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Events in August 2022
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August 18, 2022
U-M Museum of Natural History Planetarium & Dome Theater.
Daily. Three different audiovisual planetarium shows suitable for all ages. Expedition Reef (12:30 p.m.) reveals the secrets of the “rainforests of the sea,” the world’s most vibrant and endangered marine ecosystems. The Sky Tonight (1:30 & 3:30 p.m.) is an exploration of the current night sky, with tips on how to find the cardinal directions, constellations, and planets on your own. Tales of the Maya Skies (2:30 p.m.) immerses viewers in the wonders of Mayan science, examining how Maya scholars developed a sophisticated understanding of astronomy, architecture, and mathematics that enabled them to predict solstices, solar eclipses, weather patterns, and planetary movements. Various times, U-M MNH, 1105 North University. Check ummnh.org for the latest Covid protocols. $8. Limited capacity. 764–0478.
Dressage Shows: Waterloo Hunt Club.
Aug. 5–7 & 18–21. Competitive equine ballet by skilled horses and riders, highlighted by graceful freestyle routines set to music. No pets. Concessions. 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Waterloo Hunt Club, Glenn at Katz (west off Mount Hope Rd. from I-94 exit 150), Grass Lake. Free admission. 426–2111.
“Senior Naturalist: Crickets, Grasshoppers, & Katydids”: Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission.
Aug. 18 (10–11:30 a.m.): “Senior Naturalist: Crickets, Grasshoppers, & Katydids”: Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission. Aug. 18. WCPARC naturalist Elle Bogle leads adults age 55 & up in learning about and netting members of the insect order Orthoptera. Nets provided. West Lake Preserve, 21598 Waterloo Rd., Chelsea. Free. Limited to 15 participants. Preregistration required by emailing boglee@washtenaw.org.
Mah-jongg: U-M Turner Senior Wellness Program.
Mah-jongg (Thurs. 10 a.m.–noon) in person at 2401 Plymouth Rd. 998–9353.
Preschool Storytimes: Ann Arbor District Library.
Every Mon.–Fri. (except Aug. 1): Preschool Storytimes: Ann Arbor District Library. Half hour program of stories and songs for kids ages 2—5 (with caregiver). Mon. 10:30 a.m. (Pittsfield), Tues. 11 a.m. (Downtown), Wed. 10:30 a.m. (Malletts Creek), Thurs. 11 a.m. (Traverwood), Fri. 1 p.m. (Westgate). Free. 327–4200.
“Sonic Lunch”: Bank of Ann Arbor.
Every Thurs. (except July 21), June 2–Aug. 25. Musical entertainment by local and area performers. Today: The Accidentals, nationally acclaimed Traverse City Americana alt-folk trio of young multi-instrumentalists Katie Larson and Savannah Buist and percussionist Michael Dause. Opener: pop-rock singer-songwriter Ceolsige, the stage name of Kelsey Detering. 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Liberty Plaza, E. Liberty at South Division. Free. soniclunch.com, 662–1600.
A Course in Miracles Study Group: Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth
A study of A Course in Miracles via Zoom. Free, but donations appreciated.
ACBL-sanctioned Bridge: Ann Arbor Senior Center.
Thursdays noon–3:30 p.m. $9; members, $8. Ann Arbor Senior Center (1320 Baldwin Ave., 794–6250). Check meeting status before coming.
Open Board Gaming: Sylvan Factory.
Every Thurs. & Sun. All invited to play new and old board games. Noon—4 p.m. (Thurs.) & noon—6 p.m. (Sun.), Sylvan Factory, 2459 W. Stadium Blvd. Free. info@sylvanfactory.com, 929—5877. sylvanfactory.com/event-schedule.
Duplicate Bridge: Ann Arbor City Club.
Every Tues., Thurs., & Fri. All invited to play ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge (Fri., Tues.), or a 499er game (Thurs.). 1–4 p.m. or so (arrive by 12:50 p.m.), City Club, 1830 Washtenaw Ave. $6 per person. If you plan to come without a partner, email kahanae@yahoo.net or ronmeade@comcast.net beforehand.
Wise Guys: Conversations for Men: U-M Turner Senior Wellness Program.
Wise Guys: Conversations for Men (Thurs. 1–2:30 p.m.) via Zoom. U-M Turner Senior Wellness Program. Free. Events are either in person at 2401 Plymouth Rd., or via Zoom. For Zoom links see calendar at bit.ly/UMTurnerCal. 998–9353.
Kids Crafts: Ann Arbor District Library.
Aug. 1–6, 8, 10, 15, 17–19, 21, 23, 24, & 27: Kids Crafts: Ann Arbor District Library. AADL staffers lead hour-long workshops for kids ages 5-10. Aug. 1 (2 p.m., Downtown): “Slime Time.” Aug. 2 (2 p.m., Traverwood): “Paper Robot Gliders and Balancing Paper Robots.” Aug. 2 (2 p.m., Malletts Creek): “Felt Chain Garlands.” Aug. 3 (2 p.m., Westgate): “Scratch-Off Art.” Aug. 4 (2 p.m., Traverwood) & Aug. 15 (2 p.m., Westgate): “Domino Days.” Aug. 5, (1 p.m., Downtown) & Aug. 21 (2 p.m., Traverwood): chance to build a “Tiny Window Greenhouse” and plant a seedling. Aug. 6 (noon, Westgate): “Paper Plate Flying Saucers.” Aug. 8 (2 p.m., Pittsfield): “Button Tree Painting.” Aug. 10 (2 p.m., Mallets Creek): “Craft-tastic!” Creative crafting using pipe cleaners, pom-poms, clothes pins, and more. Aug. 17 (2 p.m., Pittsfield): “Duct Tape Balls” to use on a playground. Aug. 18 (2 p.m., Downtown): “Paper Bag Astronaut Helmet.” Aug. 19 (2 p.m., Malletts Creek): chance to build and test a “Solar S’mores Oven.” Aug. 23 (2 p.m., Downtown): “Cabbage Juice Chemistry.” Aug. 24 (1 p.m., Malletts Creek): “Diorama-Ram.” Aug. 27 (1 p.m., Malletts Creek): “Crowns, Crowns, Crowns!” Free. 327–4200.
“Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Ghost Machine”: Purple Rose Theatre Company.
Every Wed.–Sun., Apr. 15–Aug. 27. Angie Kane directs the world premiere of Livonia playwright David MacGregor’s drama that imagines the Victorian sleuth, aided by Dr. Watson and Irene Adler, solving the disappearance of world-changing inventions by clients Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. Cast: David Bendena, Caitlin Cavannaugh, Mark Colson, Sarab Kamoo, Rusty Mewha, and Paul Strobili. 3 p.m. (Wed., Thurs., & Sat.), 8 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.), & 2 p.m. (Sun.). Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. Mask and proof of vaccination required. Tickets $25–51 in advance at PurpleRoseTheatre.org and by phone, and (if available) at the door. Discounts available for students, seniors, teachers, military personnel, and groups. 433–7673.
3rd Thursdays: Manchester Area Chamber of Commerce.
Live music on the mill porch, hay rides, kids activities, live entertainment by street performers such as hula hoopers and belly dancers, artist & vendor market, a business expo, historic walking tours & open houses, and more. 5-9 p.m., downtown Manchester. Free. 48158.com, (248) 605-0626.
“Repairsday Thursday”: All Hands Active.
Every Thurs. All invited to drop in with broken electronics, furniture, toys, and any other odd item for AHA members to try to repair and offer advice. Repairs not guaranteed. Livestream also available at MeetUp.com/AllHandsActive/events. 6–8 p.m., All Hands Active, basement of 255 E. Liberty, ste. 225. Free; donations welcome. Mask required. info@AllHandsActive.org.
Battletech: Classic: Sylvan Factory.
Every Tues. & Thurs. All invited to play this fast-paced tabletop miniatures war game. No experience or materials needed. 6–9 p.m., Sylvan Factory, 2459 W. Stadium Blvd. Free. info@sylvanfactory.com, 929–5877. sylvanfactory.com/event-schedule.
In person silent meditation
Insight Meditation Ann Arbor offers meditation every Thursday evening at Zion Lutheran Church; 1501 W Liberty. Please come in back door. Two sittings: 6:30-7:00, and 7:15 to 8:00, come to either or both. Please mask in building. No charge, donations gratefully accepted.
“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to CCC”: Children’s Creative Center.
Aug. 17–21. Gayle Martin, Laurie Atwood, and Abby Vermeulen direct local kids in their original musical production about a boy whose mother won’t let him play in the neighborhood’s popular dodgeball games and the day when he finally gets the chance. Features musical numbers adapted from Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and other shows. The Aug. 20 performance is followed by a post-performance reception ($100 suggested donation; reservations required at ChildrensCreativeCenter.org) with food & drink from local restaurants TBA . Proceeds benefit Friends of CCC, which assists homeless and disadvantaged families with childcare costs. 7 p.m. (Wed.–Sat.) & 2 p.m. (Sun.), Children’s Creative Center, 1600 Pauline (at Kay Pkwy. east of Stadium). Tickets pay what you can in advance at ChildrensCreativeCenter.org or at the door. 769–0019.
“HaydnSeek Concert #3 at NCC”: Northside Community Church.
Local cellist Thor Sigurdson performs Schumann’s glorious A Minor Cello Concerto. Also, other musicians and works TBA. 7 p.m., Northside Community Church, 929 Barton Dr. Free. ncca2.org/events, NorthsideCommunityA2@gmail.com, (708) 205–4212.
“Salty Summer Sounds Live Music Series”: Saline Main Street.
Every Thurs. night, June 16–Aug. 18. Downtown concerts by area bands. Kids activities. Outdoor seating and dining. Dancing. Tonight: renowned touring student fiddle ensemble Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic. 7–9 p.m., downtown Saline, 101 S. Ann Arbor St., Saline. Free. More information at bit.ly/saltysummer2022, 717–7406.
“Vapor”: Literati Bookstore At Home with Literati.
Award-winning Alaska poet Sara Eliza Johnson joins fellow poets Sumita Chakraborty & Rachel Mennies to discuss her much-anticipated 2nd collection that explores the physical world from the microscopic to telescopic, evoking an Anthropocene for a body and planet that are continually dying. 7 p.m., for URL see literatibookstore.com/event/2022-08. Free. 585–5567.
Thursday Night Music Series: A2 Summer Streets (Main Street Area Association).
Every Thurs., June 2–Aug. 25. Local musicians perform throughout the Main St. area. Alcoholic beverages may be carried in designated containers within district boundaries. Portable food available from local restaurants. Rain cancels. II-V-I Orchestra (Main St. & William St. stage), a veteran local big band that plays late 1930s swing and 1940s R&B. Also, the Detroit guitar-based psych-rock band The Indigo Curve (Main St. & Liberty St. stage), the U-M student hip-hop-pop duo Evan Starr & Naxxar (Washington St. & Main St. stage), the local bluegrass quartet Pontiac Trailblazers (Bløm Meadworks, 100 S. Fourth Ave.), and the local barbershop-style chorus the Huron Valley Harmonizers (roving the Main St. area). 7–9 p.m., Main St. area, Free. mainstreetannarbor.org/a2-summer-streets.
U-M Women’s Soccer
The U-M has exhibition games this month against Bowling Green (Aug. 6, 7 p.m.) and Virginia (Aug. 13, noon). Also, regular-season games this month against Washington State (Aug. 18, 7 p.m.) and Butler (Aug. 21, noon). U-M Soccer Stadium, 2250 S. State. $6 & $8 (groups of 10 or more, $3 per person). Exhibition games, free. 764–0247.
Pub Quiz: Conor O’Neill’s Irish Pub.
Every Thurs. Local high school English teacher Barry Aherne throws out questions for anyone to answer at this popular weekly trivia fest. Come with a team (up to 6 people). Prizes. 7:30 p.m. or so, Conor O’Neill’s, 318 S. Main. $5 team fee that goes to the winning team. 665–2968.
“God Kinda Looks Like Tupac”: Theatre Nova.
Every Thurs.–Sun., July 29–Aug. 21. Vincent Ford Jr. directs the premier of U-M playwriting lecturer Emilio Rodriguez’s comic exploration of political correctness, societal expectations, and code-switching. When a black high school student creates an unconventional portrait of God for a student art exhibit, her white and Latina teachers have a variety of reactions, to funny and deep effect. 8 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.) & 2 p.m. (Sun.), Theatre Nova, 410 W. Huron St. Mask & proof of vaccination (or negative Covid test within past 48 hours). Tickets $22 in advance at theatre-nova.ticketleap.com & at the door. 635–8450.
“One Slight Hitch”: PTD Productions.
Every Wed.-Sun., Aug. 18-27. Laura Bird directs local actors in comedian Lewis Black’s wry 2013 romantic farce about a young bride-to-be whose ne’er-do-well ex-boyfriend shows up on her parent’s doorstep on her wedding day. Unaware of her engagement, his clothes dirty from a hiking adventure, the unwanted guest avails himself of the family’s laundry and wanders the house in his underwear, running into various family members with increasingly awkward, and hilarious, results. 8 p.m. (Thurs.-Sat.) & 2 p.m. (Sun. & Wed.), Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $18 (students & seniors, $12; Thurs., pay what you can) in advance at ptdproductions.com and at the door. 483-7345.
“RiffTrax Live: Return of the Swamp Thing”: Fathom Events
Fathom Events. Special screenings in local theaters with reduced capacity. For updated schedule, see FathomEvents.com/events. $12.50 (unless otherwise noted) in advance online (recommended) & at the door. Ann Arbor 20 (4100 Carpenter, 973–8424), Emagine (1335 E. Michigan Ave., Saline, 316–5500).
Aug. 18: “RiffTrax Live: Return of the Swamp Thing.” Live broadcast of a “riffing” performance by former Mystery Science Theater 3000 stars Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett, who aim their comic heckling at a screening of Jim Wynorski’s 1989 tongue-in-cheek horror comedy sequel about a plant-based bog creature who falls for the plant-loving, vegetarian daughter of the evil scientist who created him. Ann Arbor 20 only. 8 p.m.
“Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Ghost Machine”: Purple Rose Theatre Company.
Every Wed.–Sun., Apr. 15–Aug. 27. Angie Kane directs the world premiere of Livonia playwright David MacGregor’s drama that imagines the Victorian sleuth, aided by Dr. Watson and Irene Adler, solving the disappearance of world-changing inventions by clients Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. Cast: David Bendena, Caitlin Cavannaugh, Mark Colson, Sarab Kamoo, Rusty Mewha, and Paul Strobili. 3 p.m. (Wed., Thurs., & Sat.), 8 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.), & 2 p.m. (Sun.). Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. Mask and proof of vaccination required. Tickets $25–51 in advance at PurpleRoseTheatre.org and by phone, and (if available) at the door. Discounts available for students, seniors, teachers, military personnel, and groups. 433–7673.
German Conversation.
Every Tues. & Thurs. All German speakers, native or non-native, invited for conversation with either or both of 2 long-running groups, the German Speakers Round Table (7:30 p.m. Tues.), and the A2 Stammtisch (8 p.m. Thurs.). Various times, Grizzly Peak Brewing Company, 120 W. Washington. Free admission. 812–6375 (Tues.). Preregistration for Thurs. A2 Stammtisch requested at heerdeolind@yahoo.com.
