The fair opens Monday evening at the Isabella County Fairgrounds, located at 500 N. Mission Road north of Mount Pleasant, with “Isabella’s Best Talent Show” at 7 p.m. in the grandstands.

“They are having auditions this Sunday, then Monday night, at the fair, they will have the winners perform,” said Fair Board secretary Gladys Strong.

Amusement rides start 6 p.m. Monday and 1 p.m. Tuesday thru Saturday, said Fair Board Member Deb Acker.

Tuesday gives children $3 off wristbands and a chance to win a free bike.

Friday and Saturday nights will feature demolition derbies for cars and trucks.

“As far as fans I get 1,500 to 2,000 people a night. Last year we had 28 cars, 15 trucks, and 8 suburbans,” said Todd Galgoci, event promoter.

Galgoci throws $2,000 worth of hats, T-shirts and other promotional items to the people in the stands between sets.

Other evening events include tractor and draft horse pulls.

Fair board member Laura Travis said children and teenagers in 4-H will show horses, hogs, sheep, cattle, rabbits, chickens and goats. Some will be selected to compete at the Michigan State Fair later in the month, she said.

After competition, small animals are auctioned off at 7 p.m. Wednesday and large animals are auctioned off 6 p.m. Thursday.

“Isabella County fair has one of the best large animal auctions in the state and that’s due to the amount of businesses in the community coming out to support the kids,” Travis said.

Over the week, admission ranges from free to $10 a day for adults. Parking is $3 a day or $10 for the week.

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Michelle Sponseller, downtown development director for Mount Pleasant, said the festival, which begins Thursday and ends Sunday, is combining the 56th annual Sidewalk sales, fourth annual downtown Arts and Crafts show, and second “Chalk It” exhibition with new programs.

Mount Pleasant will feature its first-ever Blues Festival, “Dancin’ in the Streets,” and the “Mid-West Music Festival.”

The “Mid-West Music Festival” started hosting free music concerts Tuesday.

“More then 60 bands playing… They are playing at Rubbles, they are playing at Fifi’s French Press, also the Broadway Theatre and outside as well,” Sponseller said.

The concerts feature a number of genres, from rock and roll and hip-hop to bluegrass and blues.

“This is my fourth year doing this. For two years we started adding more things into it, we (re-named) it the Downtown Mount Pleasant Street Festival,” she said.

Visitors will see sidewalks full of street vendors from all over the state selling downtown store items and arts and crafts.

Kathy Hill, executive director of Art Reach of Mid Michigan said the “Chalk It” exhibition brings professional artists to paint the sidewalk with chalk and that passers-by would see the images come to life throughout the weekend.

The featured artist is Lee Jones from Orlando, Fla.

“She’s doing a nine-foot painting on the side walk near the old Isabella Bank. It looks like a painting when she’s done,” Hill said.

It is a type of performance art, Hill said, because people can watch her finish the painting during the event.

Friday features “Dancin’ in the Streets,” with ballroom dancing lessons will be from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and open dancing from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“They are teaching swing, waltz, quick step, and rumba, some more contemporary, some more of the era,” said Amy Perschbacher, owner of Vision Studio of Performing Arts, 131 E. Broadway Road.

There will be two dance instructors and the event is free.

Children will not left out of the festival and will be able to participate in arts and crafts.

“(The children) are going to make something and be able to take it home with them,” Sponseller said.

Public Works is bringing in a bulldozer and dump truck for kids to play with.

In addition, Sponseller said downtown restaurants would be catering to the event and there will be a beer tent at the Blues Festival.

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Sponsored by University Events and 104.3 WCZY, “Music in the Mall” is a free, four-concert music series that begins at 7 p.m. today at Warriner Mall.

“This is one way of us giving back to the community,” said Keith Voeks, assistant director of University Events. “People will bring their picnic basket with wine and cheese. It’s a large enough area where people can dance and move freely.”

Tonight’s concert features the Michigan quartet, “Claudia Schmidt Funket.” Schmidt, who has performed at “Music in the Mall” in the past, plays a mix of jazz, blues and traditional music.

The remaining concerts are July 15, July 22, and July 29 and are all at 7 p.m. The performances will be given by “Harbor Lights,” a 1950s doo-wop style group, “Madcat and Kane and Maxwell Street,” a mix of blues and folk music and the “Alma Percussion Ensemble” from Alma College. All bands except “Harbor Lights” have performed in past for “Music on the Mall.”

Voeks said that the stage had to be enlarged to fit the 20-member “Alma Percussion Ensemble,” which is the most popular performance and has always hosted at least 200 attendees.

“We see locals that range from people with families and kids to grandparents, all we ask is people please (pick) up after themselves,” Voeks said.

Voeks said that because of summer they don’t see many student attendees but they are more then welcome to come.

“I am taking classes this summer and in this city it’s not easy to find free entertainment, so “Music on the Mall” is a good form of entertainment that doesn’t cost a thing,” said Mount Pleasant senior Bethany Conway.

The concerts run approximately one hour and 45 minutes and attendees should bring their own blankets and chairs.

The music will be broadcast live on 104.3 WCZY and the performances will move to Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium in the event of rain.

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Tubing down the Chippewa River is one way residents can enjoy the summer heat. Mike Anderson, manager of Chippewa River Outfitters, said the company offers single tubes for $11 and double tubes for $20. Canoes and kayaks are also available.

Anderson said they drop students off at Meridian Park, 3995 Meridian Road, and four miles later, the ride ends at 3763 S. Lincoln Road, where the outfitters main hub is located.

“Students are our main business and everybody always comes back having a good time,” Anderson said.

Students can also cool off this summer by taking a swim in the Student Activity Center pool. The pool is open from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday thru Friday for laps and Monday thru Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for open swim. Weekend hours are from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Zach Raymer, a Caro senior and URec lifeguard said the pool does not see many students attend, but the ones they do get come regularly.

“I came here today and yesterday because I was bored and hot. I got a box fan in my window and it keeps me cool at night but barely gets the job done during the day, so I came here,” said Darrin Livengood, a Chelsea senior.

Raymer also said the pool offers toy boats for children to play with and a basketball hoop on the side of the pool.

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Vander Ark, who is most famous for singing lead vocals for The Verve Pipe, will be playing at 7 p.m. Thursday in front of Max and Emily’s Bakery Cafe, 125 E. Broadway St.

The Verve Pipe is a modern rock band from Michigan who gained popularity in the 1990s for their songs “Photograph,” “Cup of Tea,” and number one hit, “The Freshman.” Although The Verve Pipe is still together, Vander Ark tours the country playing solo acoustic from his latest self-titled album.

Vander Ark’s performance is a series of three concerts that will be going on throughout the summer, all starting at 7 p.m. All are free.

Tim Brockman, owner of Max and Emily’s, said they just wanted to have a Michigan-based concert series for the local community.

“We just wanted to be able to set up something for the city and for people who want to see a show,” Brockman said.

The other two acts are July 16, and August 20, and feature Michigan natives The Saucecats and Monique Berry.

The Saucecats, from Chesney, have a bluegrass and Cajun style and Mount Pleasant native Berry, who played in a downtown concert last year, is said to resemble singer Jewel.

Max and Emily’s, Isabella Bank and the City of Mount Pleasant are co-sponsoring the events.

Last year’s concert attracted approximately 600 people and its success prompted this year’s summer concert series, Brockman said.

The city will be blocking off Broadway Street from University Street to Main Street. Several local shops, including Ace of Diamonds, 128 E. Broadway St., Trillium, 123 E. Broadway St., Stone Soup, 120 E. Broadway St. and the Mole Hole, 120 S. Main St., will all remain open throughout the night.

Helen Chase, owner of Trillium, a woman’s fine clothing store, said downtown is very pleased to have the concert.

“We normally close at 6 and I would think there would be increased traffic between 6 and 7, so we wanted to stay open,” she said.

The concert series is alcohol-free and people should bring their own chairs to the event. Max and Emily’s will be selling brats, fajitas and burgers during the concert and the patio will be open on a first come, first serve basis.

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Summer Concert
Series
Three concerts will be going on throughout the summer.
Shows start at 7 p.m.
All shows are free.
Act Two: The Saucecats on July 16.
Act Three: Monique Berry on August 20.

GM filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a court in Manhattan and stated that it would close 14 more American factories, including seven in Michigan, cutting 21,000 jobs altogether and 9,000 jobs in the state alone.

Among the seven Michigan plants that are shutting down are the Willow Run Transmission Plant in Ypsilanti and the Livonia Engine Plant in Livonia, but despite all the shut downs, many dealerships are still anticipating the best.

Chris Pratt, general sales manager at Shaheen Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, and GMC Truck Inc., 116 N. Mission, said he didn’t think the outlook for their company is bad right now, though problems for GM are increasing.

Pratt said he’s optimistic but in reality how the economy goes will decide what will happen with GM.

“Down the road we see possibilities. Our dealership has grown over the last year,” Pratt said.

GM is trying to promote this sense of optimism and has even created a new Web site called GMReinvention.com. The Web site looks deeper into hybrid technology and gives updated information to consumers and tax payers about the reinvention of GM.

In a press conference President Obama didn’t look at the negativity of GM’s current state, instead, he chose to focus on the future of GM.

“I’m confident that the steps I’m announcing today will mark the end of an old GM, and the beginning of a new GM,” President Obama said.

GM, which is now 60 percent owned by the government, will be keeping its best assets including its Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC brands but will discontinue Pontiac, and is attempting to sell Saturn, Saab and Hummer brands.

Tommy First, owner of Alma Pontiac, Buick, GMC, 7440 N. Alger Road, said, though the loss of Pontiac could hurt his business a little, he is looking forward because he thinks GM will pull through.

“We will miss Pontiac, it was certainly a big part of our business. We also are looking for GM to add models to make up the void,” First said.

First said he thinks the auto industry will come back from the lagging economy because it wasn’t the auto industry that started the downfall in the first place.

“The fault is not because of the manufacturer. Everyone has suffered and what started it was the banking industry. The bottom fell out and we were a victim,” he said. “We are kind of excited for this, adversity brings opportunity.”

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