Love the purple rose theatre. This show was excellent the…read moreactors are so talented. Easy parking, walkable restaurants Kudos to jeff Daniels. Support the arts.

I love the theater, so when a friend suggested an outing to Purple Rose, I agreed even before the…read morewords completely left her mouth. She researched and purchased the tickets, and all we had to do was show up on time. Nice and easy. The theater is situated in the picturesque town of Chelsea. I love the cute shops, well-maintained homes, and charming community. The Purple Rose is just off the main road, with a nearby parking lot. The theater is small by Detroit standards (Fisher, Fox) but perfect for the hilarious play What Springs Forth. Unlike most theaters, the stage was in the center of the room, with the audience surrounding it. Given the cozy size, every seat had a great view of the stage. My jaw hurt by the end of the play - I laughed continuously throughout the show. The theater staff were friendly and earnest.

Just a fun homemade- community made festival and parade. We have never been to the Friday night…read morepart of the fest, we attend the Sunday parade. We have been going from time to time since the kids were really little, at least a decade. We have not always made it out here, but we were able to attend this year then take a nice walk around the city. This is a fun little event, nothing fancy, but great for all ages and the kids love the bubbles.

The kickoff to the Ann Arbor festival season and by far one of the funnest gatherings in town…read more Festifools is split up into two events--the original and flagship "Festifools" and a younger twilight party called "FoolMoon." Here's the dish on each. Firstly--Both typically take place on the second weekend of April. FoolMoon goes down on Friday night and Festifools on Sunday. FoolMoon is a night time processional through several streets of Ann Arbor made up of locals who have made luminaries and are dressed up in lovely glowing garb (in the weeks leading up to FoolMoon you can attend luminary workshops to help make your own or buy kits at a few local shops like Downtown Home and Garden). The processionals all end downtown by Washington and Ashley for a nightime block party filled with cool sights, light projects and shows, beer, food, music and merriment. And all those eye popping and impressive luminaries. The party, on a nice weather night, goes until midnight. So it's truly a party. In general FoolMoon is my favorite of the two and is one of my favorite things to do in town. Sadly this year it was raining and I'm just not built for elements like that so I didn't make it down but next year I shall be sure to return. Festifools is what they call "a gigantic public art spectacular, created by members of the community and U of M students." Folks get together in the weeks leading up to the event and make huge papier-mâché puppets (most of which need several people to help control) which they then take to Main Street and march in a parade (along with costumed revelers and marching bands) for folks to enjoy. The puppets typically veer into the silly, the surreal, and maybe a little creepy. This year I saw some Pac Man ghosts (silly), big headed replicas of notable locals (the surreal), and a big fat baby with a phone that said "send nudes" (the creepy). There was also a huge Vincent Van Gogh, little kids dressed up as robots, Chinese dragons, an octopus controlled by about 10 walkers, and so so much more. This event is short, it only runs about an hour (4-5 pm) but they pack in a lot into it. Lots of fun, great for kids, pet friendly (I walked my dog down to watch the processional), and most importantly-- FREE! Great cheap fun for the whole family! Or just curious onlookers on the street! Happy to have such a cool, creative community in town working on this. Hoping they continue this tradition for many many years into the future!

You usually need an Allen Key to get into Allen Park, but during the festival, it's open to all,…read moreand by all, I mean, all white people. I think I saw about 10,000 white people at this festival. And about 1 black person. Yes, 1. And about very few, if any, Hispanics, and about zero Asians. But hey. It is what it is. Other than the racial demographics, it is a lovely Festival in one of my favorite neighbourhoods of Michigan. Some of the best pizza slices in the world are in these parts and if you wander the Allen Park Street fair you will find lots of cool stands and coolinary (intentional mis-spelling) delights. And a lot of the stores along this area will sell stuff outside the front of their stores. Just a great Festival although - as I said - you will notice there is very very little ethnic diversity.

This is one of my favorite street fairs in Michigan…read more It's a large fair, hundreds of diverse booths, crafts, food etc. Great entertainment, and lots of local stuff going on. Always includes the annual Hall of Fame inductions, a 5k run and many other activities. I've been going for several years now and it just seems to keep growing.

Visited Spicers this past Saturday and I was ready to face huge crowds and long lines…read more When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see abundant parking options! Although it was busy and there were lines. The line for donuts went by very quick! We got the cinnamon sugar and plain donuts and they were fantastic! They came out fresh and in bags of 6! It was perfect for mixing and matching. We also picked up two pumpkins to carve and they were priced like 50 cents a pound (don't quote me) Over all this was the perfect place to get me in the mood for fall!

I've been coming to Spicer Farm and Orchard every year with my family and friends ; it's become a…read morelittle fall tradition for us. However, during our most recent visit, we noticed quite a few changes from previous years, and unfortunately, not all for the better. They no longer have the scenic hayride that used to include a free donut and a cup of apple cider with your ticket purchase. Now, it's $5 per person, and instead of a peaceful scenic ride, it stops at every station and they no longer give you a donut & cider with ticket purchase. When we asked about the change, we were told it was because they weren't making money off the old setup. I understand businesses need to adjust, but it really took away from the experience. That scenic ride with the cider and donut was always one of the highlights for us ; something we truly looked forward to every year. They did add more bouncy houses for the kids, which is nice, but the ones they had before were just as fun. The food was about the same, decent, but nothing special. It was noticeably more expensive this year. $5 for a single ear of corn felt excessive. On the positive side, the cinnamon donuts are still amazing, and the apple cider is as delicious as ever. I also enjoyed the wine tasting, which is always fun, though seating is still limited and could be improved. Overall, the visit just didn't have the same charm or warmth as before. We still had an okay time, but it didn't feel as memorable as past years. Sadly, I think this might be our last year visiting, we'll probably look for a new orchard next fall.

The St. Anne sausage festival is one of the best church festivals in Southeast Michigan. Thousands…read moreof people show up to sample the sausage kitchens and the amazing beer tent. They have plenty of carnival rides and games to keep the kids busy while you wander through the rest of the festival. They have a silent auction which has many items of interest. This year they added a twist by making the auction online. I think it was a hit. The festival is usually the third weekend in September. Put it down on the calendar, it's a great time!

The summer festival is back! A three week community celebration with evening performances on two…read moreoutdoor stages, and a ticketed indoor venue. Kids activities, a family tent with cornhole, demonstrations, and free bike tune-ups on Weds. Held on UM campus by the clock tower. Drinks and food for purchase available on site.

As free summer festivals go, Ann Arbor has one of the best. With events nearly every evening all…read morethroughout June and into early July, it's one festival that you won't want to miss! I was able to visit several times with friends, and we always ended up wandering to the "Top of the Park" where we would away to upbeat music and enjoy some delicious food. Everyone seems to congregate here, so it's not uncommon to bump into other friends and see your party grow as the night wears on. We would find ourselves talking, eating, dancing, and laughing late into the night and after the stars had already appeared on more than one occasion. I was sad that the festival wasn't longer but am already looking forward to next year and more summer nights under the stars at the top of the park!

This review is based off of the Tulip Fields:…read more Plenty of parking, you sign a waiver before even purchasing a ticket (and you give your address and phone number), and then you can purchase a ticket using only credit card and other electronic options (no cash accepted). Tickets are $25/person and kids under 23 months are free! You have to walk a quarter of a mile to get to the main flower fields. It was not ideal for my FIL who has pain walking too much (it's not really worth paying for the tractor ride there either). They have lots of unique activities like a tractor pull that you can attempt for free and tires that kids can climb and take pics on. There is a "U pick" field where Tulips are $2/stem. That's expensive, no thank you! Then when you keep walking, there is a section where they have better bathrooms than the portapotties. And there are snacks like lemonade and you can even roast marshmallows! And then after that section, there is the flower field. I think it will be more worth it once my baby is older and can play on the playground and other activities like using their bikes.

Very cute place to take a variety of pictures and videos with adorable decorations and helpful…read morestaff. Cooler weather on Mother's Day this year but not too bad flowers farther back looked the best so tip next time walk furthest away to pick for freshest flowers. We did not have any of the foods or snacks, but there's plenty to definitely spend a day there with tables and sitting. Paid for tickets online simple scan. Would recommend for family events weather permitting.