Around the Town

Summer Art Around the Town (June & July 2013 Art Fairs)

Chris S — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:08:00 GMT

Art is for Everyone!

Whether you own it and have it hanging on your wall, or you just appreciate it from a distance, there is art for everyone.
Summer is the time for outdoor art shows, fairs and festivals and we have many to choose from within the Oakland County communities.

Below is a few of the art fairs, and festivals being held in June and July. (A later list will cover August and September)
These fairs will display the works of both local and national artists, for you to enjoy and purchase.

May 11-12	Art Birmingham	Birmingham/ Shain Park
June 1-2	Art on the Grand	Farmington Hills
June 8	Berkley Art Bash	Berkley/12 Mile Road
June 8-9	Clay Glass and Metal Show	Royal Oak / Washington Avenue & 5th Street
June 15	Summer in the Village	Lathrup Village / Municipal Park
June 22-23	Summer Fest Arts and Crafts Fair	Auburn Hills
June 28-29	Arts and Acts Festival	Northville

July 13-14	Royal Oak Outdoor Art Fair	Royal Oak / Memorial Park at Woodward & 13 Mile Roads
July 26-27	Orchard Lake Fine Art Show	West Bloomfield / Orchard Lake Rd & Maple Rd

(photo’s from Royal Oak’s Outdoor Art Fair)

Birmingham Farmers Market

Chris S — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:41:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, we posted a listing of many of the Farmer’s Markets in Oakland County. A few of the seasonal ones are opening and we made a visit to one this weekend. The Birmingham Farmers Market is right in downtown Birmingham on Old Woodward. It sits across from a very nice park. We were there first thing in the morning (the market is open from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Sundays) and took a couple of pictures as we shopped.

Down on the Farm (Oakland County Farmers Markets 2013 edition)

Chris S — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:35:00 GMT

For many people, going to a local farmers market is a shopping excursion, not only for fresh food, but for fresh ideas in food preparation.

You can sample a new fruit or vegetable or just interact with the farmer/grower and find out where your food came from and how it was grown. Many farmers offer advice on how to prepare different foods or give tips for planting & growing your garden.

Farmers Markets in Oakland County are also a nice place to meet with friends and family. Some have an assortment of play activities for kids, cafe's and musical entertainment for all. Another element of going to a farmers market is that you are supporting the local growers, local small businesses and your local environment.

Stop by your local farmers market today learn about where your food comes from, and enjoy some delicious and nutritious food picked at its peak in flavor and nutrition. Most farmers markets in the area, are open from May until October. If you are visiting a market for the first time, check with the market website for times and dates open.

Auburn Hills Farmers Market
3308 Auburn Rd
Auburn Hills, MI 48326
Opens on June 6th
Hours: Thursday - 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM.

Birmingham Farmers Market
660 N. Old Woodward
Birmingham, MI 48009
Opens on May 5th
Hours: Sunday 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Clarkston Farmers Market
6558 Waldon Rd, Clarkston, MI (the parking lot of Renaissance High School):
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Starts on June 23

Springfield Farmers' Market
12000 Davisburg Road
Davisburg, MI 48350
Season starts on June 16th
Hours: Sunday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Farmington Farmers & Artisans Market
33113 Grand River Ave
Farmington, MI 48336
Season starts May 4th
Hours: Saturday 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Lathrup Village Farmers Market
27400 Southfield Road
Lathrup Village, MI 48076
Usually starts in June
Hours: Wednesday - 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM.

Milford Farmers Market
115 E. Liberty St
Milford, MI 48381
Starts May 9th
Hours: Thursday 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Novi Farmers Market
Fuerst Park (10 Mile & Taft Rd).
Novi
Usually starts in June
Hours:Saturday - 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM.

Orion Farmers Market at Canterbury
550 East Silverbell, east of M-24
Orion Twp, 48362
Starts sometime in May (Check website for date)
Hours Thursday 2-7pm and Saturday 8-1pm.

The Unconventional Farmers Market Ortonville
Beets Beats and Eats Farmers Market
in Crossman Park
Ortonville
Starts Jun 14th
Hours: Friday 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Downtown Rochester Farmers' Market
Corner of E. Third & Water
Rochester, MI 48307
Start May 4th
Hours: Saturday 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Royal Oak Farmers Market
316 East 11 Mile Road
Royal Oak, MI 48067
Fridays, Farm Market- 7am - 1pm May thru December only
Saturdays, Farm Market- 7am - 1pm
Sundays, Antique & Collectible Market- 8am - 3pm

South Lyon Farmers & Artisans Market -
Pontiac Trail and Liberty St
South Lyon, MI 48178
Hours: Saturdays, 9am-2pm
Starts May 4th

Oakland County Farmers Market
2350 Pontiac Lk Rd
Waterford Twp, MI 48328
Hours 6:30 AM – 2 PM
May through December – Tuesday, Thursday
Year round – Saturday

Wixom Farmers Market
48900 Pontiac Trail
Wixom, MI 48393
Starts May 30th
Hours: 3 PM – 7 PM

White Lake Farmers Market
1500 Bogie Lake Road
White Lake, MI 48383
Starts May 4th
Hours: Saturday - 9 AM - 1 PM.

Clawson Farmers Market
Clawson City Park
Flower Day - May 19, 2013
Season start July 14th and ends Sept 29th (Closed Labor Day Weekend)
Hours 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Lake Orion Farmers' Market
550 East Silverbell
Orion Twp
Wednesday 2 P.M.
May – October

Walled Lake Farmers Market
1499 E West Maple Road
May - October
Wednesday 7:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

A few of the markets from last year have not updated their Websites or Facebook pages with current information.

Oxford Mill Street Farmers Market
Beaumont Farmers Market
Lyon Township Farmers Market

Please let us know of any other Farmers Markets in Oakland County or any incorrect information that we may have here.

Cruisin’ Southeast Michigan 2013

Chris S — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:43:00 GMT

In Southeastern Michigan, warmer weather can mean only one thing. Cruising. Not to the Caribbean or Alaska, but on the streets of the community. Many have a long term love affair with their cars, and for some it has has lasted longer then any other personal relationships.

Love, like or just enjoy looking at, here is a list of some of the "car" related events that we know of in and around the area over the summer of 2013.

May 31/June 1 Mount Clemens Annual Car Cruises & Car Show – in Mount Clemens	www.mountclemenscruise.com
June 15 Cruisin' Gratiot – in Eastpointe, MI	www.Cruisin-Gratiot.com
June 29 Cruisin' Downriver (Lincoln Park, Riverview, Southgate and Wyandotte)	www.cruisindownriver.com
June 28 Blue Water Cruise - Port Huron
July 13 All American Cruise - Westland	allamericancruise.b5raven.com/
TBA Cruisin' Michigan Ave Car Cruise	www.cruisinmichigan.com
August 13-17 Back to the Bricks Car Cruise (Flint, Grand Blanc and Burton)	www.backtothebricks.org
August 15-17 Ferndale Dream Cruise (featuring Mustang Alley & Emergency Vehicle Show)	www.ferndaledreamcruise.com/
August 17 WOODWARD DREAM CRUISE (Oakland County)	www.woodwarddreamcruise.com
August 25 Hines Drive Park Cruise	www.cruisinhines.com/

Here is a couple of other car events that you may be interested in:

May 31 - June 2 - Detroit Grand Prix [Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix] www.detroitgp.com

June 16-17 - Motor Muster at Greenfield Village www.thehenryford.org/events/motorMuster.aspx

July 28 - Concours d'Elegance of America www.concoursusa.org/

A short video of a past Woodward Dream Cruise

The Cranbrook House and Gardens - Downton in the US?

Chris S — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:06:00 GMT

CNN recently featured the Cranbrook House and Gardens in a article “U.S. Estates for the Downton Abbey Lover”

From the article, “The new American wealthy didn't have hundreds of years to build their fancy homes and reputations, yet the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers and other wealthy families built houses to last for generations….around the same time as the Downton Abbey story lines”.

The Cranbrook House and Gardens is part of the Cranbrook Educational Community, a 319-acre National Historic Landmark campus. 40 acres of colorful gardens and the oldest remaining manor home in the region, a English Arts and Crafts-style house designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1908, It truly is an American Downton Abbey (in your backyard).

Self-Guided Garden (only) Tours are available for $6, daily from May 1 until Labor Day.
Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Labor Day, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
After Labor Day through September daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Guided tours of Cranbrook House are offered on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays
($10 for adults, and $8 for seniors or students).
All house tours include a garden visit.

Sunday Tour: June 16 – September 29 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Thursday Tour: June 20 – October 31 at 11 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Friday Tour: June 21 – September 27 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; October 4 – October 25 at 11 a.m.

Cranbrook is at 380 Lone Pine Road in Bloomfield Hills

For more on the Cranbrook Education Community visit www.cranbrook.com

Oakland County Community Gardens

Chris S — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:54:00 GMT

Many of the cities in Oakland County offer areas for a community garden, where residents of the community can have their own garden in which to grow fresh vegetables for meals or flowers to place on their table. Oakland County Parks also has a Community Garden Initiative in which you can lease a 150 square foot outdoor plot at the Waterford Oaks Greenhouse for the summer. For the green thumb apartment dweller (and others) in a community that doesn't have a local community garden, this might be your place for growing! (This can also be a great idea for those who have garden destroying pets or wildlife in their yard). A intensive planting scheme, can yield over 300 pounds of produce from a small plot, over the long growing season.

For those who don’t want or need to grow for their own personal use, and would like to be a helping hand in the community, a few neighborhoods have volunteer garden programs that grow produce for food banks or for sale at farmers markets, with the earnings going to charitable organizations.

Visit Destination Oakland for more information on their Waterford Oaks garden program, or your local community to find if they have a similar program. Many do. There are also numerous community gardening groups in the region that welcome both amateur and expert gardeners.

( photo from destinaitonoakland.com )

On the Road Again in Oakland County (Running Events 2013)

Chris S — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:49:00 GMT

Oakland County is always moving. If you take a look at all the running events that area residents participate in, we move a lot.

Here is a listing of a few of the running events in and around Oakland County in the next couple of months.
(we will add events as we find out about them)

March 23rd		Passion for Life (Walled Lake)
March 24th		Bunny Hop 5k (Farmington Hills)
March 30th		April Fools Run/Walk (Clarkston)
April 7th		7th Annual Bald Mountain "Mountain Man" (Oakland Twp)
April 14th		Riverdawg Run/Walk Independence Oaks (Clarkston)
April 20th		Run with the Cops (Detroit)
April 21st		IA East 5k (Troy)
April 28th		Running with Rover (St Clair Shores)
May 1st		Fit 5K (Novi)
May 3rd		Run/Walk for Mental Health Awareness & Suicide Prevention (Royal Oak)
May 4th		Miles for Mason (Waterford)
May 5th		5th Annual Dash for Destiny (Birmingham)
May 5th		Cinco de Mayo Zombie Run (Northville)
May 11th		Berkley Days 10K-5k-Fun Run
May 11th		Spring 5K Run/Walk & 10K Run (Brighton)
May 11th		Hometown Hustle (Rochester)
May 11th		Run 4 a Reason (Ferndale)
May 11th		Bookin' It (For Your Library 5K) Run/Walk (Ortonville)
May 18th		Susan G. Komen Detroit 5K Race for the Cure (Detroit)
May 19th		Rubber Ducky 5k (Rochester)
May 26th		Bill Compton Support Our Troops 5K Run & 1 Mile Family Fun Walk (Walled Lake Run)
May 27th		Memorial Day 10k/5k/Fun Run (Novi)
June 1st		Rainbow Run 5K (Ferndale)
June 1st		Oak Apple Run (Royal Oak)
June 1st		Don's Friends Fun Run
June 8th		Flirt with Dirt (Novi)
June 8th		OPC 5k & Walk for Meals
June 9th		Family Adventure Day 5K Run (Detroit Zoo-Royal Oak)
June 15th		Charity 5K Run/Walk (Rochester Hills)
June 16th		Run for the Ribbon (Royal Oak)
June 22nd		EPIC Half Marthon (Pontiac Silverdome)
June 29th		Run Walk BOOM!!! (Huntington Woods)
June 30th		Clawson Freedom Run (Clawson)

A few additional events, you might want to think about running in,that take place later in the year.

Aug. 24th
Crim Festival Of Races (Flint)
www.crim.org

Sept 29th
The Brooksie Way Half Marathon (Rochester)
www.thebrooksieway.com

Oct 20th
Free Prss/Talmer Bank Marathon (Detroit)
www.freepmarathon.com

Nov 28th
Turkey Trot and Mashed Potatoe Mile (Detroit)

See Ya On The Road!!!!!

Spring is Really Here………Play Ball!!!!

Chris S — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:13:00 GMT

Today in my backyard I saw my first Cardinal of the year. That can only mean one thing.
Opening day is just around the corner.

Being a die-hard Cubs fan, each spring I feel great excitement and ever glowing optimism for a team that is likely to be a complete failure by the end of the season. But, here in this town, I have the opportunity to witness a team that for the last few years has been destined for greatness, The Detroit Tigers.

Why do I love baseball. I could come up with a couple of dozen reasons, but I will mention just a few.

There is no clock. The game goes on until it is over. No matter how long it takes.
Every player has a roll to play, not just the 9 on the field
The best hitters fail 70% of the time
The worst pitchers can occasionally pitch a great game or even a no-hitter
Yes, in baseball, even Charlie Brown has a chance to be a star, even if it is for only one moment.

But, back to the Tigers. Many of the players who were part of last years American League Championship team will be returning including MVP and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera.

While the Tigers open the season on the road, the 2013 Home Opener takes place on April 5, 2013 at Comerica Park against the New York Yankees.at 1:05.
Hopefully when October slides in both the Detroit Tigers (very likely) and the Chicago Cubs (very unlikely) will be headed to the fall classic.

For more Detroit Tigers information, visit http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com
PLAYBALL!!!

Royal Oak’s Saint Patrick's Day Parade

Chris S — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 07:12:00 GMT

The 2013 Royal Oak Saint Patrick’s Day, takes place on Saturday, March 16 from 11:30am to 12:00pm.

The parade route starts at the Royal Oak Middle School and proceeds south on Washington, ending at Seventh Street.

Plan on coming early to find a good spot to watch the parade!

The parade will be preceded by a 'Lucky Dash' 3 mile Fun-Run that starts at 10:45 am

Visits with the Easter Bunny 2013

Pam Z — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 16:10:00 GMT

Hop on over to the nearest mall for visits and photos with the Easter Bunny. Great Lakes Crossing Outlets (Food Court) 4000 Baldwin Road, Auburn Hills...(read more)