News File Photo A woman drives a tractor in the parade at a prior year's Antique Tractor and Steam Engine Show in Alpena.

∫ Art in the Loft, on the third floor of the Center Building at 109 N. 2nd Ave. in Alpena, presents its “SummerView 2024” Exhibit, featuring the artwork of nearly 40 artists on display and for sale now through Aug. 31. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Classes are also offered, and can be viewed at artintheloft.org. Call 989-356-4877 for more information.

∫ Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, closed Tuesday, and open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Linda Beeman, the 2023 juried art show winner, will have her exhibit opening reception from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10. The Besser Museum is located at 491 Johnson St., Alpena. Call the museum at 989-356-2202, or visit bessermuseum.org.

∫ Thunder Bay Arts Council Gallery, 127 W. Chisholm St. in Alpena, features 25 local artists’ work on display and for sale. Gary Etzler, award-winning carver, is the gallery’s featured artist for August. Summer hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Visit thunderbayarts.org or call 989-354-2586.

∫ Dragonfly Art Gallery, 116 E. Main St. in Harrisville, is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. August visiting artists are Karen Cracchiolo and Chuck Schroeder. The Dragonfly Art Gallery was founded in 2009 as a cooperative nonprofit, owned and run by the gallery’s member artists. The gallery’s mission is to provide local artists with the opportunity to display and sell their work, while also offering the residents of and visitors to Alcona County a venue for enjoying art. Find out more about the gallery at dragonflyartgallery.net, as well as on Facebook.

Today, Aug. 6

∫ The Salvation Army is collecting new socks, underwear, and undershirts for youth of all ages and sizes. Older youth may need adult sizes. Drop off donations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Salvation Army office, 722 N. 2nd Ave., Alpena. There is a contactless drop off box outside the office door for after hours. Distribution days will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20, and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 21 for anyone who needs these items. Call 989-358-2769 if you have any questions.

∫ The Association of Lifelong Learners hosts Mexican Train Express dominoes from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays.

∫ Great Start Collaborative Playgroup is held weekly at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays at Alpena County Library. No registration necessary.

∫ TOPS #1614 Alpena welcomes new members who are looking for support in their weight-loss journey. Meetings are held every Tuesday morning at the First Presbyterian Church at 1600 W. Chisholm St. in Alpena. Weigh-ins start at 9:45 a.m. and meetings start at 10:30 a.m. There is no obligation to join if you attend your first meeting. For more information, call 989-255-4787.

∫ Potential homeowners can find out the steps they need to take to get closer to homeownership from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Tuesday at the Habitat for Humanity offices at 2630 U.S.-23 South in Alpena.

∫ Every Tuesday, practice ukulele at 10 a.m. at the Harrisville branch of Alcona County Library, with ukuleles available for checkout, and players of all skill levels invited to join.

∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center offers quilting at 10 a.m. and Spitzer at 12:30 p.m. each Tuesday.

∫ Good Grief is a grief support group at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, at Friends Together, 105 Prentiss St.. Call 989-356-3231.

∫ The Family Search Center at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will be closed for regular visits during the month of August. Tho make an appointment, call Ella Purkiss at 989-306-6250.

∫ The Alpena Lions Club hosts their weekly meetings at noon on Tuesdays at First Presbyterian Church, Alpena. For more information, visit alpenalionsclub.com or the Alpena Lions Club on Facebook. For detailed membership information, call 989-464-5313.

∫ The Alcona County Fair starts today, with the carnival by Native Amusements opening at 2 p.m. Many events are planned today, including the opening ceremony at 6 p.m. and free Jim Pyne Memorial Ice Cream Social, also at 6 p.m. For a full list of events, visit alconacountyfair.com/fair-calendar. The fair runs today through Saturday.

∫ Alpena County Library hosts Tinker Tuesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Participants must be age 5 or older.

∫ Bay View Center hosts a diversity support meeting at 4 p.m. each Tuesday. This weekly meeting is for those in the LGBTQ community, their families, and supporters, at Bay View Center, 710 N. 2nd Ave. If you have questions, call 989-340-0955.

∫ Living Hope Church will host What A Mess Vacation Bible School for kindergarten through fifth grade from 5:30 to 8 p.m. today through Friday. Join Living Hope to learn about God’s love for us in the middle of our mess! There will be messy crafts, games, snacks, drama, music, and more! Register at livinghopealpena.com or call 989-358-0338. The church is at 1499 M-32, Alpena.

∫ Vacation Bible School will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. today through Thursday at New Life Lutheran Church in Spruce. Dinners are included. Dive into an amazing “undersea adventure” in God’s love! To pre-register, call 989-736-7816.

∫ Cub Scouts meet from 6 to 7 p.m., and Boy Scouts meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. each Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 727 S. 2nd Ave., Alpena.

∫ Karaoke Night is from 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Black Sheep Pub in downtown Alpena.

Wednesday, Aug. 7

∫ The Alpena Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays at Mich-e-ke-wis Park in Alpena.

∫ Sunrise Mission is pleased to announce that Barton Malow Company is donating a Day of Community Service from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sunrise Mission, 622 W. Chisholm St., Alpena. The work to be completed includes providing and installing a new bike rack; cleaning and organizing the maintenance garage; spreading mulch in flower beds and garden; power washing the front of the homeless shelter that faces Chisholm Street; enclosing the back deck around the recycling and trash cans to keep them critter protected; and assembling a playscape with an attached slide in the children’s yard for homeless children staying at the shelter.

∫ ALL pickleball plays from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 for details.

∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center exercise is from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

∫ Guys Like Us is a Wednesday morning coffee crew of men who are coping with cancer, meeting at 10 a.m., in-person at Friends Together and via Zoom. Call Friends Together at 989-356-3231 for the link.

∫ Join the Alpena County Library Youth Services Department from 10 to 11 a.m. every Wednesday for Weekly Storytime. Come for a few stories, then stay for an activity or craft! All ages are welcome. If you can’t make it on Wednesday, join ACL at 1 p.m. on Thursday.

∫ Join the Alpena County Library from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday mornings for Open MakerLab! If you have questions about lab rules, call 989-356-6188, ext. 20.

∫ Alpena County Library offers Tech Help from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

∫ ALL offers pinochle from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at M. Briggs Center with Julie Byrnes.

∫ The Alcona County Fair continues Wednesday, with free carnival rides for ages 17 and younger from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday is also senior day, so those age 55 and older only pay $1 at the gate. The Fair Board Famous Steak Fry will start at 5 p.m. at the pavilion, as well as a kids’ bike and fishing pole giveaway at the Home Arts Building. Bradley Corpus and Son will provide music at 7 p.m. For a full list of events, visit alconacountyfair.com/fair-calendar.

∫ Women on Wednesday is a support group for women with cancer meeting in-person and via Zoom at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Friends Together.

∫ Alpena Sportsmen’s Club is a nonprofit located at 4260 M-32 West in Alpena, open to members and non-members — everyone with an interest in shooting sports. Skeet and sporting clay shooting are offered from 5:45 p.m. until dark on Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, text Joel Suszek at 989-255-4928 or Jeff Welch at 989-255-6068.

∫ The Friends of the Alpena County Library will hold their annual used book sale Wednesday through Saturday in the Stillion Room upstairs at the library, 211 N. 1st Ave. Friends of the Library members can attend the sale from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday. The sale opens to the public from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday; from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9; and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, which will also be the $5 per bag sale. For more information, call the library at 989-356-6188.

∫ Wednesday is National Lighthouse Day, and the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center will host a special program called “Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses” by Dianna Stampfler, author of the book with the same name. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7 p.m. Since 1997, Stampfler has been presenting lively and upbeat programs about Michigan’s lighthouses, historic sites, and paranormal destinations in her home state of Michigan.

∫ Rich Rider hosts Open Mic Night from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Black Sheep Pub, 113 S. 2nd Ave., downtown Alpena.

Thursday, Aug. 8

∫ V-J Days are starting Thursday in Hillman, with a white elephant and bake sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday at St. Augustine Church.

∫ The Friends of the Alpena County Library will hold their annual used book sale from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday; from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9; and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, which will also be the $5 per bag sale. For more information, call the library at 989-356-6188.

∫ Community Walking Club for Everyone meets at 9 a.m. every Thursday in the parking lot of the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. Call 989-724-6796 for more information.

∫ The United Way of Northeast Michigan is sponsoring Stuff the Bus with school supplies, collecting items from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in front of Walgreen’s on the corner of Bagley and M-32 in Alpena. Supplies needed for students in grades 6 through 12 include: single subject notebooks, colored pencils, mechanical pencils, erasers, white out, highlighters, pocket folders, tissues, and hand sanitizer.

∫ The Alcona County Fair continues Thursday, which is $10 per carload day. Madd Hatters Circus Sideshow will take place throughout the day. A Princess Tea Party will be held at 1 p.m. in the pavilion. The carnival opens at 2 p.m. A kids’ bike and fishing pole giveaway will be held at 5 p.m. Alcona Junior Livestock Club Market Sale will be held at 6 p.m. in Joslin Arena. The Pool Boys Band will play at 7 p.m. For a full schedule of events, visit alconacountyfair.com/fair-calendar.

∫ Join the Alpena County Girlfriends at 10 a.m. on Thursdays for coffee and conversation. This is a women-only group whose purpose is to make friends and socialize with women from Alpena County and the surrounding areas. Please contact Betty at 734-693-2869 for weekly location.

∫ Join ALL for Spitzer from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at M. Briggs Center, led by Marilyn Klingshirn.

∫ Zoom Book Club is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Thursday, with the Alpena Senior Citizens Center. For more information, call 989-356-3585.

∫ Friends Together presents Journaling with Friends, from noon to 1 p.m. every Thursday. Explore creative ways to organize your thoughts. Registration is required by calling 989-356-3231.

∫ Pinochle and bridge are held at 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays at Alpena Senior Citizens Center.

∫ Zoom meditation is at 2 p.m. on Thursdays, led by the Alpena Senior Citizens Center.

∫ Needles and Threads group is held from 2:30 to 4:30 pm every Thursday at the Grand Lake branch of Presque Isle District Library. Bring your latest knitting, crocheting, sewing, needlepoint, or other crafts. Call 989-734-2477, ext. 2 with questions. The library is located at 18132 Lake Esau Highway, Presque Isle.

∫ Thursday Eve Serenity Group meets from 7 to 8 p.m. every Thursday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 351 Wilson St., Alpena. If a problem drinker has or is affecting your life, Al-Anon can help you. Meetings are anonymous and confidential. Call 989-354-5476.

∫ The Alpena City Band will perform the Polka Concert, its last concert of the season, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Alpena bandshell located at Bay View Park. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and enjoy an hour of music performed by local musicians.

Friday, Aug. 9

∫ V-J Days continue Friday in Hillman, with a white elephant and bake sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at St. Augustine Church. A book sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hillman Library. A fish fry will be held from 4 to 7 p.m., sponsored by the Hillman VFW, Chauncey’s Pub, VanPamel’s Diner, and Thunder Bay Resort. A free concert by Neon Crow (Cody Crawford) will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hillman Bandshell.

∫ The Friends of the Alpena County Library will hold their annual used book sale from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday; from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9; and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, which will also be the $5 per bag sale. For more information, call the library at 989-356-6188.

∫ Sidewalk Sales are on in Downtown Alpena! On Friday and Saturday, enjoy special discounts, marked down merchandise, and unique finds from over 20 local businesses throughout downtown. Participating businesses include Olivet Book and Gift, Traveling Ladders, Parallel 45 Books and Gifts, My Glass Wings, Colburn Outfitters, Noise and Toys, Bob’s Bullpen, Sweet Baby James, Classic Designs by Doreen Thomas CF, Alpena Furniture, Sanctuary Store, Regalo Luxury Gifts and Gelato Bar, Local Basket Case, Bolenz Jewelry, Rusty Petunias Marketplace, Myers’ Fashions Etc., Gary’s Shoe Service, Cedar and Threads, Gliks, Emery Enterprises, and The Rabbit Hole.

∫ The 41st Annual Alpena Antique Tractor and Steam Engine Show starts Friday and continues Saturday and Sunday at the Alpena Antique Tractor and Steam Engine Showgrounds, 6850 French Road, Alpena. Gates open daily at 9 a.m., and admission is free. This year’s event will feature Case Tractors. There will be daily demonstrations with vintage farm equipment, food concessions, live music by the Country Poorboys at 7 p.m. on Friday and at 8 p.m. on Saturday. A tractor parade will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, and at noon on Sunday. Bean soup will be served at 5 p.m. on Saturday. A pancake breakfast will be served at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

∫ The United Way of Northeast Michigan is sponsoring Stuff the Bus with school supplies, collecting items from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday in front of Walgreen’s on the corner of Bagley and M-32 in Alpena.

∫ Exercise is at 10 a.m. at Alpena Senior Citizens Center. Then at noon, Mahjong is played, and pinochle starts at 12:30 p.m.

∫ Presque Isle District Library’s Posen branch offers knitting and crocheting from 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays. All levels are welcome. If you have questions, call 989-734-2477.

∫ On Fridays, Storytime and Craft for Kids meets at 10:30 a.m. at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library.

∫ The Alcona County Fair continues on Friday, with a youth horse show at 1 p.m., the carnival opening at 2 p.m., FFA Barnyard Olympics at 2:30 p.m., kids’ giveaways at 5 p.m., a youth speed show at 6 p.m., Stoker Band at 7 p.m., and Lawn Mower Drags at 8 p.m. For a full schedule of events, visit alconacountyfair.com/fair-calendar.

∫ ALL hosts contract bridge from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Fridays at M. Briggs Center. This is an ongoing group of card players who welcome any players at any time. This group is a teaching class but experienced players are also welcome.

∫ The Hillman VFW Post 2356 hosts its Friday Night Fish Fry from 4 to 7 p.m. every Friday night, with your choice of fish or shrimp, potato, coleslaw, roll, and drink. The fish fry is open to the public, and the cost is $12 for the fish dinner or $14 for the shrimp dinner.

∫ ALL hosts square dancing from 4 to 6 p.m. For more information, call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 or email all@alpenacc.edu. Come brush up on your mainstream and plus dancing. Fabulous caller Dave Boggs, of Desert Aire, Washington, will be reviewing mainstream calls and teaching and reviewing plus calls. No partner, no problem – Singles are very welcome!

Saturday, Aug. 10

∫ V-J Days continue today in Hillman, with breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. at the VFW Post 2356 Hall, for people participating in the parade, provided by the VFW Auxiliary. A white elephant and bake sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Augustine Church. Hillman Library will host a book sale from 10 a.m. to noon. Brush Creek Mill will host craft vendors and booths from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Hometown Heroes Military Display and gift shop will also be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parade lineup starts at 11 a.m. at Patchwood Plaza, and the VFW Grand Parade will take place at noon. Sparky the Fire Prevention Dog will be inside the fire station from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Also at the Hillman Fire Hall, there will be brats and hot dogs, refreshments, bounce house, fire hose, Pop with a Cop, and tours, after the parade until 3 p.m. Burger Bash will start at noon at the Emerick Park Pavilion. Hot dogs and brats will be offered at the VFW Hall after the parade, by donation. Children’s games will be offered at Hillman Fire Hall after the parade until 6 p.m., featuring balloon pop, football toss, lollipop game, lucky door key, pick a duck, pop ring toss, tricycle race, and a dunk tank. Crystal and Steve will provide free face painting from noon to 4 p.m. Horse carriage rides will be offered for $5 per ride after the parade until 6 p.m. The Country Poorboys will play music from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Hi-Way parking lot. A drawing for the grill raffle will be held at 2 p.m., sponsored by the VFW Post 2356. A rubber duck race by the Knights of Columbus will be held at 3 p.m., for $5 per ticket, on the west side of Brush Creek Mill. Butch Runyon will play a free concert from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hillman Bandshell, and Godfreys will play from 7 to 9 p.m. The Hillman Chamber of Commerce will be selling hot dogs, drinks, V-J Day T-shirts and hats, from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Hillman Bandshell. A car cruise will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. by the Wheels Car Club, at Thunder Bay Resort. Fireworks will be at dusk at Emerick Park.

See Wednesday’s Lifestyles page for more events.