Family

Have you ever had a ride in a hot air balloon? You’ll have a chance this Friday (6/19) in Imlay City at the fairgrounds from 7 PM – 9 PM weather permitting. ‘The Sky’s The Limit’ is a celebration of the Imlay City America’s Best Communities Team receiving a grant from Frontier Communications for defining and developing a vision for future economic growth.

Kick off summer with a fun-filled weekend with something for everyone at the Thumb Area Soybean Festival. Brown City’s annual bash runs through Sunday (6/14) with everything from sidewalk chalk art to city-wide garage sales to raffles to chainsaw art.

Plan on visiting Seven Ponds Nature Center on Sunday (6/7) at 2 PM for a Water Lily Wander. You’ll be seeking out two species of water lilies growing at Seven Ponds and discover their fascinating life history.

Lapeer County Community Mental Health is having a Family Fun Fair & Open House this Saturday from 10 AM – 2 PM. You’re invited to learn about mental health and wellness, visit LCCMH’s new pharmacy, eat a healthy, free lunch (to the first 300 people), play on the Bounce House and Slide, see the Arts & Crafts Show & Sale and enter to win a drawing for 4 new bikes and other prizes. Read M

Soon, the streets of Lapeer will be filled with the sound of music, not the movie musical featuring Julie Andrews but live music. Music and art are a natural pairing; Art On Nepessing Street festival continues this tradition with some of Lapeer’s finest musicians performing throughout the two day festival and Sounds of Lapeer.

You’re invited to an afternoon of nature journaling, a canoeing adventure out on the ponds and a walk through the gardens at Seven Ponds Nature Center this week. On Thursday (5/7) bring a journal, your favorite pen or pencil and color pencils and a camp stool if you like for Nature Journaling from 3 PM – 5 PM.

Kastaway Kapers the 67th Annual Lapeer Kiwanis Kapers show will be at Lapeer High School Auditorium tonight (4/30) at 7pm. Performances also happen Friday and Saturday night at 8pm. This is a fun-filled variety show held each spring. The show is produced by members of the Kiwanis Club and all the acts are performed by club members.

If you take less than a 3 hour ride from downtown Lapeer on May 9, you’ll be among the first to experience Rougarou, a 2:15 ride billed as "Straight from the depths of the swamp, the mythical legend comes to life hurling riders at speeds of more than 60 mph.”

Search for sandhill cranes, ducks, swallows, eastern bluebirds, eastern towhees, blackbirds and more at Spring Bird Walk No.1 on Wednesday (4/22) at 8 AM at Seven Ponds Nature Center. All bird-watching levels are welcome. Bring binoculars, field guide and dress for the weather.

I’m planning on attending Earth Fair this Friday (4/24) and Saturday (4/25) at Goodells County Park again this year, one of the largest and liveliest Earth Day celebrations in the area. It’s a two-day festival of earth-friendly demonstrations, workshops, exhibits and artisans that will empower you to take action on behalf of our planet.

Whether you grew up in the 1960s or wish you did, Magic Bus will be one of the most memorable events you'll experience! Magic Bus, a total trip back to the Woodstock era, will perform at The PIX staring at 7:30 PM on Saturday (4/11).

I interviewed Sergeant Barb Soffin of the Michigan State Police Lapeer Post on my morning show the other day. She talked about The Big Red Barrel Project and the fact that heroin addition typically starts with the abuse of prescription medication, specifically heavy painkillers. A child hears about kids taking Vicodin and Oxycontin and finds some of these medications in the home medicine cabinet a