Events

The Ella Sharp Museum of Art and History will be opening their latest exhibit in the galleries this weekend.  Telling the story of Jackson resident Bill Maher, this exhibit will feature his career during WWII with the China National Aviation Corporation. The CNAC pioneered the Hump Route over the Himalayan mountains in order to supply the AVG Flying Tigers, the 14th Air Force and the Chinese Army, a feat thought to be impossible. Flying the Hump was one of the greatest achievements of WWII.  The William Maher Campus of Jackson College is named in his honor.

BJ Walraven and View the band will be performing at Jackson Coffee Company, Friday, July 31 from 7 to 10pm.  BJ is making a return engagement to Jackson Coffee Company.  BJ grew up in a small town outside of Jackson.  There wasn't much to do out there...so BJ turned to music at a young age, influenced by his best friend Jerry.  Some of the first artists he tried to copy included REM, Midnight Oil, and Living Colour. After high school and through college, BJ's influences grew to include Toad the Wet Sprocket, Jimi Hendrix, Jane's Addiction, John Mayer, Jimmy Eat World, the Verve Pipe, and the Pixies.  He started writing music, and eventually songs, with his first song (The Key) penned in 1994.  It took him another 7 years or so to figure out that if he was going to get his songs performed in a band, he'd have to form one, and someone would have to sing them.  That realization led to the formation of View...and since no one else volunteered to sing, BJ got started learning right away... Before View, BJ has been fortunate enough to play some great shows at venues such as: The Michigan Theatre -…

Peter Harper and his Detroit band "Midwest Kind" are the headline performers at Jackson How Bazaar, Saturday and Sunday, August 1 and 2 in Downtown Jackson.  The band takes the main stage at 8pm Saturday for a free concert on the main stage at the corner of Jackson and Pearl Streets.An amalgamation of blues, soul and world music, Australian singer/ songwriter Peter D. Harper creates a heady mix of roots music through his creative use of the harmonica, and the haunting drone of the didgeridoo. By combining traditional and modern influences, borrowing from Western and World music, Harper has created a highly original take on the roots genre which many have labeled “World Blues”. Harper has received 14 x Blues/ World Music Awards in the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.   Other acts throughout the two day festival include Jason Peek, Ian Stewart, Kev Nichols & Blue Tuesday, HarmoNyck, Herbie Russ, Trent Harris and Ed Dupas. More than a dozen restaurants are participating, along with an artist fair, children's games, Michigan's largest squirt gun fight and beer and wine tasting. Hours are Saturday from 10am to 10pm.  The Squirt Gun fight will begin the weekend of festivities.  Sunday hours are…

The Downtown Development Authority, the Michigan Theatre and HOME.FM invite you to the next Friday Film Festival in Jackson's new Horace Blackman Park (next to the Hayes Hotel). This event is free and open to the public. Beer and wine will be available for sale and there will be free popcorn.  This Friday, July 31, "Ghostbusters" will be shown.  On Friday, August 7, "Jaws" is the featured attraction. Jammin' in Jackson will begin playing at 5pm. Films will begin at dark (9/9:30pm). The Theatre will be selling concessions, beer, and wine including Grand River Brewery's award winning Monkey Mouth! Enjoy local vendors like Hungry Eggplant, Cuppa, and many more available during the event. Mark your calendars and grab your lawn blankets for this free community festival! In the event of inclement weather, the movie will be moved to the Michigan Theatre and begin at 7pm.

Join the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Jackson County for Jammin' in Jackson, this Friday, 5-7pm at Horace Blackman Park, the new park on Michigan Ave. Downtown, Jackson, across from Jackson Symphony Orchestra! Trent Harris, a Jackson Michigan native, teaches jazz improvisation and saxophone. He began his musical studies at the age of 4 studying classical piano with Soon-Ja Cho. Later, at 12 years old, he discovered a love for the saxophone and jazz in the Jackson Public Schools, studying under band directors Ray Burnett, Steven Brattain, and Brent Cryderman. After high school, Trent studied classical saxophone with Elizabeth Bousfield at Albion College, Demetrius Spanaeus at the New England Conservatory, and David Fivecoate at Depaul University. He also studied jazz theory and improvisation with James Miley at Albion College, and with David Bloom at Chicago's Bloom School of Jazz. Notable jazz groups Trent has performed with include stints with the 1992 Blue Lake International Jazz Band, the Albion College Jazz Ensemble from 1994-1999, Boston's Feed the Meter from 1999-2000, and Chicago's Jazz Conspiracy from 2004-2008. Trent currently freelances on saxophone with various jazz, soul, and R&B bands in Michigan. Click Here to find out more!

Hundreds of beers from 32 craft breweries will be featured at the inaugural Rockin’ the Hills Craft Beer Festival hosted by the Brooklyn-Irish Hills Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 1. This event features top craft beers and local bands, all inside Devils Lake Watersports Storage, 290 Devils Lake Highway, Manitou Beach Village at Devils Lake. “We are very excited to showcase some of the best Michigan beers,” said event chairperson Bill Fetters, owner of Woodstock Wine & Cheese. “We have been particular about which breweries are part of our festival, so we can bring uniqueness and quality to our festival goers.” Tickets are $25 and include 10 tasting tokens. Tickets can be purchased at the following locations: IrishHills.com Brooklyn Irish Hills Chamber of Commerce, 124 S. Main Street, Brooklyn Woodstock Wine and Cheese, 6409 US-223, Addison, Michigan Yoder’s, 11700 M-50, Brooklyn, Michigan A list of featured breweries is available on the Rockin’ the Hills Facebook page. There will be plenty of beer to taste, along with a few wines and ciders. “We are looking forward to holding this inaugural event at Devils Lake to showcase all of the development going on there,” said Cindy Hubbell, Executive Director of the Brooklyn-Irish…

The second annual Tillman Cornelius Jr., 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament will take place during Festival of the Forks on Saturday, September 19th. This year the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau would like to expand the tournament to include women and girls. In order to do so, two basketball hoops need to be purchased. With the addition of more players, more t-shirts and prizes will be needed as well. Please donate today to help our women compete alongside our men in the 2015 Tillman Cornelius Jr., 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. If you do not wish to donate online, feel free to mail a check payable to the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce, 310 S. Superior St. Albion, MI 49224, P.O. Box 238. Please specify in the memo line that checks are for 3-on-3 BB.