Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair Opens; Here's the Report
After a year off, the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair opened today (it runs through Saturday). I stopped by this morning, and I'm so happy I did. It's the first normal day I've experienced in Ann Arbor since attending the Michigan-Nebraska basketball game in early March 2020. It felt GREAT. Some notes:
- I only walked along State Street, but everything is open. It looks like a normal Art Fair in every way. A few people wearing masks by choice but the vast majority appear to be vaccinated and maskless.
- All the stores are open, and there are some great sales in front of the stores, too. At its tent out front, the MDen has all the 2020 football season shirts that didn't sell, and you can get them CHEAP. In case you'd like a wearable reminder of that season.
- The Union is open, too, but there's a card system to get in, so you need to wait for someone to walk out to let you in. I think it's been closed for all of the pandemic, so it was great to be able to walk around inside, too.
- All in all, if you haven't been to Ann Arbor since the pandemic, it's the perfect time to come back. Find a time over the next three days when it's not raining and come on down.
I'm vaccinated and I mostly still a wear a mask in indoor public places where I don't know others' vaccination status.
Thanks for the report. I'd love to attend the Art Fair. Didn't even know about it when I was a student, discovered it when I returned with my family to teach.
Wasn't the Union renovated? How's it look?
They actually renovated it a couple years ago, right before COVID hit, and then it closed for over a year. I think it's only recently reopened. It's beautiful inside. The Willis Ward Lounge is very cool, and it's especially cool that it's called the Willis Ward Lounge.
I thought that was the timing. Glad to hear it turned out well.
You're right: it's especially cool they named the lounge for Willis Ward.
Always nice to hear about things getting back to normal ...
A couple of things I could generally count on in the past when going to the fair:
- Weather swinging between thunderstorms and bright sunshine with high heat and humidity.
- Being stuck for (collectively) several minutes behind different adults pushing very small children in poorly constructed strollers in dense crowds.
Being stuck for (collectively) several minutes behind different adults pushing very small children in poorly constructed strollers in dense crowds.
Just reading that sentence makes my blood pressure spike. Which is why I never go to the Art Fair.
You left out the best part of being stuck behind those parents: when the both the adults and their children are hot, tired, and cranky. You know, like being at DisneyWorld.
ah disney, a place with a lot of tired people and nowhere to sit down...fun times
That's about right.
Weather, you're right.
But cranky other people? Two easy alternatives: hakuna matata OR get cranky yourself.
This is the one week each year where I traditionally schedule absolutely no customer meetings anywhere near downtown Ann Arbor or Central Campus because you would never be able to get to them. Of course, that makes next week a long week, but then I get to hang around, well, downtown and Central Campus because of a slight backlog. Like clockwork, every year except last year.
AKA get the hell out of town for the weekend weekend.
I have a shirt that has the original schedule instead of the shutdown schedule. I can make up any score I like
My friend is exhibiting there. She’s super talented artist and basically invented her own art style. Check her out if you’re there.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRWbhlyLzim/?utm_medium=copy_link
cool
I could've sworn I heard that this year's Art Fair was cancelled a couple of months back. Am I misremembering or was that a decision that was later changed?
If it was sometime forgot to tell the artists
How does someone appear to be vaccinated? Asking for a friend…
JK, wish I could have made it with the wife and kiddo, but we are heading west instead
a couple things that are a guaranteed during Art Fair, it will be HOT and there will be at least 1 bad storm.
looks like the storm is here today
Well sure as heck not gonna be hot.
Nah. Coach O makes sure his whole team had covid.