Just in time for the Halloween season, local authors Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani will release their book “Haunted Flint” on September 2. Are there evil spirits amongst us causing all sorts of mischief? Does the ghost of Billy Durant haunt the Carriage Factory? Is the city and the ground it sits upon, cursed? One of our earliest known settlers, the Chippewa tribe once believed the area haunted by the vengeful ghost of their once vanquished foes. Could there be truth to the story?
The Michigan Renaissance Festival is in full swing on weekends through the month of August until September 29. For years, the annual festival has provided Holly with a unique venue that regularly attracts more than 250,000 visitors from all over. Patrons will enjoy the sights and sounds of this 17-acre village, Holly Grove, complete with building reproductions of Renaissance shops, taverns and a beautiful castle. Continuous entertainment takes place on the streets and on 17 themed stages featuring comedy, theater shows and music.
Get ready for some fun at the Genesee County Fair this week, Aug. 19-Aug. 25.
Join in on this investigation of different animal skulls and explore their superior senses. Recommended for families of all ages. No pre-registration required. Free admission. 6:30-7:30pm.
In the mood for some good food and fun? Head on out to Fenton for the 2019 Taste in Fenton event today from 4-8pm at Rackham Park, the back lawn of the Fenton Community & Cultural Center. Several area restaurants are participating, ready to serve some delicious samplings of their food. There is also a beer and wine tent, live music and a pie-eating contest. Bring the kids who will enjoy a donut-on-a-string eating contest and playing in the Kids Zone. A free shuttle service is available. Tickets will be sold at the event – $15 for ten tickets.
For the last three years, fans of Greater Flint’s music scene have been unanimous in their choice for favorite local band as voted in the MCM City’s Choice Awards. Their pick: Avalon Black. And why not? Their fun, enthusiastic shows, idiosyncratic songwriting and personal camaraderie presents a perfectly balanced rock aesthetic that appeals to anyone with a love of the art; and fans know that when they attend an Avalon Black show, they are getting nothing less than the best. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter where we play or how many we play for, whether it’s thousands or just two people,” says lead singer, Jordan Orvis. “If it’s just two people, well the way we see it, those two people really wanted to be there so we make sure to leave everything on the stage and put on the best show we can.”
When summer begins, local playgrounds and baseball/softball diamonds fill up with kids and teens looking to enhance their skills and have fun playing a game they love. This sport can be a big part of a youngster’s life. Who remembers playing pick-up games in a vacant lot? How about keeping a new ball glove under a mattress or bound with rubber bands to “break it in?” And since the game began, playing catch with Dad has become as American and iconic as apple pie. Genesee County is home to multiple youth leagues and this year, My City Magazine sponsored seven youth teams throughout the area. For kids of all ages, the love of the game is going strong in Greater Flint!
Economic confidence was high at the beginning of the 1980s. Wall Street and the banking industry were set to explode and when Reagan trounced Carter in the general election, the days of big business began. The excess of the 1980s was not simply limited to capitalism. The “Miracle on Ice” occurred at the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid, NY, propelling Americans into a red, white and blue frenzy. Patriotism was at an all-time high, and Reagan rode it all the way to another landslide victory against Mondale in 1984. Even the Iran-Contra affair in 1986 did nothing to erode support for the President. George Bush continued where Reagan left off after winning the general election in 1988, defeating Michael Dukakis.
If you have been motoring around Flint this summer, you may have seen artists at work covering the city with beautiful, colorful murals. Their creations are brought to you courtesy of the Flint Public Art Project (FPAP) as they begin Phase 1 of their goal to paint 100 new murals in Flint by the end of summer 2020. The project is ahead of schedule and by the end of this summer, 50 awe-inspiring works of art will be finished. My City Magazine spoke with Flint Public Art Project executive director, Joe Schipani, who filled us in on art, the birth of the mural project and the upcoming First International Mural Festival.
