Events
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FreeObserver Editor
“Thursday Evening Dirt”: Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society
MoreEvery Thurs. Moderate-paced ride, 25 to 35 miles, along the less-traveled unpaved roads around Chelsea. Bring a chair and a beverage or snack for a postride tailgate. See aabts.org for weather cancellations or delays. 6 p.m. sharp, meet at Aberdeen Bike and Outdoors, 1101 Main, Chelsea. Email [email protected] for each week’s route. Free. (313) 980–5277.
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Community Listing
Wine + Candle-Making: York Food and Drink
More1928 Packard St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA, Ann Arbor
An evening designed for trying something new, getting creative, and having a really good time!
Join us for a relaxed candle-making experience where beautiful scents, hands-on creation, and a warm tasting room atmosphere come together. Sip wine, laugh, connect, and enjoy the process — no experience needed.
Whether you’re coming with friends or treating yourself, this workshop is all about slowing down, creating something with your hands, and leaving with a candle you’ll love (and a great memory).
✨ What’s Included
• A guided candle-making workshop using 100% pure soy wax
• All candle-making materials provided
• One handmade candle included
o Upgrade option: Add a second candle (+$15)
• One complimentary glass of wine of your choice
• A cozy, welcoming atmosphere to relax and connect✨ What to Expect
• 6:00–6:15 – Arrival & Welcome: Settle in, grab your wine, and get comfortable.
• 6:15–7:15 – Candle-Making Workshop: Learn the candle-making process and create your own custom soy candle, infused with intention and your favorite scent.
• 7:15–7:30 – Sip, Play & Connect: Enjoy your wine, games, and conversation while your candle finishes setting.
• 7:30–8:00 – Candle Decoration: Decorate your candle to make it uniquely yours.✨ Why Join?
• Try something new and creative — no experience needed
• Play with scents and create a candle that feels uniquely yours
• Enjoy a relaxed, feel-good atmosphere with great company
• Slow down, laugh, and be present for a couple of hours
• Leave with a handmade candle you’ll actually love — and a really good memory✨ Meet the Host
Renata – Candle Maker & Wellness Facilitator – @the.universe.stuffRenata is the heart and hands behind The Universe Stuff, a holistic wellness brand rooted in mindfulness, creativity, and intention. She handcrafts soy candles and other wellness products designed to support balance and self-care, and she hosts workshops that invite people to slow down, connect, and create. Based in the Ann Arbor area, Renata loves bringing people together through meaningful, hands-on experiences.
✨ About the Space
York – yorka2.comThis workshop will take place at York, a thoughtfully designed community space in Ann Arbor where creativity, local businesses, and meaningful gatherings come together.
Known for its welcoming atmosphere and beautifully curated spaces, York brings together a collection of local vendors, makers, and experiences under one roof. The venue regularly hosts markets, workshops, and community events that celebrate connection, creativity, and collaboration.
With its open, inviting layout and vibrant community energy, York provides the perfect setting for a relaxed and social candle-making experience — where beautiful scents, hands-on creativity, and great conversation come together to create a memorable evening.
https://www.theuniversestuff.com/event-details/wine-candle-making-workshop-york-october
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FreeObserver Editor
“Repairsday Thursday”: All Hands Active
MoreEvery Thurs. All invited to drop in with broken electronics, furniture, toys, or any other item they’d like to try to repair or repurpose with the help and guidance of AHA members. Repairs not guaranteed. 6–8 p.m., basement of 255 E. Liberty, ste. 225. Free; donations welcome. [email protected], meetup.com/allhandsactive/events.
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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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Nightspots
The Revelators.: El Limon
MoreEl Limon 2709 PlymouthBlues and folk music by the local roots music trio of singer-guitarists Ralph McKee, Steve Rich, and Jill Baker.
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FreeObserver Editor
Michigan Secretary of State Debate: U-M Ford School of Public Policy
MoreOne-hour debate between Michigan lieutenant governor Garlin Gilchrist II (D) and Macomb county clerk Anthony Forlini (R). 6:30–7:30 p.m., Weill Hall, Annenberg Auditorium, 735 S. State. Free. Preregistration required (space limited) at tinyurl.com/UM-MIsos-debate.
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Community ListingFree
GriefShare: St. Luke Lutheran Church
More4205 Washtenaw Ave.
Find hope and healing after the death of a loved one. You are encouraged to join us on any week. Sessions are self-contained.
The group meets on Thursdays starting at 6:30 PM for one-and-a-half hours, ending at 8:00 PM.
Each meeting consists of a video seminar, a discussion, and your personal workbook.
Each week you can expect to view a 30-minute video filled with helpful guidance, discuss grief-related issues, and gain personal recovery tips through your workbook.
Get more information and register here: https://find.griefshare.org/groups/297677
Questions? Contact: [email protected]
First meeting: Thurs., Sept. 10
Last meeting: Thurs., Dec. 10Free -
FreeObserver Editor
“Don’t Tell the President: The Best, Worst, and Mostly Untold Stories from Presidential Advance”: Gerald Ford Presidential Library
MoreFormer presidential aides Jean Becker & Tom Collamore discuss their new book, a collection of firsthand accounts behind presidential events from advance staffers who worked to set up events for every modern-day administration from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama. Signing. 6:30–8 p.m., Ford Library Auditorium, 1000 Beal. Free. (734) 205–0555.
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FreeObserver Editor
“The Smallest Mistake We Call Human”: Literati Bookstore
MoreDetroit poet Isaac Pickell discusses his new collection of poems exploring the complicated, unresolved places that keep our lives together. 6:30 p.m., 124 E. Washington. Free. (734) 585–5567.
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FreeObserver Editor
Kate Broad and Sara Maurer: Schuler Books
MoreThese 2 novelists discuss their new books. Broad’s Greenwich follows a teenage girl who faces a complicated moral choice when staying with her wealthy relatives. Maurer’s A Good Animal is a coming-of-age love story set in Sault Ste. Marie. 6:30 p.m., Westgate Shopping Center. Free; preregistration requested at schulerbooks.com/events. (734) 662–0600.
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Observer Editor
“Spirited Away: Live on Stage”: Fathom Entertainment
More(734) 973–8424 (Cinemark), (734) 316–5500 (Emagine). Tickets $12.50 (except as noted) in advance at fathomentertainment.com/events and at the door. Cinemark (4100 Carpenter, Ypsi) & Emagine (1335 E. Michigan Ave., Saline).
Oct. 1 & 8: “Spirited Away: Live on Stage.” Screening of a prerecorded 2022 Japanese stage adaptation of this Studio Ghibli anime (see below) featuring dazzling sets, musical numbers, and puppets. Japanese, subtitles. 6:30 p.m. (Cinemark) & 7 p.m. (Emagine).
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Observer Editor
30th Annual Edgefest: Kerrytown Concert House
MoreOct. 7–10. One of the world’s 50 top jazz/avant music festivals, according to DownBeat, this annual event includes multiple shows over 4 days. Today: A Conversation with Roscoe Mitchell (5 p.m., Community High School auditorium, 401 N. Division) is followed by a performance by the local experimental & improvisational Creative Arts Orchestra featuring Edgefest honoree master Detroit saxophonist Mitchell, one of the great jazz innovators of the post-Coltrane, post-Ayler era. Includes the world premiere of a composition by Michael Malis. At the Kerrytown Concert House: Ken Kozora’s “Birds of a Feather” (7 p.m.) is a world fusion ensemble led by multi-instrumentalist Kozora, a veteran local jazz luminary. The quartet Dimensionality (8 p.m.) features improvisational singer Andrea Wolper. The West Michigan quartet Teiku (9 p.m.) is known for its experimental jazz improvisations on ancestral Jewish melodies. Improvisation-centered ensemble the Michael TA Thompson Quintet (10 p.m.) is led by New York–based postbop and free jazz drummer Thompson and includes vocalist Deanna Relyea. 5, 7, 8, 9, & 10 p.m., Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave. Tickets $20 per show (students, age 18 & under, $10) in advance at kerrytownconcerthouse.com & (if available) at the door. $70 day passes (Saturday, $100) and 240–390 full festival passes in advance only online & by phone. (734) 769–2999.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Great Michigan Gathering”: U-M Institute for the Humanities
MoreGathering to watch a livestream of writer Priya Parker, author of the bestselling The Art of Gathering, share ideas about bringing people together. This is the launch of a new Michigan Humanities Council initiative focused on connection and belonging. 7–8:30 p.m., Michigan League, Hussey Rm. Free. lsa.umich.edu/humanities.
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Observer Editor
Jay Stevens: Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase
MoreOct. 8–10. Known as a “clean” comic with a relaxed and homey style, Stevens features easygoing, observational comedy that ranges from the behavioral tendencies of older people to why Jesus was actually from Alabama. Opening acts TBA. 7:15 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.) & 9:45 p.m. (Sat.), 212 S. Fourth Ave. $20 (Thurs., $15) in advance at aacomedy.com & (if available) at the door. (734) 996–9080.
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Observer Editor
“DIY Whimsical Witch Hat Workshop”: The Sky
MoreAll invited to use decorate a one-of-a-kind witch hat for Halloween, while learning about the witch as a modern symbol of female empowerment. Hats, supplies, snacks, and mocktails included. 7–8:30 p.m., The Crazy Diamond, 110 N. Main, Chelsea. $45 only in advance at linktree.com/excitethesky.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Singing for Comfort”: Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth
MoreAll invited to join a sing-along of soothing songs that are easy to learn. No experience necessary. 7–8:30 p.m., 704 Airport Blvd., ste. 1. Free. (734) 327–0270.
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Nightspots
Jake Reichbart.: Earle
MoreEarle 121 W. Washington, Ann ArborSolo jazz guitarist. Solo jazz pianists TBA occasionally substitute.
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FreeObserver Editor
Live Trivia: Bløm Mead + Cider
MoreEvery Thurs. Bløm staffers lead 2 rounds of trivia. Teams or single players welcome. Prizes. 7 & 8 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 Irish Music Association Seisiún
MoreEvery Thurs. All acoustic musicians invited to join members of this local chapter of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for an informal evening playing traditional Irish music. Lessons offered. 7–9 p.m., Grace Church main bldg., 3150 Glazier Way. Free. [email protected], detroitirishmusic.org.
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Observer Editor
“Metamorphoses”: EMU Theatre Department
MoreOct. 8–11. Jennifer Felts directs EMU drama students in Mary Zimmerman’s 1996 adaptation of the 1st–century Roman poet Ovid’s epic masterpiece. Includes such familiar stories as “King Midas,” “Narcissus,” and “Orpheus & Eurydice.” Suggested for ages 13 & up. 7 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.) & 2 p.m. (Sun.), EMU Legacy Theatre, 1031 E. Circle Dr., Ypsi. Tickets $20 (seniors, $15; students, $12; kids 6–12, $7) in advance at emich.ludus.com, at the box office (10 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri.), & (if available) at the door. $5.80 parking pass required if parking on site. (734) 487–2282.
