Mount Pleasant summer events fill calendar with performances, arts, activities

• Tweet
• 

Though the school year might slow down over the summer, city life in Mount Pleasant is rarely more interesting.

The summer months are full of things to do in Mount Pleasant, said Michelle Sponseller, downtown development director.

“I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into, but I’m glad I did,” said Sponseller.

Concert series

Max and Emily’s Summer Concert Series will begin June 10 with Verve Pipe’s lead singer, Brian Vander Ark, Sponseller said. Other performers will include the Saucecats on July 22 and actor Jeff Daniels on August 21 in downtown Mount Pleasant.

“There is always a great crowd with the series and people love it, “she said.

Access Adventure Trail

The grand opening for the Access Adventure Trail will begin at Island Park on June 26, said Carol Moody, recreation coordinator for Parks and Recreation. The trail will include a newly built bridge over the Chippewa River, which will include glass paneling on the sides, she said. The bridge will be much wider and more accessible for multiple people to cross side by side.

Summer festival

The 26th annual Mount Pleasant Summer Festival will kick off on June 23 and conclude June 27, said festival coordinator Jane Plamondon. The Great Lakes Timber Show will appear for the second year in a row. Plamondon said the show will feature chainsaw wood carving, axe throwing and more.

Many events for children will be occurring at the festival, including a parade and a duck race, Plamondon said. During the parade, children can dress up, decorate floats, and ride their bikes from Sacred Heart Parish to Island Park, she said. The duck race will pit 1,000 marked rubber ducks against each other in a race down the river.

“People run along the river to try to catch the ducks. It’s a lot of fun,” Plamondon said.

A fireworks show will take place on the 25 and 26 and the festival will conclude with the Rods in the Park car show Sunday morning, said Plamondon.

Downtown arts

From July 22 to 24 downtown Mount Pleasant will be filled with arts for all ages at the Mount Pleasant Street Festival. The festival will feature arts and crafts, sidewalk sales and professional chalk-art, Sponsellor said. She said there will also be face painting and a blues concert.

Choreography and street dances will be held with Vision Studios of Dance talents, she said.

“It’s my first summer up here, so it’ll be nice to see some parts of Mount Pleasant I can’t get during the school year,” Jenison senior Kris Stenglein said. “I’m from a small town, so I will feel right at home going to these sorts of things.”