Community Calendar

"Monumental Color: Cecily Brown, Sam Gilliam, and Joan Mitchell" brings together significant artworks by three quintessential abstract artists.

Through the performance series Monumental Connection, featured artists engage in dialogue with performers whose work resonates with Sam Gilliam’s love for jazz, Joan Mitchell’s lifelong connection to poetry, and the frenetic physicality of Cecily Brown’s paintings.

As part of Monumental Connection, this poetry reading is presented in partnership with Three Fold, a local nonprofit arts journal. The evening brings together New York–based poet Eléna Rivera, whose work with Three Fold has engaged the paintings of Joan Mitchell, and Detroit-based poet Chris Tysh for a program of readings in dialogue with art and place.

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

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets to Festival Park as you watch live concert performances Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the summer. During these free concerts, guests will be energized with a variety of musical acts including rock n' roll, country, and contemporary that all ages will enjoy. A full list of performers can be found online at TheVORH.com.

6/5 - True Blue Classic Rock
6/6 - Stephan Rahrig Band
6/12 - Stephan Rahrig Band
6/13 - Zenagain
6/20 - UC3 Trio
6/26 - Zenagain
6/27 - True Blue Classic Rock
7/17 - True Blue Classic Rock
8/8 - True Blue Classic Rock

Location: The Gazebo in Festival Park
Cost: Free
Dates: Fridays and Saturday Evenings
Time: 5:00pm-8:00pm

Don’t miss back-to-back screenings of the true crime documentary on Southeast Michigan’s most-forgotten and misunderstood murder spree: 1969: Killers, Freaks and Radicals.

The award-winning film dives into the series of shocking murders of young women that took place across the twin college towns of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti in the late 1960s. While the notorious John Norman Collins was charged with one murder, the rest remain unsolved.

1969 features first-person interviews with those who were present and uncovers thousands of documents never before seen by the public, examining how the politics and social chaos of the era may have hindered the investigation. The screening will be followed by a Q+A with the filmmakers.

Purchase tickets online or at the door:
Friday, Aug. 7 at 7:30pm - Senate Theater (Detroit): https://app.gopassage.com/events/40918
Saturday, Aug. 8 at 7pm - Michigan Theater (Ann Arbor): https://marquee-arts.org/event-page/?showingId=1016865&eventId=952585

Learn more and watch the trailer at: www.1969doc.com.

When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. But he’s not prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town’s youth. When the reverend’s rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren’s reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges pins a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. This Tony and Oscar winning score features songs like “I Need a Hero”, “Almost Paradise”, and “Footloose”!

Athena by Gracie Gardner​
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“A deadly serious comedy about ambition, success, and owning your superiority.” --NY Times

Mary Wallace and Athena are brave, and seventeen, and fencers, and training for the Junior Olympics. They practice together, they compete against each other, they spend their lives together. They wish they were friends. Can they overcome their fierce competitiveness? Would they even want to? Directed by Shelby R. Seeley.

July 17 - August 9, 2026
Fridays 8:00 pm, Saturdays 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Sundays 2:00 pm

Tickets: General $30 / 65 & Over $25 / Students $15

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

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park welcomes back acclaimed artist Dale Chihuly. Experience art like never before through CHIHULY at Meijer Gardens Presented by Macatawa Bank. This highly anticipated exhibition transforms both our beautiful outdoor gardens and inviting indoor Sculpture Galleries with the world-renowned artwork of Chihuly. Stroll through the gardens and discover monumental sculptures, vibrant Reeds, and stunning site-specific installations that harmoniously blend art with nature, creating breathtaking moments around every corner.

About Dale Chihuly: Chihuly is an American artist who transforms a space with experiments in color, light, transparency, and form. He is known for his exhibitions and large-scale architectural installations around the world and for revolutionizing the studio glass movement. Chihuly works with a variety of media including glass, paint, charcoal, neon, ice, and Polyvitro, and his work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide.

Artisan at Delamar Hotel Traverse City will host a special summer weekend brunch series featuring celebrated Detroit chef Kate Williams, founder of the acclaimed Lady of the House, in collaboration with Executive Chef Sarah Bobier. Every Saturday and Sunday in July and August 2026, guests can enjoy a seasonal, ingredient-driven brunch menu that highlights Northern Michigan flavors alongside Williams’ soulful, modern cuisine.
The partnership brings together two distinct culinary voices — Chef Williams' celebrated approach to soulful, ingredient-driven cooking and Chef Bobier’s mastery of Northern Michigan's finest local and regional flavors, for a brunch offering that is as much an event as it is a meal.

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