Ann Arbor Insider Newsletter: Volume 46

December 5th-11th: Kerrytown's Kindlefest, Light Up Dexter, Late Night Small Business Shopping throughout Washtenaw County + live music as always

Author

Bailey Walsh
December 05, 2024

In partnership with

Hi neighbors!

It’s officially electric blanket season! 🥶 And there are tons of fun holiday events & markets going on this weekend (which means lots of opportunities to shop small & local too!)

If you go to any of these events, I’d love to see it! Tag me in your photos @AnnArborInsider 📲 

📰  What’s Happening?

FRIDAY, DEC 6TH

🌟 Light Up Dexter with Santa + Sip & Shop 
Santa will be arriving at Monument Park at 6pm to light up over 100 trees in the heart of downtown! After that, you can get pictures with Santa & enjoy some hot cocoa or shop downtown at various local businesses who are staying open late & offering special discounts or goodies for stopping in and shopping! (& Dexter’s newest boutique - The Downtown Chic Boutique will be open for this event too!)

🕯️ Kerrytown District Kindlefest 
This is one of those Ann Arbor events people really love every year - it’s an outdoor holiday market (inspired by the Christkindlmarkt as it’s known in Germany) where artisans will sell their holiday wares, food & crafts and there will also be live music, food trucks, a visit from Santa, kids crafts & beer/mulled wine for sale! 5-10pm.

👀 You can also check out Midnight Madness on Main St with various stores offering special discounts and staying open late for shopping!

🎄 Hometown Holiday Tree Lighting & Cookie Crawl (Chelsea)
Watch the annual tree lighting ceremony at Pierce Park! Free hot cocoa and pizza from 5-6pm and Santa from 6-6:30pm to light the trees + a cookie crawl and special late night shopping around downtown afterward!

SATURDAY, DEC 7TH:

🛍️ Thornton Farms Craft & Vendor Show (Dexter)
Free admission & a variety of local vendors and crafters to shop from! Located at the clubhouse of Thornton Farms in Dexter on Saturday from 10am-4pm.

☕️ Cocoa Crawl (Saline)
From 12pm-6pm, several Main St businesses will be offering free cocoa samples & chocolate themed treats along with special deals! Tree lighting, holiday parade and Santa visit to follow.

🏃🏻‍♀️ Holiday Hustle 5k/HalfMarathon (Dexter)
If you enjoy nice long runs in the cold, this is for you. This race does happen to go right by my house, so I’ll cheer you on if you’re running by! (Kate, I’m talking to you! 😉)

❄️ York’s 5th Annual Winter Art Market
I know, I know - a lot of holiday markets lately! But if you love supporting local creators, this holiday market will feature the work of more than 20 local makers & artists + live music by DJ Batz (and of course the regular goodies by York)

SUNDAY, DEC 8TH:

🎅 Storytime & Santa at Revel Run (Chelsea)
Bring your kids to The Overlook at Revel Run from 2-3pm for some holiday stories, a craft & letters to Santa + a chance to get pictures with Santa afterward!

🎵  Live Music Lineup

(Live music events in Ann Arbor/Ypsi unless otherwise noted & those marked with ($) charge a cover or require a ticket to the best of my knowledge)

Thursday, December 5th:
Lauren Crane @ North Star Lounge from 5:30-6:30pm (no cover)
Keaton Royer and Josef Deas @ Weber’s from  6-9pm (no cover)
James Muto @ Erratic Ale (Dexter) at 6:30pm-8:30 (no cover) 
Jake Reichbart @ The Earle from 7-9pm (no cover)
McLaughlin's Alley @ Ypsi Alehouse at 7pm (no cover)
Fallout Shelter show @ 734 Brewing Co (Ypsi) from 7:30pm-midnight ($5 suggested donation)
Jeffrey Foucault w/ Erik Koskinen @ The Ark at 8pm ($20)
DJ Djinjo @ Mash (Ann Arbor) @ 8pm (no cover)
Electric Improvisation Collective @ Ziggy’s (Ypsi) at 8pm ($)Seoul Juice @ The Blind Pig at 8pm ($10)
House Music For All @ Elks Lodge AA from 8pm-midnight ($5 cover)
The Pherotones @ Last Word from 9pm-midnight (no cover)

Friday, December 6th:
Pearl Street String Band @ Ypsi Alehouse at 4:30pm (no cover)
Ron Brooks @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 5-6:10pm ($)
Karim Gideon @ North Star Lounge from 5:30-6:30pm (no cover))
Adam Plomaritas Trio + Al Bettis Trio @ The Rumpus Room (Chelsea) from 7-10pm ($10)
Pontiac Trail Blazers ft. Keith Billik @ North Star Lounge from 7-10pm ($) 
Steve Somers and Friends @ Ypsi Alehouse at 7pm (no cover)
Noah Jackson & Full Circle @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 7-8pm & 9:30-10:30pm ($)
Emo Nite @ The Blind Pig at 8pm ($)
The Friars @ Rackham Auditorium (UofM) from 8-10pm ($)
BLKBOK @ The Ark at 8pm ($25)
MusicMix Rick Hicks @ 734 Brewing (Ypsi) from 8pm-midnight (no cover)
Spark @ Zal Gaz Grotto from 8-11pm ($) 
Adam Snyder, Tanager, Raw Honey @ Ziggy’s (Ypsi) at 8pm ($)
Jessey Adams & Brendan Collins @ Mash (Ypsi) at 8pm (no cover)
Rob Crozier Ensemble @ The Habitat Lounge from 9-11pm (no cover)
Nobody’s Business @ Mash (Ann Arbor) @ 10pm (no cover)
ThrillKill and Danny Fantom @ Alley Bar from 10pm-2am (no cover) 

Saturday, December 7th:
Annual Croissant Concert with Today’s Brass Quintet @ Kerrytown Concert House at 11am ($)
Creole Du Nord @ North Star Lounge from 6:30-7:45pm ($)
Straight Ahead @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 6:30-7:30pm and 9-10pm ($)
Feminine Energy @ Ypsi Alehouse at 7pm (no cover) 
Patty PerShayla + TJ Zindle & The Powerlines @ The Rumpus Room (Chelsea) from 7-10pm ($15)
Robert Warren and others @ The Earle from 7-9pm (no cover)
Handel’s Messiah @ Hill Auditorium (UofM) at 7:30pm ($)
Saga, Rawhide, Zipper@ Ziggy’s (Ypsi) at 8pm ($) 
Over the Rhine @ The Ark at 8pm ($30)
Chris Canas @ Mash (Ypsi) at 8pm (no cover)
Salmagundi @ Zal Gaz Grotto from 8-11pm ($)
Tell Me When @ The Blind Pig at 8pm ($10)
Annie & Rod Capps Quartet @ North Star Lounge from 9-10:15pm ($)
Rob Crozier Ensemble @ The Habitat Lounge from 9-11pm (no cover)
Brendon Linsley @ Mash (Ann Arbor) at 10pm (no cover)
Gucwa-Hacias Quintet @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 10:30-11:45pm ($)

Sunday, December 8th:
Handel’s Messiah @ Hill Auditorium (UofM) at 2pm ($)
Pearl Street String Band @ Erratic Ale (Dexter) from 3-5pm (no cover)
PORK @ Zal Gaz Grotto from 5-8pm ($)
Marlena Studer’s Jazzy Little Christmas @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 6-7pm & 7:30-8:15pm($)
Klezmephonic: L’Chaim! @ Kerrytown Concert House at 7:30pm ($)
The Empty Pockets @ The Ark at 7:30pm ($20)

Monday, December 9th:
Keaton Royer and Josef Deas @ Weber’s from  6-9pm (no cover)
Paul Keller Orchestra @ Zal Gaz Grotto from 7-10pm

Tuesday, December 10th:
Easy Street Jazz Band @ Zal Gaz Grotto Club from 5-7pm ($) 
Keaton Royer and Josef Deas @ Weber’s from  6-9pm (no cover)
The Glen Leven Band @ Ypsi Alehouse at 7pm (no cover)
Jake Reichbart @ The Earle from 7-9pm (no cover) 
Jason Quick Trio @ Ziggy’s at 8pm ($)
Johnny Delaware @ The Ark at 8pm ($20)

Wednesday, December 11th: 
Cob Greene @ North Star Lounge from 5:30-6:30pm (no cover)
Keaton Royer and Josef Deas @ Weber’s from  6-9pm (no cover)
Barelyon @ The Grateful Crow (Chelsea) from 7-9pm (no cover)
Jake Reichbart @ The Earle from 7-9pm (no cover) 
Running on Blues @ Ypsi Alehouse at 7pm (no cover)
Grant Flick Trio @ North Star Lounge from 7:00-9pm ($)
Gear Lords @ Ziggy’s at 8pm ($)

And if you haven’t already… make sure you follow me on Instagram to get more updates & ideas of things to do and see in the area! 

👋🏻 Who Am I?

Hi! I’m Bailey Walsh. 🤗 I’m a Realtor in the area & a lover of all things local. I hope this newsletter helps you explore some new places, make new connections & have a little more fun!

And don’t hesitate to reach out if I can ever help you with any real estate needs in Ann Arbor, Dexter, or any of the surrounding areas!

📺 THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER IS SPONSORED BY: KUDOS

Sponsored ads like these help me keep growing the Ann Arbor Insider, so THANK YOU if you take a second to click! (No other action needed)

It’s time to STOP using Honey and Credit Karma

  • Ditch Honey: Kudos doubles your credit card rewards.

  • Nerdwallet, but better: One app for all your cards.

  • Simplify shopping: Autofill payments with a single click.

💙 THANK YOU!

Thanks for reading the AA Insider this week!

If you enjoyed it enough to share it with someone else, that would make me super happy too 🙂