Community Calendar

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."

Join us to celebrate summer and experience the wonders of la dolce vita at Around the World — A Taste of Italy on June 5, 2026, at Van Andel Institute.

Returning for its 19th year, Around the World will feature Italian-inspired food and wine, bringing the refined flavors of the region to Grand Rapids’ summer celebration. The evening will also feature live entertainment and joyful company, all in support of Van Andel Institute for Education.

Suggested attire is summer casual. Complimentary valet parking is available at the main entrance of VAI.

America’s most ICONIC disco party, Gimme Gimme Disco, is coming to Kalamazoo on 5 June 2026, and it’s bringing nothing but glitter, grooves, and pure dance-floor joy.

If you can’t get enough of ABBA, this is THE dance party for you! Gimme Gimme Disco is a DJ-based dance party spinning all your favorite ABBA anthems, plus nonstop disco classics from the ’70s and ’80s. Expect hits from the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Cher, and more, the kind of songs that make it impossible to stand still. Come ready to lay all your love on the dance floor, sing at the top of your lungs, and dance like nobody’s watching.

So honey honey, take a chance. Put on your best disco fit, don’t forget your dancing shoes, but leave your worries behind. Whether you’re a lifelong dancing queen or just here for the vibes, your crown awaits. This is the best disco since 1980, sweaty, euphoric, and packed with feel-good energy from start to finish at Bell’s Back Room on 5 June 2026.

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/

Indigenous Roots to Early European Settlement
Experience the early years (300 BCE-1900)

When: Saturday, June 6th | 10:00 AM

Where: Meet at Robinson Road & Woodmere Ave SE (Wilcox Park sign)

Focus: Learn how the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians developed communities here starting in 300 BCE, and the impact of the first Europeans in the 19th century

Cost: $25/person

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."

FREE Concert Featuring Drew Hale
Official Launch of Less Cancer’s Hike & Bike America 2026

Saturday, June 6th
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Grand Traverse County Civic Center - Traverse City, MI
Free admission (donations welcome)

Please join us as we launch the next chapter of Hike & Bike America and celebrate the power of community, movement and prevention.

Bring your family and friends, and a blanket or chair. No alcohol allowed.
*Weather permitting