Events
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Observer Editor
Country Fair: Wiard’s Orchards
MoreEvery Wed.–Sun. A carnival atmosphere with a variety of family-oriented fall activities on this family farm, including wagon rides, a petting farm, a corn maze, and more. For an extra charge on Sat. & Sun., an apple cannon, paintball, apple or pumpkin picking, and other activities available. Cider & donuts available. Also, on Oct. 3 & 4, local artisans & crafters sell their items at the Craft Show Weekend, and on Oct. 24, young entrepreneurs sell homemade items at the Kids Market (noon–4 p.m.). No pets. 11 a.m.–6 p.m., 5565 Merritt (east of Carpenter), Ypsi. Weekend admission: $27.50 (babies under 2, free). Weekday admission: $18 (babies under 2, free), online only at wiards.com. (734) 482–7744.
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Observer Editor
Duplicate Bridge: Ann Arbor City Club
MoreEvery Thurs., Fri., & Tues. All invited to play ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge (Tues. & Fri.) and a 499er game (Thurs.) for players with no more than 499 ACBL master points. 1–4 p.m. (arrive by 12:45 p.m.), 1830 Washtenaw Ave. $9 per person. If you plan to come without a partner, email [email protected].
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Observer Editor
U-M Museum of Natural History Planetarium & Dome Theater
MoreEvery Fri.–Sun. Three different audiovisual planetarium shows suitable for all ages. T. Rex (noon) describes the iconic dinosaur’s scientific and cinematic history (includes scenes of dinosaur violence); The Sky Tonight (1 & 3 p.m.) explores the current night sky, with tips on how to find the cardinal directions, constellations, and planets on your own; and Tales of the Maya Skies (2 p.m.) immerses viewers in the wonders of Mayan science, examining how Mayan scholars developed a sophisticated understanding of astronomy, architecture, and mathematics. Noon, 1, 2, & 3 p.m., 1105 North University. $9 at the gift shop. Limited capacity. (734) 764–0480, ummnh.org.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Freedom and Citizenship: Corporate Membership and the Making of Exclusion”: U-M Anthropology Department Roy A. Rappaport Lecture
MoreU-M anthropology professor Matthew Hull discusses how corporations, once grounded in democratic ideals, now work against our cultural institutions. Second in a series of 4 monthly lectures. 3–4:30 p.m., 411 West Hall, 1085 South University. Free. (734) 764–7274.
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Community Listing
Halloween Costume Craft, Reuse and Mend | Youth: SCRAP Creative Reuse
More4567 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA, Ann Arbor
This spooky season, skip the store-bought costume. At this costume remix you can trade, repair, and remake costumes using SCRAP’s reuse materials, sewing tools, and notion. Got an old costume you’re done with? Bring it for the group swap and leave with something new-to-you. Got one with a busted seam or missing pieces? We’ll help you fix it. Starting from scratch? Dig into our bins of fabric, trim, and odds and ends to build anything from a quick DIY look to something cosplay-level.A seasoned professional sewist will be on hand all session to answer questions, troubleshoot, and share tips for your future projects.
What to expect (youth):
Open access to sewing machines, hand-sewing supplies, and notions
Loads of reuse materials to build, embellish, and transform
Guidance from our resident mender, Carol Taite. She is a local artist who has been sourcing from SCRAP for many years. Her personal creative projects include garment making and whimsical textile art.
A costume swap table (bring one to trade if you have one!)
Walk out with a costume that’s one-of-a-kind and waste-free
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FreeObserver Editor
U-M Clements Library Tour
MoreOct. 16 & 23. Hour-long docent-led tour of the library’s early American history collection, along with a chance to view a new exhibit, Who Counts? A History of Voting in America, a display of ballot boxes, campaign pins, preprinted party tickets, banners, and other electioneering ephemera. 4 p.m. (Oct. 16 & 23) and 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. (Oct. 23), 909 South University. Free, preregistration required at clements.umich.edu. (734) 649–3370.
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Community ListingFree
In the Shadow of Empire: Calcutta’s Victoria Memorial and its Cast of Moving Statuary: University of Michigan Museum Studies Program
MoreHaven Hall (5th floor) 500 S. State Street, Ann Arbor
Presentation by Tapati Guha-Thakurta, Honorary Professor of History, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta
With a focus on Calcutta’s landmark monument – the most grandiose of the memorials to the Queen of all the ones built across the British imperial territories – this lecture addresses the theme of the end of empire through the persistence and proliferation of the genre of civic public statuary, its shifting cast of characters, and its movements across time and space. It is on the grounds of the Victoria Memorial – in the lingering shadows of a bygone empire – that a brood of imperial statues have found a safe haven, quietly living out their post-imperial lives of oblivion in a time and place where the empire is long gone but its hauntings remain.
In the recent past, we have seen how such hauntings of the past can suddenly return to a body of long-standing statues of American Confederate leaders, slave owners and imperialists, bringing on them the wrath of anti-white supremacist protests that began to rage across Western cities and universities during 2020. What the Black Lives Matter movement did was to return attention in India to the long-forgotten specimens of colonial statuary, mostly hidden away in remote locations of our cities – raising the issue again, after over 75 years of Independence, of their rights to remain in the spaces where they still stand. The afterlives of these relics of empire is a central theme of this lecture, as it explores various moments in the travels, dislocations and relocations of Calcutta’s imperial statues, while charting a small parallel history of Indian statue-making over these transitional decades of the last years of British rule and the coming of Independence.
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FreeObserver Editor
Walking Tours: U-M Detroit Observatory
MoreOct. 3, 10, 17, 23, & 30. Student docents lead walks to historically rich areas of the U-M campus.
Oct. 3 (1–2:30 p.m) & Oct. 23 (4–5:30 p.m.): “Key Moments in U-M’s Early History.” A tour of the original 40-acre campus and stories of U-M’s history in the early 1800s.
Oct. 10 (1–2:30 p.m.): “Invisible to Indispensable: Black Legacies.” Focuses on the legacy of Black students and academics and the social movements they led on campus.
Oct. 17 (1–2:30 p.m.): “The Origins of the Law Quadrangle.” A visit to the law school campus, with discussion of its architecture and important historical moments.
Oct. 23 (6–7:30 p.m.): “Paths of Protest: Stories of Campus Activism.” Visits to places on campus that were sites of important protests.
Oct. 30 (4–5:30 p.m.): “Forest Hill Cemetery.” A trek to the final resting place of numerous figures from U-M history.
Various times & locations. Free, preregistration required at detroitobservatory.umich.edu. (734) 763–2230.
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Nightspots
Durt.: Ypsi Alehouse
MoreYpsi Alehouse 124 Pearl, #100, Ypsilanti, YpsilantiLocal acoustic folk-rock singer-songwriter & guitarist. 4:30–6:30 p.m.
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Nightspots
“Swing Happy Hour.”: Blue LLama
MoreBlue LLama 314 S. Main, Ann ArborWith the Kerrytown Stompers, a local ensemble led by drummer Pete Siers that performs a range of vintage jazz styles, from struts, stomps, cakewalks, and rags to pop tunes, marches, and classical favorites. 5–6:30 p.m. Free.
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FreeObserver Editor
Letterpress Open Lab: Ann Arbor District Library
MoreOct. 9, 14, 23, & 31 (different times). A chance for adults to learn the basics of printing with movable type. 5–7 p.m. (Oct. 9, 14 & 23) and 3–5 p.m. (Oct. 31), AADL Downtown, Secret Lab. Free. (734) 327–4200.
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Nightspots
Bart Moore & Cody Wilson: The Ranch
MoreThe Ranch 122 W. Washington, Ann ArborDuo of veteran folk-rock & Americana singer-songwriters. 5 p.m.
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Community ListingFree
Friday Night Live Music: Lake Forest Golf Club
More3110 West Ellsworth Road, Ann Arbor
🍂 Friday Nights Are Getting Cozy at Lake Forest! 🔥🎶
Join us Friday, October 23rd for an evening of live music, great food, and all the things we love about fall at Lake Forest.
🎹 Louis Johnson on piano
🎸 David Stearns on bass
🎶 Live music beginning at 5 PMCome early for Happy Hour from 3–5 PM, then settle in for the evening. Grab a blanket, gather around the firetables, enjoy the gardens and games, and relax with friends and family while Louis & David provide the soundtrack.
And come hungry! Chef Blake’s new Fall Menu is here, along with Friday’s special:
🍂 Butternut Squash Lasagna
Layers of pasta, ricotta, butternut squash purée and Parmesan, finished with a sage cream sauce.🔥 Firetables & cozy blankets
🎲 Games for kids & adults
🍁 Gardens & fall views
🍸 Happy Hour 3–5 PM
🎶 Live music at 5 PM
🍽️ New Fall Menu & Friday SpecialsGood music. Great food. Cozy fall nights.
That’s Friday at Lake Forest.Open to everyone — bring your friends, bring the family, and make a night of it!
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Observer Editor
Blast Corn Maze: Nixon Farms
MoreEvery Fri.–Sun., Sept. 19–Nov. 1. A large corn maze with 3.5 miles of trails and 3 exits to allow for routes of various lengths. Also, a U-Pick pumpkin patch, hayrides, petting zoo, pedal cars, straw maze, and yard games. On Sept. 27, Family Fun Day (11 a.m.–3 p.m.) features ice cream, balloon art, kids activities, and live music from the Saline Fiddlers. 11 a.m.–9 p.m. (Sat.), 11 a.m.–7 p.m. (Sun.), & 5–9 p.m. (Fri.), 6175 Daly, Dexter. $16 (ages 5–12, $13; age 4 & under, free with adult admission). blastcornmaze.com.
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Observer Editor
Blast Corn Maze: Nixon Farms
MoreEvery Fri.–Sun. A large corn maze with 3.5 miles of trails and 3 exits. Also, a u-pick pumpkin patch, hayrides, petting zoo, pedal cars, straw maze, and yard games. The corn maze is illuminated and guests get a free glow stick on Glow Maze Nights (Oct. 9, 16, & 23, 5–9 p.m.). On All You Can Carry Pumpkin Day (Oct. 25, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.), for $10 you can purchase all the pumpkins you can successfully stack and carry down the lane. On Pumpkin Smash Day (Oct. 30, 5–9 p.m.), each guest receives a free pumpkin to smash, which is then composted or fed to the farm’s animals. Costumes encouraged for the Halloween Spooktacular (Oct. 31, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.). 5–9 p.m (Fri.), 11 a.m.–9 p.m. (Sat.), 11 a.m.–7 p.m. (Sun.). 6175 Daly, Dexter. $16 (ages 5–12, $13; age 4 & under, free with adult admission). blastcornmaze.com.
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FreeObserver Editor
Tony Pinnell: Argus Farm Stop Packard Cafe
MoreVersatile local singer-guitarist with country-rock roots who plays an eclectic mix of acoustic rock, indie pop-folk, and world music covers. Featuring vocalist Lizzie Randolph. 5:30–7:30 p.m., 1200 Packard. Free; food & drink for sale. Tips welcome. (734) 997–5448, argusfarmstop.com.
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FreeObserver Editor
“World Famous Trivia: The Curse of the Return of Dr. Spooky’s Ghost”: Ann Arbor District Library
MoreAADL staffers lead 2 rounds of Halloween-themed trivia aimed at adults. Prizes. 5:30–7:30 p.m., AADL Pittsfield. Free. (734) 327–4200.
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FreeObserver Editor
“Threats to Trees & Fall Colors”: Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations/Leslie Science & Nature Center
MorePresentation by city staff, followed by a (weather permitting) guided walk. 6–7:30 p.m., 1831 Traver. Free. discoverscienceandnature.org.
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FreeObserver Editor
Walking Tours: U-M Detroit Observatory
MoreOct. 3, 10, 17, 23, & 30. Student docents lead walks to historically rich areas of the U-M campus.
Oct. 3 (1–2:30 p.m) & Oct. 23 (4–5:30 p.m.): “Key Moments in U-M’s Early History.” A tour of the original 40-acre campus and stories of U-M’s history in the early 1800s.
Oct. 10 (1–2:30 p.m.): “Invisible to Indispensable: Black Legacies.” Focuses on the legacy of Black students and academics and the social movements they led on campus.
Oct. 17 (1–2:30 p.m.): “The Origins of the Law Quadrangle.” A visit to the law school campus, with discussion of its architecture and important historical moments.
Oct. 23 (6–7:30 p.m.): “Paths of Protest: Stories of Campus Activism.” Visits to places on campus that were sites of important protests.
Oct. 30 (4–5:30 p.m.): “Forest Hill Cemetery.” A trek to the final resting place of numerous figures from U-M history.
Various times & locations. Free, preregistration required at detroitobservatory.umich.edu. (734) 763–2230.
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Observer Editor
“Self-Guided Lantern-Lit Trail”: Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission
MoreSelf-guided hike along about a mile of lantern-lit trail through the woods, followed by a campfire and treats. Dog walkers welcome. 6–8:30 p.m. (check in by 7:30 p.m.), Independence Lake County Park Beach Center Pavilion, 3200 Jennings, Whitmore Lake. $15 per household (up to 4 people), plus $6 (nonresidents, $10) vehicle entry fee. Preregistration (one per household) required at washtenaw.org/registerparks; #IL431310. [email protected].
