Courtesy Photo Asamu Johnson and the Associates of the Blues will perform at the Alpena Blues Festival on Saturday at Bay View Park. Pictured, from left, are M.C. Clark, Thion Charity, Asamu Johnson, C.C. Woods, and Adam McMillan. Saxophone player Craig Robinson is not pictured, but will be at the festival on Saturday.

Art in the Loft’s “SummerView” exhibit is on display now through Sept. 6 at 109 N. 2nd Ave. in Alpena. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Classes are offered, and scholarships are available. Visit artintheloft.org, or call 989-356-4877.

Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan presents the Northeast Michigan Artists’ Guild’s annual exhibit “Anything Goes,” now through July 30. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, closed Tuesday, and open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at 491 Johnson St., Alpena. Call 989-356-2202, or visit bessermuseum.org.

Glass artists Augie and Peggy Matuzak are featured artists for June at Thunder Bay Arts Gallery, 127 W. Chisholm St., Alpena. Thunder Bay Arts Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Visit thunderbayarts.org or call 989-354-2586.

Brush Creek Mill presents the Northeast Michigan Artists Guild’s annual exhibit, “It Figures,” on display now through June 28. Brush Creek Mill is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at 121 S. State St., Hillman.

Tuesday, June 17

ALL hosts Mexican Train Express Dominoes from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. each Tuesday at M. Briggs Center 143.

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. For more information, call 989-255-4787.

Alpena County Library hosts Early Connections, a socialization program for children ages newborn to 5, and their caregivers, from 10 to 11 a.m. every Tuesday. No registration necessary.

Potential homeowners can find out the steps they need to take to get closer to homeownership. Stop by the Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan offices at 2630 U.S.-23 South in Alpena from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Tuesday.

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 welcome.

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

The Alpena Lions Club hosts their weekly meetings at noon on Tuesdays at First Presbyterian Church, Alpena. Visit alpenalionsclub.com or the Alpena Lions Club on Facebook, or call 989-464-5313.

ALL will host a program on the Northeast Michigan Materials Management Authority from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at M. Briggs Center on the campus of Alpena Community College. Director Bailey Barr will discuss operations at the current recycling facility and what the future holds with a new facility coming in 2026.

Alpena County Library hosts Tinker Tuesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m., for ages 5 and older.

Bay View Center hosts a diversity support meeting at 4 p.m. each Tuesday for those in the LGBTQ community, their families, and supporters, at 710 N. 2nd Ave. Call 989-340-0955.

Tinker Tuesday will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Alpena County Library, 211 N. 1st Ave. Tinker Tuesday is about getting together and exploring projects ranging from Makey Makey, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, 3D Printing, Strawbees, littleBits, Snap Circuits, sewing and more! Let your curiosity take over and explore! Participants must be 5 years old or older.

A women’s cancer support group meets from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in the lobby of the Alpena Cancer Center. This safe, confidential, peer-to-peer support group welcomes women with a past or present cancer diagnosis.

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

ALL will host Photography Club from 7 to 9 p.m. at M. Briggs Center and via Zoom. For the link, email all@alpenacc.edu.

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

Wednesday, June 18

The Alpena Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, 1302 State Ave. in Alpena. Visit the Friends of the Alpena Farmers Market on Facebook.

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

Friends of the Library’s used book store is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Wednesday at Alpena County Library.

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

Guys Like Us, a Wednesday morning coffee crew of men coping with cancer, meets at 10 a.m. at Friends Together and via Zoom. Call 989-356-3231 for the link.

Join the Alpena County Library from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays for Open MakerLab. Staff help is available. Participants ages 5 to 15 will need parental supervision. Call 989-356-6188, ext. 20.

ALL will host Journal Writing from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at M. Briggs Center, led by Mary Ann Krajnik Crawford. Journal writing is a first step for creating stories, capturing memories, and exploring our ideas and feelings. This is writing for fun and insight in a no-pressure atmosphere. Bring paper or a journal, pens or pencils or a computer — whatever you need to be comfortable for writing. Crawford has been a personal journal writer and teacher of writing for many years. She retired from Central Michigan University as an emeritus professor of English and director of the Writing Center and continues to write for the fun of it.

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

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

S.T.E.A.M. meets at 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. Homeschooled and alternatively schooled youth participate in a weekly S.T.E.A.M. activity.

Moon Market Wednesday is held from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Alpena Marina, 400 E. Chisholm St., Alpena.

Circle of Hope is a women’s only cancer support group from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday at Friends Together. This is a supportive, understanding group of women of all ages, all backgrounds, and all cancers. Call 989-356-3231, or drop in.

Alpena Sportsmen’s Club, at 4260 M-32 West in Alpena, is open to members and non-members. Skeet and sporting clay shooting are from 5:45 p.m. until dark on Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Text Joel Suszek at 989-255-4928 or Jeff Welch at 989-255-6068.

Friends Together offers a cancer support group at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Alcona Elementary School, 181 N. Barlow Road, Lincoln. This group is for anyone facing cancer, no matter where you are on your journey. You are welcome to bring a support person with you.

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

Thursday, June 19

The MATE ROV World Championship will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the NOAA Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, 500 W. Fletcher St., Alpena. The event is open to the public. This is the first time since 2014 the World competition has been held in Alpena. Mission tasks will take place in the outdoor test tank at the Maritime Center. The event is expected to bring 1,200 students, educators, professionals, and marine industry leaders from at least 10 different countries to the area. For more information, including a list of competing teams and program sponsors, visit materovcompetition.org/world-championship.

Community Walking Club meets at 9 a.m. every Thursday in the parking lot of Alcona County Library in Harrisville.

Weekly Storytime will be held from 9:15 to 10:10 a.m. on Thursday at Alpena County Library, 211 N. 1st Ave. This free program is for ages newborn to 5. Two sessions are offered: 9:15 and 9:45 a.m. We read a story, sing a song and move, and finish with a craft! June 5’s theme is Butterflies.

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. Call Betty at 734-693-2869 for weekly location.

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

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

Join Harrisville Yoga instructor Liz McNicholas for Stretch and Strengthen, a free series of yoga classes, open to all, at 1 p.m. every Thursday at the Alcona County Library in Harrisville.

ALL will host “Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy” from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at M. Briggs Center, led by the Rev. Bob Case, pastor emeritus from the First Congregational United Church of Christ. He will discuss the title book by Jonathan Rauch, an atheist, Jewish, homosexual who Case says “wrote one of the most insightful books on the Christian church I’ve read in some time. An outsider can sometimes see what insiders cannot and I believe this book proves that point. Join me as we open his friendly critique of the Christian church where it has failed and where it can succeed.”

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

The Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Northeast Michigan is hosting a free Juneteenth program from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church, 119 W. Dunbar St. in Alpena.

The program, titled “1865, The Union Army and Juneteenth,” will be presented by Sandra Pilgrim-Lewis. A press release from the MLK Committee states, “This pivotal moment in history, known as Juneteenth, highlights the challenges and successes of bringing the news of emancipation to those still held in slavery, as seen through the experiences of the Union soldiers who delivered it.” This program is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted, and will go toward the work of the MLK Committee. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, email aBelovedCommunity.alpena@gmail.com.

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 host their Looking Back concert at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Alpena Bandshell at Bay View Park. The band will play every Thursday through Aug. 7, excluding the Patriotic Concert, which will be on Friday, the 4th of July. Other themed concerts will be the Children’s Concert on July 24, and the Polka Concert on Aug. 7. Bring a lawn chair for an hour of relaxing band music. The Alpena City Band rehearses every Tuesday at ACC’s Granum Theatre. All interested musicians are welcome to attend. The band is among Alpena’s longer-established civic organizations. It is a nonprofit organization and relies upon community support for its continuing existence. Donations can be made to Alpena City Band, P.O. Box 14, Alpena, MI 49707.

Friday, June 20

ALL pickleball plays from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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.

ALL hosts contract bridge from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Fridays at M. Briggs Center.

The Hillman VFW Post 2356 hosts its Friday Night Fish Fry from 4 to 7 p.m. every Friday, 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.

Saturday, June 21

The Run With Your Heart 5K and 1-mile races will be held on Saturday morning at the Northern Lights Arena north parking lot on Woodward Avenue in Alpena. Same-day registration starts at 8 a.m. This event is free for ages 12 and younger, sponsored by Run United. Same-day registration is $35 per person, payable by cash or check to United Way of NE MI — Run United. The 1-mile starts at 9 a.m., and the 5K starts at 9:30 a.m. Race Directors Madi and Izzy Szymanski started the Run With Your Heart race last year in memory of their sister, Ryan Marie Szymanski, who passed away from congenital heart defects in July 2006. Participants are encouraged to wear blue or red in support of congenital heart defects awareness. All proceeds will go to Children’s Hospital of Michigan pediatric cardiology unit where Ryan was treated. For more information, email rununitedalpena@gmail.com.

The Alpena Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, 1302 State Ave. in Alpena. Visit the Friends of the Alpena Farmers Market on Facebook.

The Sunrise Side Co-op Market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, with 40 vendors represented weekly for your bakery, farm products, wellness items and high-end gift needs, at the Alpena Marina at 400 E. Chisholm St., Alpena.

The Hillman Area Historical and Genealogical Society will host the “Rea Play” from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Brush Creek Mill in Hillman. Austin Rea (1882-1959) was a Hillman businessman and civic leader. A special display in the Mill’s River Room features photographs, documents and memorabilia from Rea’s life and career, providing a rich look at one of Hillman’s most influential figures. Members of the extended Rea family will participate in the oral reading of letters to and from Austin Rea during his time away from home while attending Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University.

The 21st Alpena Blues Festival is set for 2 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, a free concert this year in a new location — the Alpena Bandshell at Bay View Park. Bands include Blues by the Drop 5 from 2 to 4 p.m., Broken Arrow Blues with Tosha Owens from 4 to 6 p.m., Grand Rapids band Asamu Johnson and Associates of the Blues from 6 to 8 p.m., and Eliza Neals from 8 to 10 p.m. The free concert is being held in memory of Maggie Lamb. Attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items to donate at the concert, so the Alpena Blues Festival can continue to “Help Stamp Out Hunger with the Blues.” To learn more about the bands and the festival, visit alpenablues.org.

Sunday, June 22

If a problem drinker is affecting your life, Al-Anon can help. Confidential and anonymous meetings are held from 2 to 3 p.m. every Sunday at St. Raphael Church in Mikado.

Monday, June 23

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

Exercise is at 10 a.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Alpena Senior Citizens Center. Euchre starts at 12:30 p.m.

Experienced bridge partners looking for some challenging competition can join the Alpena Duplicate Bridge Club that meets from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Mondays. For more information, call 989-354-2306 or 989-595-5119.

Friends Together North is a cancer support group for men and women that meets at 12:30 p.m. each Monday at the Presque Isle District Library in Rogers City.

ALL will visit a Lavender Farm from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Monday. They will travel to Dreyer Hill Farm on M-32, home of the Smiley Face Barn, owned by Luke and Kathy Dreyer, who will share their story of the lavender farm business and offer light refreshments for attendees to sample.

If a problem drinker is affecting your life, Al-Anon can help. Confidential and anonymous meetings are held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Monday at the Alano Club located at 3100 Piper Road, Alpena. For more information, contact Diane at 989-821-9601.