While spring officially started in March, it’s April that makes us feel like we can fully embrace all things spring: warming temperatures, blooming flowers, and longer days to enjoy it all. This April, we are marking our calendars with a wide variety of events, from fairy festivals to Earth Day celebrations and bike races to pizza parties.

Make this month extra amazing by attending a few of these April events in the Ann Arbor area!

 

Jump Ahead:

Arts + Culture | Community Celebrations | Sports | Food + Drink

 

Arts + Culture

ARTrageous | Brighton

Where: Brighton Center for Performing Arts

When: April 8, 2022

The Brighton Center for Performing Arts is hosting a one-of-a-kind, interactive art and music experience called ARTrageous! The show features a team of accomplished, multi-talented artists painting at electric speed, creating giant works of art right in front of your eyes. Plus, they are accompanied by live musical performances, including powerful vocals and high-energy choreography. This unique visual journey is fun for the whole family! Purchase your tickets before it sells out.

 

Spring Fiber Expo | Saline

Where: Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds

When: April 9-10, 2022

Photo Courtesy of Spring Fiber Expo

Once during the spring and again during the fall, the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds are filled with fiber products of all kinds. Come by to shop, learn and meet makers of wool, linen and cotton crafts, see real alpacas and more! Children ages 12 years and under are admitted for free, while adults pay just $4 cash for one day or $6 for two. And this year, they are offering a workshop for children ages 10 and up on Saturday morning for $15 per student!

 

UMS Presents: HOME | Ann Arbor

Where: University of Michigan Power Center

When: April 22-23, 2022

As a real estate company, we are especially intrigued by this one. UMS presents HOME, a theater piece exploring the idea of home, taking “a completely different look at these structures that not only house us but, in many ways, define who we are.” Physical theater artist Geoff Sobelle leads an ensemble of dancers and designers through the difficult process of raising a house onstage and making a home within it. After we have spent so much time at home over the last two years, this is an especially timely and relevant experience “magically transforming our humdrum rituals and momentous events into a glorious, intimate, and profound celebration.” Tickets for HOME start at $30.

 

Annual Fairy Festival | Jackson

Where: Jackson School of the Arts

When: April 30 + May 1, 2022

Photo Courtesy of Jackson School of the Arts

Jackson School of the Arts invites you to their 15th Annual Fairy Festival, a two-day event filled with activities, crafts and snacks inspired by child-like imagination. Your little ones will experience wonderment and joy — and their grown-up companions just might rediscover the child inside themselves! Walk through the Fairy Kingdom, Mermaid Cove, and the dark mountain, and meet a Fairy Princess and Captain Hook himself. And don’t forget to dress up! Saturday, April 30 is a ticketed event with limited reservations and Sunday, May 1 is free and open to the public! Click here for more details and to purchase tickets for Saturday.

 

Community Celebrations

FOOLmoon | Ann Arbor

Where: Downtown Ann Arbor + Online

When: April 1, 2022

One of the community’s most anticipated annual events is back! FOOLmoon is the nighttime kick-off event to a very foolish weekend hosted by Wonderfool Productions. This year, the celebration is taking place in the Kerrytown, Main Street and State Street districts, and will have all the dancing, laughing and luminaries we’ve come to love over the years. This year’s theme is Alice in WonderFools, so there will be plenty of madness and curious creations, from Mad Hatter tea parties to flamingo croquet! If you want to celebrate from home, RSVP for the FoolMoon 2022 event on Facebook and tune in for the FoolMoon TV premiere.

 

FestiFools | Ann Arbor

Where: Downtown Ann Arbor

When: April 3, 2022

Photo Courtesy of Myra Klarman via Wonderfool Productions

After a two-year quarantine, FestiFools is back! This one-hour daytime event from Wonderfool Productions is open to both members of the community and U-M students. Make your own puppet or come down to Main Street to watch the procession of colorful, bizarre, human-powered paper-mâché creations for an hour of foolishness and fun.

 

Ann Arbor Earth Day Festival | Ann Arbor

Where: Leslie Science & Nature Center

When: April 24, 2022

The Ann Arbor Earth Day Festival is an annual celebration hosted by the Ann Arbor Earth Day Festival Planning Committee, a coalition of local environmental nonprofits and agencies, and the Leslie Science & Nature Center. At this free, family-friendly event, guests can enjoy displays from 40 local organizations, live animal demonstrations, hands-on activities, live entertainment and much more.

 

Sports

Big House 5K

Where: University of Michigan

When: April 10, 2022

The 9th Annual Big House 5K invites runners of all ages and skill levels to run/walk the course weaving through the University of Michigan campus before finishing on the 50-yard line of Michigan Stadium. You have the option to participate in the in-person or virtual race, which means you can complete the distance wherever you choose. This event is helping raise money for six local non-profit organizations, including Fostering Futures, Hire MI Vet, Legacy Land Conservancy, Non Profit Enterprise at Work (NEW), Riverside Arts Center, and The Women’s Center of Southeast Michigan. Register today for this exciting race benefiting a variety of incredible causes.

 

Virtual Earth Day 5K | Virtual

Where: Anywhere

When: April 22-30, 2022

Turn your neighborhood jog into a charitable event by signing up for the Virtual Earth Day 5K! You can complete a 1-mile, 5K, 10K, half marathon (13.1 miles), or full marathon (26.2 miles) wherever you choose to celebrate our beautiful planet. At least 15% of every registration will go to Wild Earth Allies, whose mission is “protect vital areas of our natural world for the benefit of wildlife, habitats, and people by inspiring collaborative action.” Complete your race any time in April — but even better if it’s on Earth Day (April 22)! Register before you run so you can receive your medal and bib in the mail.

 

13th Annual Ride for Recovery by Dawn Farm | Ypsilanti

Where: Dawn Farm

When: April 24, 2022

Photo Courtesy of Dawn Farm

This family-oriented fitness event is an annual fundraiser for Dawn Farm, raising funds for their services helping addicts and alcoholics achieve long-term recovery. Community members at any fitness level are invited to register for one of four bike rides: a 10K, a 25-mile, a 40-mile and a 58-mile. There will also be a Farm Fun 5K and 10K Run/Walk, and a celebratory buffet-style lunch will be provided after the races. You can also choose to participate in any of the above-mentioned distances virtually, if you’d rather complete your race or run by yourself (while still donating to an amazing cause!). Family members not participating are asked to register for the lunch-only option so there is enough food for everyone. You can register for all the options online here.

 

Waterloo G&G Gravel Bike Race | Grass Lake

Where: Portage Lake State Park

When: April 30, 2022

Hit the trail on this epic bike ride weaving through the wilds of Lower Michigan’s largest park, Portage Lake State Park. Here, you’ll discover pristine forests, rolling glacial terrain, and sparkling lakes, providing a breathtaking backdrop for your cycling journey, whether you’re tackling the 100K, the 50K, or the 10-mile non-competitive and untimed ride. A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Click here to register and for more details about this event!

 

Food + Drink

PizzaPalooza | Chelsea

Where: Palmer Commons

When: April 23, 2022

It’s time to celebrate everyone’s favorite food: pizza! PizzaPalooza in downtown Chelsea will have pizza, beer and live music from Seventh, Metro Soul Band, Chirp, and The Ben Daniels Band. Pizza will be provided by Cottage Inn, Jet’s Pizza, Thompson’s Pizza, and Valiant Bar & Grill — and don’t miss the True North Foods Hot Sauce Station! Admission to this event is $10.

 

Happy April!

What April events are on your calendar? Tell us all about them in the comments below!