The Townie Street Party, now in its 9th year, is a kick-off to Art Fair week in Ann Arbor and a fundraising event for the educational and community outreach activities of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair – the Original, a 501(3) non-profit arts organization.  Taking place on Monday, July, 15th from 5:00 – 9:30 p.m., the Townie Party celebrates all things local and is our way of thanking Ann Arbor residents for so graciously hosting the Ann Arbor Art Fair each year.  The Townie Party offers a fun-filled evening for the whole family where visitors can enjoy terrific music by some of the area’s most well-known bands; grab a bite of Townie grub; enjoy a brew at the Townie Pub; or take a stroll through the Kids’ Art Fair, which showcases the work of young artists in grades 3 - 8.  Community Central features cool things to do in Washtenaw County and the ArtZone offers a chance to explore your artistic side.  The Party takes place on East Washington Street between Thayer and Fletcher and on Ingalls Mall.

MUSIC

The Townie Street Party will feature an evening of live outdoor performances featuring The Macpodz, Dragon Wagon, and Seth & May.

The Macpodz
8:05 PM - 9:15 PM

One of the nation’s great eccentric cities can fill its fanatical void with a young band called the Macpodz. A long time coming for sure, Ann Arbor finally has is first great Jazz Fusion jamband; a guitar-less five piece comprised of brilliant musicians who via bass (Brennan Andes), keys (Jesse Clayton), trumpet (Ross Huff), drums (Griffin Bastian), and percussion/ flute/ vox (Nick Ayers) muster up some of the most energetic music on the scene today. The Macpodz impress as only an open-minded band can, taking the core of genuine american music and tossing in tasteful touches of world grooves that rouse and comfort all at once.  The Macpodz wooed festival audiences at Rothbury, Bear Creek, Summer Camp, All Good, Moe.Down and Gathering of the Vibes. Building momentum in 2012, plans include the release of new recordings, a 3-D music video, tour stops in Colorado and California, and sets at several highly anticipated festivals, including the Electric Forest in Rothbury, MI. Hewn from forests of perseverance, the Macpodz drums and bass resonate frequencies of joie de vivre. Forged in the caverns of discipline, the cymbals and trumpets sound triumph. Galvanized by the spark of inspiration, these uncanny minstrels perform epic narrations of honor and chivalry.

Dragon Wagon
6:45 PM - 7:45 Pm

Dragon Wagon truly is Michigan Roots music at its finest. Their sound can be described as bluegrass-folk rock with a shot of Irish Whiskey. Dragon Wagon thrives while playing live and never disappoint with their honest music and genuine crowd connection. They have played across the country, have been featured in many festivals and are currently nominated for a Detroit Music Award. Dragon Wagon is led by Mandolin Virtuoso Troy Radikin and Guitarist/Singer Don Sicheneder. With multi-instrumentalist Rich Delcamp, Michael Bustos on bass, Fritz McGirr on percussion and the amazing Diana Ladio on fiddle, their live performance thrives with originality, humor and expert musicianship.  Dragon Wagon is sure to bring an infectious energy that gets the crowd dancing and laughing along with one of Michigan’s premier Roots Music outfits. Hold on to your hats and get ready for a boot-stomping good time! 

Seth & May
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Samuel Seth Bernard and May Erlewine are a pair of Michigan-based contemporary folk performers who have recorded and performed extensively both as a duo and as solo artists. Both born and raised in Michigan to musical families with a firm independent streak, Bernard and Erlewine first met in 2003, when he was a performer at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival (using the name Seth Barnard) and she was attending. Both Bernard and Erlewine had a strong background in songwriting and performing and had tastes that ran from folk and blues to rock, and they soon became partners in music (and later a couple). In 2003, Erlewine (as Daisy May, a nickname she’d had since childhood) cut her first album for Earthwork Music, the independent label affiliated with his family’s collective farm that had already released two discs by Bernard. In early 2006, they released their first collaborative LP through Earthwork, simply called Seth Bernard and Daisy May, which followed several years of live performances as a duo. Along with other artists affiliated with the Earthwork Collective, Bernard and Erlewine were perennial attractions at the farm’s annual Harvest Gathering, a music festival devoted to local independent artists and responsible, earth-friendly activism. Bernard and Erlewine have also been part of the musical and environmental activist community in the Midwest, and have taken their message across the country and beyond the U.S. border, participating in educational workshops with native musicians in Mexico in 2008. In 2009, Erlewine opted to stop calling herself Daisy May in favor of May Erlewine, and Bernard embraced his birth name, Samuel Seth Bernard, and they used their new/old names for their second collaborative album, Welcome Back.

ART

Kids’ Art Fair
brought to you by

Support Washtenaw County’s young artists in 3rd-8th grade as they display and sell their artwork just like artists at the Art Fair. Browse this marketplace full of amazing art!

Art Activity Zone

Create free art projects that you can take home with you. Various local organizations donate materials and help the whole family walk away with personally made arts and crafts.

Get VIP Access

Enjoy access to a private bar with complimentary refreshments and premium seating. Mingle with leaders, local business owners, and other Townie neighbors. Click here to learn how to become a Townie Friend of the Fair and get exclusive access to The Terrace.

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The Ann Arbor areas offers a diverse range of arts, culture, civic and non-profit organizations.  Check out what cool events and changes are taking place in our community.  See what your neighborhood businesses are up to and walk away with fun freebies!  Participating businesses include:

Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor Women Artists, Bank of Ann Arbor’s Sonic Lunch, Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce, Community Television Network (CTN), Ann Arbor Public Art Commission, Purple Rose Theater Company, U-M Museum of Natural History, University of Michigan Museum of Art, University Musical Society, Whole Foods, plus more to come…