Pandemic pastimes: Farmers Market, local metal music and butterfly catching


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Shoppers stroll through the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market on Sept. 10, 2020.

Central Michigan University students coming to their dorms, fresh and eager for college, yet many activities and services have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sometimes you just need to get out or rock out.

Mount Pleasant and the cities around it still have events and activities for people to partake in while social distancing or staying at home, from a weekly farmer's market, a nearby nature center, to headbanging to some local metal.

Drive-thru farmers market

Mount. Pleasant’s Farmers Market has been open since June 4, after the pandemic closed the market.

It takes place Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. until October 29 and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. until October 10. There will be limited entry with a line waiting. Shopping times can be reserved here and are limited to 20 minutes, social distancing and masks are required, as well as credit or debit cards.

Walking through the center, shoppers can purchase fresh produce, locally made honey and huge bags of kettle corn.

Local jams

How about getting loud? Mount Pleasant's own metal band, Nagazi, released a new single on July 28 titled "Triumphant," along with a video. The band has been around since 2014, according to its website, and has released one album and a host of singles, all available on most streaming services.

Coming soon is a live broadcast of a pre-recorded concert with Nagazi, Heart of Jordan, Let It Rot, and Heartsick. It premieres on gopassage.com on Sept. 19 from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Tickets cost $6 before the show, and $8 on the day of the livestream.

"We wanted to do a show and we wanted to do it safely (so) everyone can watch," Joe Hafer said. "You can do whatever you want in your own home and rock out on your couch, if you want."

Nature center fun

Located in Midland, the Chippewa Nature Center began in 1963. According to the center’s website, it’s now “one of the largest private non-profit nature centers in the United States.” Since June 6, it’s been open with limited capacity from 8-5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, and Sunday from 12-5 p.m.

Chippewa Nature Center is hosting an event where a naturalist from the center can help you catch butterflies. It’ll last from 2-3 p.m. Sept. 12. Registration is required here, and Sept. 11 is the last day to register.

The nature center also has 19 miles of trails available to walk daily, but canoes and kayaking are still closed according to the website.

Pandemic pastimes will be a weekly article series with suggestions of activities and events CMU students can partake in during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any local suggestions, please reach out to news@cm-life.com.

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