Community Calendar

Get a thrill at Locked Zoo! Try your hand at nature related mysteries, solve intricate puzzles, and explore the Zoo like never before during this epic escape room style event.
Please note that Locked Zoo: Secret Safari is an 18+ event.

Landmark: Less Cancer Hike and Bike America 2026
Walk, ride and roam anywhere/anytime. Enter your photos of local landmarks and favorite adventure places to win prizes!
June 6th – July 6th
This annual event serves as our primary fundraiser, helping fuel our critical cancer prevention initiatives.
Register for FREE today at: https://www.lesscancer.org/

This Saturday, take a step back in time. Visit Pears Mill, an 1857 water-powered mill. Located in Buchanan, Michigan’s downtown Historic District. The mill is adjacent to Buchanan Farmers Market. Pears Mill is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday through Labor Day. There is no charge.

32nd Annual Ottawa Hills Neighborhood Garden Tour
Saturday, June 27
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Join us for the 32nd Annual Ottawa Hills Garden Tour!
 
Gardens large and small, sunny and shady, are visited by hundreds of admirers and include both manicured masterpieces and “works in progress.” Experience the beauty of our neighborhood’s unique homes, tree-lined streets and friendly residents. 
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The Tour is totally free and will be held rain or shine.  
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Starting point: Grand Rapids Christian Elementary School
1050 Iroquois Dr. SE, Grand Rapids MI 49506

Material World: Ten Women, an invitational exhibition organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art, features women artists working with non-traditional materials or using traditional materials in non-traditional ways. The exhibition highlights the use of the physical characteristics of material and technique as a component of both visual and conceptual themes. Many of the works use found objects common to the everyday household, or bring elements from nature into inside spaces. Painting, sculpting, weaving, and assemblage merge in surprising ways throughout the show — crocheted metal wire is transformed into complex organic shapes, steel rod is welded into traditional vessel forms and animal shapes, paintings are cut apart and reassembled on the loom, birch bark becomes quilt-like in complex geometric arrangements, and quilts become soft sculptures and drawings, amidst many other approaches that surprise and delight. The participating artists are: Marcelyn Bennett-Carpenter, Boisali Biswas, Elizabeth Brandt, Kristin Casaletto, Kim Cridler, Nanci LaBret Einstein, Hattie Mendoza Lee, Anne Mondro, Mary Stoppert, and Susan Yamasaki.

"HerStory of Animation: Disney & Beyond is a landmark exhibition showcasing the women who shaped animation history. This groundbreaking exhibition that redefines the history of animation by shining a long-overdue spotlight on the women animators behind classic Disney films. This first-of-its kind exhibition will be premiering May 28 through September 13 at the Muskegon Museum of Art in Muskegon, Michigan.
Spanning more than a century of innovation, from pre-cinematic storytelling traditions to the digital revolution, HerStory of Animation uncovers the essential role of the women who have shaped animation. Visitors will be able to explore production artwork, studio artifacts, rare imagery, and newly uncovered research that reveal the hidden contributions of women whose artistry has long been overlooked.
Among the many women animators featured are:
• Helena Smith Dayton - The earliest known woman animator.
• Lotte Reiniger -The legendary animator/director of the earliest surviving animated feature film.
• Mary Blair - The beloved concept artist behind Disney films such as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan.
• Lillian Schwartz – The visionary artist who brought animation into the digital age.
• Bessie Mae Kelley – The newly-discovered animator who worked for Bray, Fables and Fleischer Studios, creating the earliest-surviving hand drawn animated films directed by a woman.
The exhibition is curated by Mindy Johnson, award-winning author, historian, filmmaker, and educator. Johnson is a preeminent expert on women’s roles in animation and film history."

Landmark: Less Cancer Hike and Bike America 2026
Walk, ride and roam anywhere/anytime. Enter your photos of local landmarks and favorite adventure places to win prizes!
June 6th – July 6th
This annual event serves as our primary fundraiser, helping fuel our critical cancer prevention initiatives.
Register for FREE today at: https://www.lesscancer.org/

Material World: Ten Women, an invitational exhibition organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art, features women artists working with non-traditional materials or using traditional materials in non-traditional ways. The exhibition highlights the use of the physical characteristics of material and technique as a component of both visual and conceptual themes. Many of the works use found objects common to the everyday household, or bring elements from nature into inside spaces. Painting, sculpting, weaving, and assemblage merge in surprising ways throughout the show — crocheted metal wire is transformed into complex organic shapes, steel rod is welded into traditional vessel forms and animal shapes, paintings are cut apart and reassembled on the loom, birch bark becomes quilt-like in complex geometric arrangements, and quilts become soft sculptures and drawings, amidst many other approaches that surprise and delight. The participating artists are: Marcelyn Bennett-Carpenter, Boisali Biswas, Elizabeth Brandt, Kristin Casaletto, Kim Cridler, Nanci LaBret Einstein, Hattie Mendoza Lee, Anne Mondro, Mary Stoppert, and Susan Yamasaki.

"HerStory of Animation: Disney & Beyond is a landmark exhibition showcasing the women who shaped animation history. This groundbreaking exhibition that redefines the history of animation by shining a long-overdue spotlight on the women animators behind classic Disney films. This first-of-its kind exhibition will be premiering May 28 through September 13 at the Muskegon Museum of Art in Muskegon, Michigan.
Spanning more than a century of innovation, from pre-cinematic storytelling traditions to the digital revolution, HerStory of Animation uncovers the essential role of the women who have shaped animation. Visitors will be able to explore production artwork, studio artifacts, rare imagery, and newly uncovered research that reveal the hidden contributions of women whose artistry has long been overlooked.
Among the many women animators featured are:
• Helena Smith Dayton - The earliest known woman animator.
• Lotte Reiniger -The legendary animator/director of the earliest surviving animated feature film.
• Mary Blair - The beloved concept artist behind Disney films such as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan.
• Lillian Schwartz – The visionary artist who brought animation into the digital age.
• Bessie Mae Kelley – The newly-discovered animator who worked for Bray, Fables and Fleischer Studios, creating the earliest-surviving hand drawn animated films directed by a woman.
The exhibition is curated by Mindy Johnson, award-winning author, historian, filmmaker, and educator. Johnson is a preeminent expert on women’s roles in animation and film history."

The MiCorps AIS Detection Blitz is a statewide event happening June 29 through July 12, 2026, and it is an easy way to turn time on the water into something meaningful. Participation can happen from anywhere in Michigan.

Whether you are on the water over the July 4th holiday with family and friends, or just enjoying a quiet moment on your own, you can take part. If you see something in the water that looks unfamiliar or that you know to be invasive, just snap a photo and upload it using the free iNaturalist app. No experience or identification skills are needed.

Once you join the project on the iNaturalist app, anything you upload during the event dates is automatically added to a statewide map of aquatic invasive species observations. Your photos help show where aquatic invasive species are appearing across Michigan. This information can be used by scientists, resource managers, and local organizations to better understand distribution, track changes over time, and inform management efforts.

It is something anyone can do. It is easy to turn into a game with kids, something to keep an eye out for with friends, something to get competitive with, or simply a reason to take a closer look at the water you already enjoy.

MiCorps, the Michigan Clean Water Corps, is a program of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and is administered through Michigan State University Extension. The program works with volunteers and partners across the state to monitor and better understand Michigan’s water resources.

Learn more and get started here: https://www.micorps.net/events/aisblitz