Free
Events
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FreeObserver Editor
“Nature Lab”: U-M Museum of Natural History
MoreEvery Tues.–Sun. All age 6 & up invited into the museum’s labs to use scientific tools and museum specimens. The newest program lets participants try out simulated snake senses (sight, hearing, and smell) to experience the world as if they were a snake. No live snakes. 11 a.m.–3 p.m., 1105 North University. Free. (734) 764–0478, ummnh.org.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Asian/Americanist Takes on Techno-Empire, Chinamaxxing, and the ‘American Century of Humiliation’”: U-M Digital Studies Institute
MoreA panel of technology policy experts discuss Chinese techno-culture, the interplay between the U.S. and Asia, and the roots of “Chinamaxxing” in U.S.-China relations. 4–5:30 p.m., Weiser Hall, 10th fl., 500 Church. Free, but preregistration requested at tinyurl.com/um-disco-9-23-26. (734) 764–3356.
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FreeObserver Editor
Board Game Night: Argus Farm Stop
MoreSept. 9 & 23. All invited to participate in a relaxed evening of board games. If you want, bring a game to share. 4–7 p.m., 1200 Packard. Free; food & drink for sale. (734) 997–5448, argusfarmstop.com.
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FreeObserver Editor
Michigan Marching Band Practice
MoreEvery Mon.–Thurs. (except Sept. 7). The U-M’s highly disciplined 200+ member marching band or sections thereof can be seen and heard practicing on the new Elbel field, across the street from the old Elbel field. All welcome to find a spot in the bleachers and get a sneak preview of upcoming halftime shows. Rehearsals usually last 1–2 hours. 4:45 p.m., new Elbel Field, Hill at Fifth Ave. Free. (734) 764–0582.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Me, Myself, and AI: Where Human Creativity and Algorithms Intersect”: U-M Center for Judaic Studies
MoreCelebrated Israeli writer and filmmaker Etgar Keret discusses what happened when he used AI models to test the limits of what a machine could generate about stories and narratives. 5–6:30 p.m., Rackham Amphitheatre. Free. (734) 615–8503.
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FreeObserver Editor
Riso Lab: Ann Arbor District Library
MoreAll invited to use analog tools to create a 2-color design and print it with the lab’s Risograph duplicator, a digital screen printer similar to a photocopier. 5–7 p.m., AADL Downtown, Secret Lab. Free. (734) 327–4200.
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FreeObserver Editor
Board Game Night: Bløm Mead + Cider
MoreEvery Wed. All invited to play popular board games. Use provided games or bring your own. 5–10 p.m., 100 S. Fourth Ave. Free, but purchase of food & drink encouraged. (734) 548–9729, drinkblom.com/events.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Detroit Never Left: Black Space, White Borders, Latino Crossings”: Ann Arbor District Library Author Event
MoreDetroit writer Nicole E. Trujillo-Pagán discusses her new book about Detroit’s recent resurgence and how many residents feel left behind. Signing. 6–7 p.m., AADL Downtown, lower level program rm. Free. (734) 327–4200.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Here Comes the Sun”: U-M Museum of Natural History Science Café
MoreU-M engineering professor Rohini Chandran and Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility executive director Shoshannah Lenski discuss the emerging technologies of solar-to-heat and solar-to-fuel conversion. Hors d’oeuvres at 5:30 p.m. 6–7:30 p.m., Conor O’Neill’s, 318 S. Main. Free; drink purchases encouraged. Seating limited, so come early. (734) 764–0478.
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Community ListingFree
An Update on Gelman Dioxane Contamination and the EPA Superfund Process: Sierra Club Huron Valley Group
More343 S. Fifth Ave , Ann Arbor
Join the Sierra Club Huron Valley Group at the Downtown Ann Arbor District Library, where prominent local environmental advocate, citizen scientist, and community organizer Roger Rayle will give an update on the Gelman plume. Roger is chair of the Coalition for Action on Remediation of Dioxane (CARD), an organization that has been crucial in responding to the Gelman plume. Roger is widely recognized for compiling, mapping, and visualizing environmental data. He has spent decades creating detailed visual aids, spreadsheets, and interactive maps to help the public, local officials, and regulators track the movement, concentration, and expansion of the Gelman 1,4-dioxane plume over time.
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FreeObserver Editor
Drop-in Knitting: Spun
MoreEvery Sun.–Thurs. (different times). All invited to work on their knitting, crochet, weaving, and embroidery projects. 6–8 p.m. (Mon.–Thurs.) & 1–3 p.m. (Sun.), 401 N. Fourth Ave. Free. (734) 780–7867.
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FreeObserver Editor
“A2 Crokinole Club”: Lowertown Bar & Cafe
MoreEvery Wed. All invited to play this century-old Canadian game. Players flick discs across concentric scoring rings on a circular hardwood board. All skill levels welcome; boards provided. On the patio, weather permitting. 6–8 p.m., 1031 Broadway. Free, but purchase of food & drink encouraged. lowertowna2.com/events.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Bridging Generations: A Dialogue on Mental Health”: Washtenaw Alive Suicide Prevention Coalition
MorePanel discussion with community young people and seniors. Refreshments. 6–8 p.m., Manchester High School, 20500 Dutch, Manchester. Free.
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FreeObserver Editor
Group Runs: A2 Runners
MoreEvery Wed. & Mon. Runners of all abilities invited to join a beginner or advanced 3- to 5-mile group run, followed by socializing at a downtown coffee shop. 6:30 p.m., meet at the Kerrytown Clock Tower. Preregistration requested at meetup.com/a2runners. Free. [email protected].
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FreeObserver Editor
American History Trivia Night: Gerald Ford Presidential Library
MoreAll invited to answer American history trivia questions on everything from the Declaration of Independence to modern popular culture. Prizes. 6:30–8 p.m., Ford Library Auditorium, 1000 Beal. Free. (734) 205–0555.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Values in Focus: A Conversation with Andrea Joyce”: U-M Delta Gamma
MoreEmmy Award–winning NBC sports reporter and U-M alum Joyce discusses ethics, leadership, and the responsibility of storytelling in sports and media. 7:30–8:30 p.m., Rackham Auditorium. Free, preregistration required at tinyurl.com/um-andreajoyce-9-23-26.
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FreeObserver Editor
University Symphony Orchestra: U-M School of Music
MoreKenneth Kiesler directs this music student ensemble in Ravel’s colorful and revolutionary orchestral showpiece La Valse, Beethoven’s driving and festive Symphony No. 7, and Saint-Saëns’ exotic Nile-inspired Piano Concerto No. 5 featuring U-M Concerto Competition–winning soloist Jinzhao Xu. 8 p.m., Hill Auditorium. Free. (734) 764–2538.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Fall Migration in Nichols Arboretum”: Washtenaw Bird & Nature Alliance
MoreEvery Thurs., Sept. 3–Oct. 29. WBNA members lead a hike through the Arb to look for fall warblers and other southbound migrants. Birders of all skill levels welcome. 8–11 a.m., meet in the cul-de-sac at the end of Riverview. (off Geddes near the east end of Dow Field). Free. washtenawbna.org.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Nature Lab”: U-M Museum of Natural History
MoreEvery Tues.–Sun. All age 6 & up invited into the museum’s labs to use scientific tools and museum specimens. The newest program lets participants try out simulated snake senses (sight, hearing, and smell) to experience the world as if they were a snake. No live snakes. 11 a.m.–3 p.m., 1105 North University. Free. (734) 764–0478, ummnh.org.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Decorative Hand Lettering”: Ann Arbor District Library
MoreAll invited to practice 4 different styles of hand lettering, then decorate a bullet journal, poster, comics, grocery list, or correspondence. Noon–1 p.m., AADL Malletts Creek. Free. (734) 327–4200.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Body Camera Footage as Data”: U-M Institute for Social Research
MoreTalk by U-M organizational studies professor Nick Camp about police body-camera footage, the insights it can give into everyday realities of policing, as well as tools for more accountable and just law enforcement. Noon–1 p.m., 1430 ISR, 426 Thompson. Free. (734) 764–365.
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FreeObserver Editor
U-M Center for Japanese Studies Noon Lecture Series
MoreSept 17 & 24. Talks by visiting scholars.
Sept. 17: “Gathering Fading Voices: Endangered Dialect Research in Japan Today.” A talk by Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology (Japan) informatics professor Joy Taniguchi.
Sept. 24: “Rivers and the Politics of Temporality in Ainu Mosir.” U-M postdoc Michael Ioannides discusses the crucial role that rivers play in the identity of the Indigenous Ainu people.
Noon–1:30 p.m., Weiser Hall (room TBA), 500 Church St. Free. (734) 764–6307.
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FreeObserver Editor
Regent Candidate Forum: U-M Faculty Senate Office
MoreThe 2026 candidates for the U-M Board of Regents present their qualifications, articulate their vision for the University, and respond to questions. 4-5:30 p.m., University Hall, Alexander Ruthven Building, 1109 Geddes. Also available via livestream. Free. Preregistration required at facultysenate.umich.edu/regent-candidate-forum-2026.
