Old Town - Lansing, MI

Old Town’s Scrapfest Competition Begins!

This article was posted on Mon, Jun 22 2009 | Permalink

Twelve teams participated in collecting scrap metal from Friedland Industries on Saturday, June 20, 2009 in order to create a sculpture from recycled material in one week for the Old Town Commercial Association’s (OTCA) first Scrapfest Competition.

The twelve teams had one hour on Saturday, June 20, 2009 to collect up to 500 pounds of scrap metal and recycled materials from Friedland Industries in Old Town, Lansing. In one week, each team must complete a sculpture made from only the materials collected at that time. Overall, the teams collected more than 3,800 pounds of scrap metal.

The finished sculptures will be judged by local artists and public figures including Roy Saper of Saper Galleries in East Lansing, Jane Aldrich of WLNS Channel 6, and artists Paul Flickinger from Kalamazoo, Mich., and Barb Hranilovich from Old Town, Lansing. The top three teams will receive cash prizes and a people’s choice award will also be announced.

Scrapfest is OTCA’s newest event and fund raiser for Old Town, Lansing. This exciting new event highlights Old Town’s artistic side and eco-friendly conscious. The finished sculptures, which must not exceed 8 ft x 8 ft x 8 ft, will be on display and auctioned off at Festival of the Sun on Saturday, June 27, 2009. All proceeds will benefit the continued revival of Lansing’s historic Old Town neighborhood.

The OTCA would like to acknowledge the 2009 Scrapfest sponsors for their time and donations which made this event possible: Friedland Industries, MSU Surplus Store, JACO Environmental, Franklin Energy, Lansing Board of Water & Light, Such Video, Harvest Music & Sound, Barbco, Barb Hranilovich, David Such, and Sucko Construction.

For more information about Scrapfest, Festival of the Sun, or contacting teams and sponsors, please call the OTCA office at 517.485.4823 or visit http://www.oldtownscrapfest.com or http://www.iloveoldtown.org.

Michigan PRIDE Events Set to Hit Old Town

This article was posted on Fri, Jun 05 2009 | Permalink

Since 1989, Michigan Pride has operated on the kindness of volunteers and the belief that America is a melting pot. Next year, Michigan Pride will be moving its headquarters from downtown Lansing to Old Town, and in an effort to make that a seamless transition, a series of pre and post-parties are being held at a variety of Old Town businesses.  Make sure to mark your calendars for these celebrations, and let’s show Michigan what a welcoming, diverse, and artistic community Old Town truly is! Below is a calendar of the weekend events being held in Old Town:

Michigan PRIDE White Party
Everyone that attends is asked to wear white attire. (No, you won’t be turned you away if you’re not dressed up.) This is Michigan Pride’s new annual event celebrating unity and purity within our community. Spiral Dance Bar, Chrome Cat, Esquire Bar, Grand Café will all host music and live events.  This event is for everyone 18+ (21+ Required for some venues; 21+ can get a wristband for $10 that allows you to travel between all four venues)! Buy your white apparel at Grace’s Champagne Celebration on June 5.

Michigan PRIDE Old Town After-Party
After the PRIDE March and Festival in Lansing, thousands will head down to Old Town for the PRIDE After Party! 4 DJs - 4 distinct areas to party! Featuring Broke Drag Queens @ 7pm at Spiral Dance Bar, DJ Guillaume at Sir Pizza Grand Café, music and pool at Esquire, and Food, Pool Tables, Live Music, DJ, Outdoor Tent Area, and Mimi Gonzales at The Chrome Cat!

Michigan PRIDE Sunday Tea Dance
Join Michigan PRIDE at the Sunday Tea Dance to wrap up Michigan PRIDE Weekend! 11am Brunch @ The Chrome Cat, lunch and drink specials at Sir Pizza Grand Café at 12pm, T-Dance at 3 pm, and beginning at 6pm at Spiral enjoy Wine Tasting, a Hair & Fashion Show, and Drag Queens Gone Wild.

Scrapfest Debuts

This article was posted on Fri, Jun 05 2009 | Permalink

This year, Old Town is going “green” with a resourceful art competition called Scrapfest.  On Saturday, June 20, teams of artists will have one hour to collect recycled scrap materials from Friedland Industries. They will then have the entire week before Festival of the Moon and Sun to create a work of art. The sculptures will then be displayed, judged, and auctioned off at the festivals on June 26 and 27.

Scrapfest will hold a kick-off breakfast at the Creole Gallery, where artists and sponsors will discuss the rules of the contest. Then, participants will head to Friedland Industries, and collect as much recycled material as they need in one hour.  Located at the corner of Maple and Center streets, Friedland Industries will be the sole materials provider and Signature Sponsor of Scrapfest, helping Old Town become part of the “green” movement. The company has served Lansing for over 120 years.

The only requirements for teams are that sculptures weigh less than 500 lbs. and fit in a 10 x 10 space.  This competition is sure to bring many inventive faces to Old Town, as well as Festival of the Moon and Sun. It will be a great addition to the festivals, which attracted more than 5,000 visitors last year.

For more information on how to sponsor a team, or if you would like to participate as an artist please visit http://www.oldtownscrapfest.com or call the OTCA office at 517.485.4283.

Lansing 150 Parade a Success

This article was posted on Fri, Jun 05 2009 | Permalink

Old Town helped to celebrate Lansing’s 150th Birthday on May 16th in the Lansing 150 Parade. Marching with Preuss Pets on behalf of the Combined Sewer Operation (CSO), Old Town spread the message “Save the river, save the fish,” to Lansing residents lined up along Michigan Ave.

Before the parade, Preuss Pets and community volunteers dyed yards of fabric shades of blue and created colorful fish out of tissue paper for parade walkers to march with on the day of parade. Volunteers came together to create a beautiful river that floated down Michigan Ave. from Pennsylvania all the way to the Capital.

Wearing bright blue t-shirts that read “1.65 Billion Gallons,” more than 60 volunteers helped raise awareness about the necessity of the CSO project. The CSO project will help to save the river, and the fish, by preventing the approximately 1.65 billion gallons of raw sewage that runs directly into Lansing’s rivers every year.
Currently, the CSO project is still underway. Although the detours and construction may seem like a hassle, remember that the CSO project is working to build a greener Lansing. For more information and updates, visit http://www.lansingcso.com.

Pickin’ in the Park in Full Swing!

This article was posted on Fri, Jun 05 2009 | Permalink

Local artists and musicians are beginning to gather on Tuesday nights in conjunction with Shmooze on Tues.  Pickin’ in the Park is a weekly social affair and jam session for artists, musicians, and residents in the heart of Old Town. As the weather warms, take time out to relax with friends and family to the summer sounds on the streets and enjoy food and drink from the restaurants and bars of Old Town.

Pickin’ in the Park is a free event when musicians of all skill levels are invited to fill the streets of Old Town with the sounds of bluegrass, folk, and jazz. Originating in Georgia, the Old Town Commercial Association became a part of this nationwide program in 2006 as a way to bring the community together throughout the summer months.

This summer, instead of spending the beautiful summer evenings at home, grab a chair or a blanket, and head down to the corner of Turner and Grand River by the Brenke Fish Ladder or in Turner Mini Park from 6 p.m. until dusk. During this time, residents are also welcome to visit the participating bars and restaurants during Shmooze on Tues. or visit the many unique boutiques and shops along Turner and Grand River.
Join in the fun and Old Town experience every Tuesday from June until October. Feel free to bring along an instrument of your own and join in on the fun!