Events of Wednesday, May 17, 2023

American 1 Spring Car Sale.  May 17-20.  12 to 8 PM Wednesday, Thursday and Friday;  10 AM to 5 PM Saturday.  Westwood Mall.  Chance to win 3 loan payments.  $100 gas card from your dealership.  Spin the prize wheel!  Food truck on site.  Several area auto dealers with a huge selection!

517 Day at Sandhill Crane Vineyards.  4 – 8 PM.  517 Jackson Day at Sandhill Crane Vineyards, 4724 Walz Rd, Jackson.  Welcoming newcomers from the Jackson area! We’ll be offering casual open tours of our cellar and vineyard ’til 7pm and we’ll be open ’til 8pm!!  Are you a regular of Sandhill? Bring a friend who has never been and get BOGO 1/2 off a glass of beer, wine or cider!

Ride of Silence.  6:45 PM.  Cascades Cycling Club is hosting the annual Ride of Silence, starting at Horace Blackman Park, Downtown Jackson. This year’s ride will honor the life of Linda Porter, who was killed by a hit and run driver earlier this year. Shelly Wilson has prepared a Ghost Bike in memory of Linda, and placed it near the site where Linda was struck and fatally injured. We will be stopping there to honor her memory. Our route is 7.4 miles long, and all you need to bring is your bike and a helmet. Our ride will be escorted by members of the Jackson Police and Sheriff’s departments to ensure our safety while we ride. The ride is a “slow roll” through town to pay our respects to riders who have been injured or killed while cycling, and to remind motorists of our right to ride on public streets. The ride will begin promptly at 7:00 PM.

Spring Arbor Branch Book Sale.  Stop by the Jackson District Library Spring Arbor Branch to shop deals on books for all ages  Book Sale Dates: May 17-19, 10 AM – 5 PM.

Grass Lake Music in the Park.  “Music in the Park” is celebrating the 11th year in Grass Lake. Come join us for fun, family friendly, and free entertainment at the Grass Lake Events Park Pavilion, at 120 Brown St, Grass Lake.  When: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, May thru September.  Time: 6:30PM-8:00PM.  Entertainment tonight by Sugar and Spice (Marc Cuddie & Paul Schmitt).

Rider Appreciation Week.  The Jackson Area Transportation Authority  annual JATA Rider Appreciation Week,  May 15th-May 19th, celebrated in correlation with National Transportation Week. This week-long celebration of the riders of JATA returns after a 3-year COVID pause and will include giveaways, free popcorn, and prizes from select community partners.  Location:  Downtown Jackson Transfer Center, located at 137 W. Cortland St.  Various Jackson County community partners will be on site to pass out organizational information, engage with riders, and raffle off prizes. Consumers Energy, Blue Ox Credit Union, American 1 Credit Union, AWARE, Home of New Vision, 106.9 Home.FM, and JTV are a few of the organizations participating in Rider Appreciation Week.  JATA staff will be serving hot dogs, beverages, and FREE popcorn daily between the hours of 10am-4pm.

Kids Planetarium Show:  Imagine the Moon.  12 PM.  When was the last time you looked at the Moon? Not Just noticed it, but really looked at it? To most of us the Moon seems like an afterthought, a thing we might notice in passing and then not give a second glance. But the Moon’s place in our lives is so much more than just its physical presence in the sky. It is a constant companion in our collective imagination.  Hurst Planetarium, Ella Sharp Museum.

May Planetarium Show:  The Hot and Energetic Universe.  4 PM.  High Energy Astrophysics explores hot gas in clusters of galaxies, which are the most massive objects in the universe. It also probes hot gas accretion around supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies. This documentary uses immersive visualizations and real images from modern astronomy to dive into the basic principles of electromagnetic radiation and the natural phenomena related to High Energy Astrophysics.  Hurst Planetarium, Ella Sharp Museum.