, the market is arranged in neat rows across the lawn, offering a relaxed, walkable shopping experience. Vendors may park directly next to their booths, and the grass setting provides a cooler summer atmosphere ideal for tent setups. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. The market is supported by Packard Proving Grounds volunteers and local high school students earning community service hours.

The Packard Farmers Market is open on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends and will be closed Saturday, July 4. Proceeds from the market directly benefit the ongoing restoration and preservation of the Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site, owned and operated by the Packard Motor Car Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Dates: Saturdays, May 16 – October 10, 2026 *closed July 4th

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Location: Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site, Shelby Township

More information and vendor details: packardprovinggrounds.org/farmersmarket

The Packard Farmers Market returns for the 2026 season at the Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site. Formerly the Shelby Farmers Market, the rebranded market runs Saturdays from May 16 through October 10, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Shop local farmers, artisans, bakers, and makers in a historic outdoor setting. The market is open on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends and closed Saturday, July 4. Proceeds support the preservation of the Packard Proving Grounds.

More information and vendor details available at packardprovinggrounds.org/farmersmarket.

The Packard Farmers Market returns for the 2026 season at the Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site. Formerly the Shelby Farmers Market, the rebranded market runs Saturdays from May 16 through October 10, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Shop local farmers, artisans, bakers, and makers in a historic outdoor setting. The market is open on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends and closed Saturday, July 4. Proceeds support the preservation of the Packard Proving Grounds.

More information and vendor details available at packardprovinggrounds.org/farmersmarket.

Sponsored by the Gogebic Community College Foundation, in memory of Alex Marciniak.

From June 27 through August 22, visitors are invited to wander the 1.2-mile Aurora Loop and discover large-scale installations nestled among towering pines, winding trails, and the rugged beauty of the Northwoods. Created by artists from across the region, this year’s exhibition reflects Emberlight’s 2026 theme, New Ways to Dream — exploring imagination, transformation, memory, identity, and the power of collective creativity.

Alongside this year’s juried installations, Emberlight proudly unveils two major community-centered projects through Art For All. A new collaborative installation invites audiences themselves to become part of the artistic process, while a second large-scale work — created in partnership with students from five regional schools — draws inspiration from Ojibwe doodems, reflecting themes of kinship, ancestry, and connection to the natural world through the voices and creativity of the next generation. Supported through funding from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the project places young artists at the heart of the festival in a powerful new way.

https://emberlight.org/event/art-in-the-park-2026/

Free event

Join The Natural Dye Company and MIgardener in St. Clair for a fun and creative natural dye event! In this hands-on workshop, you'll create your own naturally dyed 100% cotton bandana using a shibori resist technique and a natural dye made from marigolds!

Guided tours exploring Greektown's history, culture, public art, and evolving streetscape

This annual exhibition transforms moments both grand and intimate into works of visual storytelling. Featuring the work of Emberlight’s acclaimed photography team and guest artists, these images form a vivid portrait not only of a region, but of the artists who continue to interpret it through their own unique lenses.

https://emberlight.org/event/emberlight-photographers-2026/

Free event

Sponsored by the Gogebic Community College Foundation, in memory of Alex Marciniak.

From June 27 through August 22, visitors are invited to wander the 1.2-mile Aurora Loop and discover large-scale installations nestled among towering pines, winding trails, and the rugged beauty of the Northwoods. Created by artists from across the region, this year’s exhibition reflects Emberlight’s 2026 theme, New Ways to Dream — exploring imagination, transformation, memory, identity, and the power of collective creativity.

Alongside this year’s juried installations, Emberlight proudly unveils two major community-centered projects through Art For All. A new collaborative installation invites audiences themselves to become part of the artistic process, while a second large-scale work — created in partnership with students from five regional schools — draws inspiration from Ojibwe doodems, reflecting themes of kinship, ancestry, and connection to the natural world through the voices and creativity of the next generation. Supported through funding from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the project places young artists at the heart of the festival in a powerful new way.

https://emberlight.org/event/art-in-the-park-2026/

Free event