Courtesy Photo Members of the SkellaFit Powerlifting Team will be at a Pep Rally fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday at PIF Cider in downtown Alpena.

~ 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. Visit thunderbayarts.org or call 989-354-2586.

~ 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.

Today, Sept. 9

~ 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 Association of Lifelong Learners will host a program on Operation Christmas Child from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, led by Jackie Barber and Meg Goerke. Operation Christmas Child is a part of Samaritan’s Purse. Barber will discuss choosing items that are allowable for shipment to over 100 countries. She will discuss what items are needed as well as the cost of shipment and how to motivate the giving spirit. She will also talk about what happens to the boxes when they are brought to the drop-off location and where they go from there. Goerke went on a distribution of shoeboxes and will share her experiences in Peru. Her time there was life-changing and you can feel it as she speaks. Items will be available for anyone who would like to pack a shoebox.

~ 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.

~ 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.

~ Friends Together hosts Learn with Friends: Yoga Breathing for Health and Longevity, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. with instructor Liz McNichols, at 105 Prentiss St., Alpena. This workshop is designed to provide techniques that relieve stress, balance energy, and improve sleep. Call to register at 989-356-3231.

~ The Friends of the Alpena County Library are hosting an official welcome and congratulations event from 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the library. Community members are invited to stop by and meet Library Director Christina Markowski. Light refreshments will be served. The library is located at 211 N. 1st Ave. Call 989-356-6188 for more information.

~ All women and young women, junior high age and up, are warmly invited to the WOVEN (Women of Victory Experiencing Newness) kickoff meeting on Tuesday at New Life Christian Fellowship. The event will begin with a shared meal at 5:30 p.m. followed by a special message of encouragement as women grow together in their faith in God. Bring a friend and join other women for a lovely time at this free event in the lower level of the church, located at 317 S. Ripley Blvd., Alpena. Call the church office for more information at 989-354-0095.

~ 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. 10

~ 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.

~ 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, Sept. 11

~ ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday at Alpena Community College, CTR 104 (665 Johnson St., Alpena). This free program is available to anyyone age 16 and older who wants to keep the people around them safer from suicide. A stipend is available for area school staff and board members, and NASW-Michigan CEUs are available for social workers. Register at partners-in-prevention.ticketleap.com/asist-alpena-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.

~ MARSP (Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel) will meet at noon on Thursday at the First United Methodist Church on Ripley Boulevard in Alpena. Reservations were to be made no later than Monday, Sept. 8 by calling or texting Ruth at 989-506-8876. You may pay when you arrive on the day of the meeting or if you choose, you can bring your own lunch. New retirees are invited to attend this meeting also. You should be receiving a newsletter soon. If you don’t get one, call Judy at 989-595-6832 to see if you forgot to pay your membership for the 2025-26 year. At the meeting, Andy Marceau of the Alpena City Fire Department will share some tips on Emergency Preparedness. MARSP also needs a new president, so come help them make that decision.

~ 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 Ink on the Screen, Part 2, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at M. Briggs Center, led by Tom Ferguson, with a special introduction by Doug Pugh. If you missed the first half of the double feature, no problem. This entertaining and informative look at newspaper movies will cover entirely different material, as old-time journalist Tom Ferguson (Detroit Free Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer, etc.) discusses some favorite newspaper films. There will be smoking, drinking, language, and flashing lights (but only in the video clips shown).

~ 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 Alpenopoly Grub Crawl, with a 1950s theme, will run from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on Thursday at various Alpena restaurants. Participating locations include The Court Yard, HopSide Brewery, Joe’s Bar, Knaebe’s, PIF Cider, Player’s Pub & Grub, Rusty Petunias Marketplace, Samantha’s on 2nd, Sneakers Bar, and Sports Page Lounge. Tickets are $30 each, available at the Chamber office, 235 W. Chisholm St., Alpena. This event is sponsored by Alpena Beverage Company, Emery Enterprises, HPC Credit Union, Kendall Electric, LakeShore Fiber of Alpena, Plowman’s Collision, Real Estate One of Alpena, Servpro of Alpena, Thunder Bay Transportation, and Wolverine State Credit Union.

~ 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. 12

~ 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.

~ Painted Pet Portraits will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday at the Alpena County Library. Participants 18+ need to bring their own printed pet photo. There will be different frames to fit different photo orientations. At the event, the pet photo will be traced onto the glass. Once the outline is done, attendees will take their photo out and paint the inside of the frame realistic or abstract. All to the artist’s preferences. Pre-registration is required at: http://bit.ly/3HDhilh. If you register but can no longer make it, call 989-356-6188, ext. 10 or email Sienna at sthiem@alpenalibrary.org to let staff know.

~ 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.

~ 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.

~ The Boys and Girls Club of Alpena will host the 2025 Great Futures Gala at 6 p.m. on Friday, celebrating 99 years of serving youth. Tickets are $100 per person. There will be a reverse raffle, heavy hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, and an open bar. For nearly a century, the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena has stood as a cornerstone of opportunity, guidance, and community for generations of youth. What began as a small local effort to give kids a safe place to go after school has grown into a powerful movement — one that has helped shape the hearts, minds, and futures of thousands of young people across our region. As we celebrate our 99th Annual Great Futures Gala, we are not just looking back — we’re looking forward. Forward to our 100th year and the incredible milestone it represents: 100 years of changing lives, lifting families, and building a stronger Alpena. The Club is located at 801 W. Miller St., Alpena.

~ Thunder Bay Arts will host Shades of Fall from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday in downtown Alpena, featuring live music by The Corn Potato String Band, chili, chowder, and a wide variety of family-friendly events. For more information, visit thunderbayarts.org or call 989-356-6678.

Saturday, Sept. 13

~ 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, with the annual mum sale fundraiser at the market. It is also Sisterhood Saturday, a free wellness day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On the second Saturday of the month, from May through September, The Alpena Farmers Market will host a vintage and artisan market along with the other regular market vendors. If you are interested in participating in this special event, please contact Tim Allen from Chippewa Valley Leatherworks at 989-590-0263. For more information, visit the Friends of the Alpena Farmers Market on Facebook.

~ The 12th Annual Jeff Wallace Memorial Golf Outing will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at River’s Edge Golf Club, 6373 Werth Road. Get ready for a great day with great people for a great reason! Up to 30 teams can participate in this four-person scramble. There will not be any divisions, so men and women will be playing together and competing with each other, though some games may have a prize for men and a prize for women. You can learn more at www.golfdifferently.com.

~ 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 Alpena County Library will host Michigan author Sue Harrison from 11 a.m. to noon. Harrison is the author of seven critically acclaimed, bestselling novels. Her most recent book, “The Midwife’s Touch,” released February 2023, has been an Amazon bestseller in two categories. She has also written a middle readers book, “Sisu,” released by Thunder Bay Press. Harrison was born in Lansing, Michigan. The first of five children, she was raised in the town of Pickford in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where she lives with her husband, a retired high school principal, and their mini-schnauzer, Tiffany. She will be reading and promoting her juvenile book, “Rescuing Crash, The Good Dog.”

~ Thunder Bay Theatre will host a classic block party from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday at 400 N. 2nd Ave., with yard games, 50/50, music, a cash bar, and food provided by JJ’s Catering. Proceeds will help TBT with the final phase of renovating the theatre. The suggested donation is $10 per person. All ages are welcome.

~ Help support and send off Alpena’s all-female SkellaFit Powerlifting team as they represent Team USA at the WPC World Powerlifting Championships in Durban, South Africa. The SkellaFit Pep Rally fundraiser will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at PIF Cider, 205 W. Chisholm St., Alpena. There will be a silent auction (donations are being taken now at skellafit.com), autograph signing, Bigfoot Bingo, music from DJ Skella, specialty merch and more!

~ A Rustblet Poetry Reading, presented in partnership with the Poetics Lab, will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at Art in the Loft, located on the third floor of the Center Building at 109 N. 2nd Ave. in Alpena. Poets include Diana Lueptow of northeast Ohio, NuEra Sunshine, born and raised in Detroit, and Pia Borsheim of Presque Isle. Tickets are $10 per person, available at tpoeticslab.com/event-details/rust-belt-poetry-reading.

Sunday, Sept. 14

~ 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.