Courtesy Photo Alpena artist Erwin Lewandowski will be making a special presentation from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Alpena County Library.

~ Art in the Loft, located at 109 N. 2nd Ave. in Alpena, 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 Juried Art Exhibit and Chuck Schroeder’s solo art exhibit, both on display now through Oct. 29 at 491 Johnson St., Alpena. 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.

~ Thunder Bay Arts Gallery, 127 W. Chisholm St., Alpena, is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Featured Artists for September and October are Northern Michigan Fiber Festival Artists, including Kate Goodrich-Arling, Diane Block, Shelia Robbins, Marion Jagst, and Connie Stafford. An artists’ reception will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday at the gallery. For more information, visit thunderbayarts.org or call 989-354-2586. The Northern Michigan Fiber Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday at the APlex in Alpena.

~ Brush Creek Mill is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at 121 S. State St., Hillman. Brush Creek Mill is open year-round and features a gift shop, a variety of events and activities, a memorial garden on Brush Creek, and the Hillman Area Historical and Genealogy Society Museum.

Tuesday, Sept. 23

~ 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.

~ The VFW 2496 Canteen at 2900 Connon St. in Alpena will be holding Euchre games at 1 p.m. every Tuesday. Come one, come all!

~ ALL will host an Alpena bus tour of vintage homes, with the TBTA bus boarding in the parking lot behind Alpena City Hall starting at 1:10 p.m. The bus will depart for the tour at exactly 1:30 p.m., and the tour is expected to last until 3 p.m. The cost is $15 per person. If you do not already have tickets, call the ALL office to check availability at 989-358-7207 or email

all@alpenacc.edu. Curious about the history of Alpena vintage homes? Who built them? Who has lived in them? Which house was not the home of the 33rd governor of Michigan? We all know the stone castle Henry house on State, but what about the three houses that were built for wedding gifts? This year’s vintage home tour will include six vintage homes and their histories. There will be personal memories from people who currently live in these distinguished homes. The group will not tour inside the homes. No walking will be involved for tour participants. Seating is limited to 20, with attendance priority given to ALL members. Tour guide Ellen Runkel Eagan moved to Alpena in August 1952 and had the privilege and pleasure of growing up in the rectory at 135 1st Ave., one of the houses on the tour today.

~ Coping Through Loss With Christ, a grief/loss group, will meet from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Holy Cross Cemetery office. Then, a job loss and other forms of loss group will meet at 6:30 p.m on Tuesdays at the Friendship Room in Alpena. For more information, contact Seth Peters at 989-354-3019. All are welcome.

~ A DIY Pet Beds class will be held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. today at Alpena County Library. Select from sweaters purchased second-hand or bring a sweater you won’t miss from home and sew it into a pet bed for your small animal. Your pets may enjoy the sweater already smelling like you! This is a great beginner sewing project because you do not need to worry about the seams being perfect, and you are making something from repurposed materials. Pre-registration is required at http://bit.ly/4mmw5Af. If you register but can no longer make it, please let the library staff know at 989-356-6188, ext. 10 or email Sienna at sthiem@alpenalibrary.org.

~ 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.

~ 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.

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

Wednesday, Sept. 24

~ Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday for the ALL Bus Tour that will take place on Oct. 16. Tickets will be sold from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 143 at M. Briggs Center, 656 Johnson St., Alpena, on the campus of Alpena Community College.

~ 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.

~ Tech Help is from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday at the Alpena County Library. Do you have a gadget that you need a little help with or a tech question that you need an answer to? Get help with your computer, phone, or tablet from the library’s knowledgeable and patient staff.

~ 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.

~ The Alpena County Library Board of Trustees will hold their monthly meeting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday in the Judith A. Stillion Conference Room.

~ 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.

~ Wild Wednesday Karaoke Night is from 6 to 9 p.m. each Wednesday at Bolton Ridge Bar and Grill, 9101 Bolton Road. If you show up early, happy hour is from 3 to 5 p.m.

~ 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.

~ The regular monthly meeting of the Marine Corps League Alpena Detachment 1327 will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the hall of the VFW 2496 at 2900 Connon St., Alpena.

~ 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, Sept. 25

~ 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. Participants read a story, sing a song and move, and finish with a craft.

~ 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.

~ ALL’s September Happening — Celebrating Presenters will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Alpena County Library. Guest speaker Don MacMaster, president of Alpena Community College, will speak on “The State of the College” followed by a brief ceremony recognizing ALL program presenters for the past year. Lunch will be provided by Mancino’s, and donations are welcome.

~ 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.

~ 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.

~ ALL will hold an AHS Tech Workshop from 3 to 5 p.m. at M. Briggs Center, with tech help from Alpena High School students of DECA Club. Club Advisor Amanda Pilarski also shares her knowledge and skills. One-on-one help will focus on your situation and concerns. Bring your devices and questions.

~ Melissa Hoag, breast nurse navigator at MyMichigan Health, will lead a free in-person Survivorship Care Planning program for breast cancer patients who have completed their treatment within the last 18 months or will soon be completing their treatment. The in-depth discussion will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in Auditorium 1 at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena, 1501 W. Chisholm St., Alpena. Registration is required and light refreshments will be served. For more information or to register, visit www.mymichigan.org/survivorship or call 800-395-1355.

~ 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.

Friday, Sept. 26

~ 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 contract bridge is 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 $13 for the fish dinner or $15 for the shrimp dinner.

~ An artists’ reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday for the Alpena Community College Art+Design Faculty Exhibition, featuring Brian Schorn, Joe Donna, Erich Carlson, and Carol Boboltz. The reception will be held at the Fine Arts Building on the ACC campus. Artwork will be on display through Oct. 24.

~ 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.

~ Get ready for another weekend of family-friendly frights, creativity, and campground fun! Halloween Spooktacular Weekend starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Paul Bunyan Family Campground, 2498 E. Hubert Road. Dress up, decorate, and celebrate Halloween together. On Friday, bingo will be held in the pavilion at 7:30 p.m. (must bring a candy bar to enter). Events continue at 10 a.m. Saturday, including decorating trick-or-treat bags, and a slime station. A pumpkin carving contest will begin at noon (bring your own pumpkin or purchase one on-site). A Halloween photo booth will open at 2 p.m. Learn the “Thriller” dance at 4 p.m., with everyone filmed in costume. Trick-or-treating starts at 5 p.m. Saturday, followed by a community bonfire at 6 p.m. There will be a campsite decorating contest, with the winner announced at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Saturday, Sept. 27

~ Friends Together will host a casino bus trip to Soaring Eagle on Saturday. Tickets are $59 per person, which includes $30 free play, $10 dining credit, and $10 in bingo bucks. The bus will depart promptly at 7:45 a.m. from the Alpena Meijer parking lot. Get tickets at donorbox.org/events/791033. If you have questions, call Friends Together at 989-356-3231.

~ The Northern Michigan Fiber Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the APlex in Alpena. The event will feature over 50 vendors, a wide variety of classes, demonstrations, food from local farmers, and more. For more information and to view the class schedule, visit fiberfestival.net.

~ Award-winning Alpena artist Erwin Lewandowski will be making a special presentation from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Alpena County Library, 211 N. 1st Ave. Immediately following his comments, a selection of Giclee limited edition prints will be available for purchase until 3 p.m., with a portion of every sale going to the Friends of the Library group.

~ The sixth annual Alpena Suicide Prevention Walk will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Bay View Park in Alpena, with registration opening at 9 a.m. A variety of community organizations will be on-hand at the Alpena Bandshell, offering resources and support related to mental health services. A speaker will share their personal story prior to the roughly two-mile walk. Registration includes a unique T-shirt designed by local artist Kamara Marsh, and all proceeds from registration go toward local suicide prevention efforts by Partners in Prevention.

~ 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.

~ A euchre tournament will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Hillman Senior Center, with a meal served at 5 p.m. and play starting at 6 p.m. The entry fee is $20 per person, with prizes and food provided. For more information, call 989-464-4463 or 989-742-4080.

Sunday, Sept. 28

~ 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.