Events

On Thursday, July 9, the well-known local bluegrass and gospel group Acoustic Strings will kick off the 2015 concert series at Walker Tavern Historic Site near Brooklyn, Michigan. The concert will run from 6 to 8 p.m. as part of Walker Tavern’s Picnic on the Lawn series. “Acoustic Strings is a delight to work with and has everyone tapping their toes by the end of their performance,” noted Friends of Walker Tavern President Bonnie McJennett. “We are pleased to sponsor such a talented group of crowd-pleasing individuals.” “We encourage our visitors to bring a lawn chair and a picnic and enjoy the outdoor music as the summer sun begins to set,” said Walker Tavern site historian Laurie Perkins. “It’s a great time to be out-of-doors in one of Michigan’s wonderful state parks.” The Thursday night concert series also will feature Sarah Bernstein and Luke Lenhart July 23 and the Old Tyme Millers String Band Aug. 20. The free concerts are sponsored by the Friends of Walker Tavern. Events canceled due to inclement weather will be rescheduled based on the performers' availability. Walker Tavern is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan Historical Center. It is located at…

JACKSON--Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers will make a sprightly young groove doctor out of anyone, according to the colorful website description of their music and their mission. With spectacular energy pulsating from every member of the band, The Rainbow Seekers could illuminate the very chambers of Heaven and soon will be lighting up Weatherwax Hall in downtown Jackson. As part of the increasingly popular Jackson Symphony Orchestra “Affinity Series”, this enthusiastic group of musicians will bring their unique style to The Wax, 215 W. Michigan, on Thursday, June 16 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Lead singer and Amish excommunicate Joe Hertler splashes through lyrical “puddles of golden rain,” as he puts it. It is truly a “feel good” ride, taking the audience across the mountains of Motown, through the fjords of folk, over the archipelagos of Americana, and—at last—into a funky firth. The group began their quest beneath the fingertips of songwriter Hertler. Bassist and producer Kevin Pritchard discovered Hertler and wrangled him into a musical collaboration. With Hertler came blues guitarist Ryan Hoger. The core of The Rainbow Seekers was established and it didn’t take long to expand. Soon they…

UPDATE:  DUE TO POWER ISSUES AT HORACE BLACKMAN PARK, THE JAMMIN' IN JACKSON CONCERT SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 26TH HAS BEEN MOVED TO BUCKY HARRIS PARK, CORNER OF MICHIGAN AND JACKSON. The Jammin' in Jackson summer concert series returns on a new night and a new location for 2015.  The first concert will be Friday, June 26 at the new Horace Blackman Park in downtown Jackson from 5 to 7pm.  The series has been moved to Friday nights as a more appropriate day for downtown workers and residents to end the work week.  Featured this Friday is Harper & the Midwest Kind.  A multi award winning Australian Singer/songwriter, Peter D. Harper creates a heady mix of original world, blues & roots music, featuring soulful vocals, wailing harmonica and the haunting drone of the didgeridoo! Harper is backed by his incredible Michigan based band "Midwest Kind".  Other concerts in the series are July 3, Lisa B & the Backbeats;  July 17, Act III;  July 24, Kevin Nichols and Blue Tuesday.  The concerts are free and sponsored by the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Jackson, CP Federal Credit Union and the Jackson Downtown Development Authority.

The Jackson County Master Gardeners Association will be holding their annual garden tour this Saturday, June 20 at five area gardens.  Tickets will be available at all 5 homes on the tour on Saturday, along with Betsy Butterfield Park, North West Avenue at the Parkway.  Two of the gardens are featured on this week's "Where We Live" premiering Wednesday on JTV.

JACKSON--The Jackson Symphony Orchestra’s increasing popular Affinity Series and downtown Jackson’s hottest restaurant, Grand River Brewery, are combining forces on Friday, June 19 to celebrate the Summer Solstice with an outdoor party like downtown Jackson has never seen. As the earth reaches its maximum axial tilt toward the sun, downtown Jackson will be celebrating with the dynamic and energetic music of The Ragbirds of Ann Arbor. This outdoor concert, a fusion of folk rock and pop hooks over danceable world rhythms, will be kicked off by Chelsea’s own band Thunderwüde. The party begins at 5:30 p.m. and the music starts playing at 7 p.m. Grand River Brewery will be offering fabulous food and beverages so the audience can celebrate the longest day of the year with great food, brew and live tunes. Born out of a need for Bluegrass in the Chelsea area, and a weekly gig at the Chelsea Alehouse, Thunderwüde became a band after a series of sessions done by Jason Dennie, George Merkel and Fritzemeier at the Alehouse. First starting as mostly a traditional bluegrass outfit, it morphed into playing originals from Jason as well as current pop hits in a bluegrass style. The repertoire expanded to…

Jackson Preparatory & Early College will be having our second Open House on the evening of Thursday, May 28th from 6:30-8:30pm. We would like to invite all interested families looking for a new option in education to come out and explore what JPEC has to offer. Families with students in 6th through 10th grade are welcome to visit our location and meet with our faculty, students, and current families to learn more about our unique program and opportunity to earn college credit through our partnership with Jackson College. We are currently enrolling in grades 6th through 10th for the 2015-16 academic year. We will also have additional Open Houses on the following dates: June 13th – 2:00-4:00pm June 25th – 6:30-8:30pm July 9th – 6:30-8:30pm July 25th – 2:00-4:00pm

  Jackson, MI - The Detroit based rockers, Pop Evil, will be joining Shinedown at the Jackson County Fair for an evening of music and fun in Jackson, Michigan! They are set to perform at the fair Sunday, August 9th. Pop Evil represents the American dream of overcoming struggles and hardship for self-made success. Influenced by rock’s past, Pop Evil’s impressive career includes three (soon to be four) studio albums, three top 5 songs on Rock Radio, a fourth song in the top 10, half a million digital singles sold, and over 1,000 shows. Some hit singles include “100 in a 55,” “Trenches,” and “Torn to Pieces,” to name a few. Pop Evil has plans to release their highly anticipated, fourth studio album, “Up,” this August. Their first single from the album, “Footsteps,” was just released this June! This single, along with the new album, continues to reach out to their audience and music lovers everywhere through their powerful lyrics and music. “Up” is expected to follow the same path of success as their previous album, “Onyx.” Don’t miss your opportunity to see the band rock the stage at the Jackson County Fair! Tickets are NOW ON SALE and can…