Arbor Annie’s Weekday Picks June 17-21

It’s the first week of summer vacation. That means great events like Top of the Park and the Ann Arbor Jaycees Carnival. Plus the kickoff of summer fun at the Ann Arbor Library, Hands-On Museum, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, and more.

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Arbor Annie’s Weekday Picks

The weather this week is a bit more summer like than the weekend. Temperatures are back to the 70s and there is a bit less rain in the forecast.

Top of the Park continues this week (except for Monday). Be sure to check out our Top of the Park Kids Guide for the daily schedule, tips for attending, and more. This week’s Kid Zone activites are Origami, Calligraphy, Puppets, and More on Tuesday, the popular Mo Willems series Elephant and Piggie Series on Wednesday, Japan Week: Games from Around the World on Thursday, and Around the World with American Field Service.

On Wednesday the Ann Arbor Jaycees Carnival starts. It’s an annual tradition for us to attend. They are hosting us this year so that we can share all of the fun with you. Be on the lookout for our roundup and a video walkthrough.

Lots of summer event series start this week. Matthaei Botanical Gardens starts their Summer Children’s Garden Pop-Ups on Monday. Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is doing a Summer of Space and also adding extra workshops. The Ann Arbor District Library has a full slate of fun events all week long.

Strawberry picking should still be great this week. I am hoping to get out one day this week.

I enjoyed the Peony Garden last week, but couldn’t get my daughter to visit on Friday afternoon. She has a cold on top of allergies so she didn’t want to make the allergies worse.

It is also Japan Week. There are several fun events all week. Last year my daughter enjoyed Japan Week: Japanese Video Games which is on Monday. Other good choices are Japan Week: Family Art Studio: The Six Senses of Buddhism on Thursday plus the Center for Japanese Studies has the KidsZone Tent at Top of the Park.

Summer Movie Series continue this week at Quality 16 and Emagine plus the Cinemark series starts. Quality 16 is showing Smallfoot (Monday-Friday). Emagine is showing Despicable Me (Wednesday & Thursday) and Cinemark is showing The Grinch (Tuesday).

The local pools, water parks, and spray grounds are open regular hours this week – pending the weather. If you have little ones, the Tot Splashes are a great time to visit.

Top Weekday Event Picks

Monday Picks

10:00am-4:00pm Maker Monday: Engineering Design at Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

10:00am Smallfoot - Free Morning Movies at Quality 16

10:00am-11:30am Summer 2019 Children's Garden Pop-Up at Matthaei Botanical Gardens

10:30am-11:00am Preschool Art Start at Pittsfield Branch Library

10:30am-11:00am Preschool Art Start at Traverwood Branch of AADL

2:00pm-3:00pm Trouble - Trickster Tales at Westgate Branch of AADL

5:00pm-7:00pm Japan Week: Japanese Video Games at James & Anne Duderstadt Center

6:00pm-8:00pm Family Night at Dexter A&W

6:30pm-8:30pm Japan Week - Sashiko Embroidery at Downtown Branch of AADL

Tuesday Picks

9:00am-7:00pm PBS Kids Club Live at Royal Oak Farmers Market

10:00am Smallfoot - Free Morning Movies at Quality 16

10:00am Summer Movie Clubhouse - The Grinch at Rave Motion Pictures

1:00pm-2:00pm Make Cool Stuff at Mudpuddles- Owl Craft at Mudpuddles Toy Store

4:00pm-5:30pm The Fashion & Art of Japanese Textiles Workshop at Weiser Hall

5:00pm-8:00pm KidZone: Formosa Association of Student Cultural Ambassadors - Origami, Calligraphy, Puppets, and More at Top of the Park

5:00pm-11:00pm Top of the Park Music at Top of the Park

6:00pm-7:00pm Japanese Fashion Photo Booth at Weiser Hall

7:00pm-8:30pm Japan Week: Moss Tray Landscapes at Downtown Branch of AADL

10:00pm-11:59pm Won't You Be My Neighbor: Top of the Park Movie at Top of the Park

Wednesday Picks

9:00am-7:00pm PBS Kids Club Live at Royal Oak Farmers Market

10:00am Emagine Summer Kids Movie - Despicable Me at Emagine Saline

10:00am Smallfoot - Free Morning Movies at Quality 16

10:00am-4:30pm Wild Wednesdays at Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

2:00pm-3:00pm Button Tree Paintings at Pittsfield Branch Library

2:00pm-3:00pm Hand-Carved Soap Boats at Downtown Branch of AADL

4:00pm-10:00pm Ann Arbor Jaycees Summer Carnival at Pioneer High School

5:00pm-8:00pm KidZone: Mary A. Rackham Institute - Elephant and Piggie Series at Top of the Park

5:00pm-11:00pm Top of the Park Music at Top of the Park

5:15pm-6:45pm Meet the Providers at IHA Child Health West Arbor

5:30pm-7:00pm Block Printing & Letterpress Workshop at Top of the Park

8:00pm On the March - Ann Arbor Civic Band at West Park Band Shell

Thursday Picks

10:00am Emagine Summer Kids Movie - Despicable Me at Emagine Saline

10:00am-1:00pm Pre-K Learning: Music at Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

10:00am Smallfoot - Free Morning Movies at Quality 16

10:00am-11:00am Spinning Dot Theatre Previews Twirl at Riverside Arts Center

11:00am-1:00pm Japan Week: Family Art Studio: The Six Senses of Buddhism at University of Michigan Museum of Art

11:30am-1:00pm Sonic Lunch - morgxn with special guest Magdalen Fossum at Liberty Plaza

2:00pm-3:00pm Analog Robot Hands at Malletts Creek Branch Library

2:00pm-4:00pm Japan Week: Family Art Studio: The Six Senses of Buddhism at University of Michigan Museum of Art

4:00pm-10:00pm Ann Arbor Jaycees Summer Carnival at Pioneer High School

5:00pm-8:00pm KidZone: Center for Japanese Studies and International Institute - Games from Around the World at Top of the Park

5:00pm-11:00pm Top of the Park Music at Top of the Park

6:30pm-7:30pm Flying Toys at Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

6:30pm-9:00pm Shakespeare in the Arb 2019: Twelfth Night at Nichols Arboretum

10:00pm-11:59pm Cinetopia Film: Top of the Park Movie at Top of the Park

Friday Picks

10:00am-4:00pm Slime Time at Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

10:00am Smallfoot - Free Morning Movies at Quality 16

2:00pm-4:00pm Cancelled - How Do I Hover? An Exploration into How to Lift a Hovercraft at Downtown Branch of AADL

2:00pm-3:00pm Tropical Fruit & Plant Craft at Pittsfield Branch Library

4:00pm-11:00pm Ann Arbor Jaycees Summer Carnival at Pioneer High School

5:00pm-8:00pm KidZone: American Field Service - Around the World with AFS at Top of the Park

5:00pm-11:00pm Top of the Park Music at Top of the Park

6:30pm-9:00pm Shakespeare in the Arb 2019: Twelfth Night at Nichols Arboretum

8:30pm-10:30pm Night Paddle at Gallup Park

Movies

In movies this week, Toy Story 4 opens on Friday with showings starting Thursday evening. We can’t wait to see the movie.

The other big movie highlight is the Summer movie series – Quality 16 has Smallfoot (Monday-Friday), Emagine has Despicable Me (Wednesday & Thursday), and Cinemark has The Grinch (Tuesday).

Still in theaters are:

• Men in Black International
• Aladdin
• Dark Phoenix
• Secret Life of Pets 2
• Avengers Endgame
• Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

Upcoming Family Friendly movies are (updated from earlier this month since Disney/Fox/Marvel changed some dates after their merger):

• June 21 – Toy Story 4
• July 2 – Spider-Man Far From Home
• July 19 – The Lion King
• August 2 – Dora and the Lost City of Gold
• August 16 – The Angry Birds Movie 2

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Looking Forward to Next Weekend

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