It's Art Fair week in Ann Arbor!

[1gobluedem]

If you're planning to attend, please let this townie, who has worked almost every single Art Fair since the mid-80s, offer some advice.

1. Please leave your furry friends at home. If you claim to be an animal lover, you will leave your pet at home in comfort and not straining at the edge of a leash, panting for air in the tight crowds, eating spilled junk food, while walking on blazing hot pavement. Every year we do an interview with the Humane Society on this topic and every year I see miserably unhappy dogs at Art Fair.

2. Please reconsider the SUV-sized stroller. There just isn't enough room to maneuver it through the crowds. And consider getting a sitter and not taking your babies and toddlers to Art Fair in the first place. It's no fun for them to swelter in their strollers; they get hot and cranky and take the pleasure out of your day too.

3. Remember that there are people behind you so don't keep stopping dead in the middle of the street to decide where you want to go next or to sort through your bags.

4. Park at Briarwood, Pioneer, or Webers and take the shuttle. Unless you get there early in the morning, the chances that you you'll find a spot near the fairs is slim and your slowing down to look up every driveway you pass is hard on those of us who are just trying to run an errand or get to work.

5. Remember that the no open alcohol on the street is a state law and act accordingly. It doesn't change at Art Fair time and berating the poor cashier who tells you that doesn't do a thing.

Don't get me wrong, we love having you here for Art Fair and hope you have a great time. Be sure to check out the non-profits on Liberty Street; lots of great bumper stickers, yard signs, etc. to pick up and take home. And don't miss the sidewalk sales; particularly Van Bovens on State St. where they put all their expensive shoes on sale and Footprints on South U with 60% off some Birkenstocks. It's the best time to stock up. And visit the WEMU booth on North U and Thayer near Mr. B. and his boogie woogie piano. We'd love to see you!

[Demeter]

1. And If You Can't Stand Art Fair, You Have Until Tues. Night To Escape!

The horrible weather is here already, though. It came early to blight the Celtic Festival in Saline.

[1gobluedem]

3. Oh, I thought about the Celtic Festival

It must have been horrible. I, on the other hand, was lounging in the pool all day -- the only place to be in this weather!

[livvy]

2. Good points.

Ann Arbor is a great fair. I go almost every year. It is an all day affair, so do leave the furpals and really young kids at home if you can. They won't appreciate the fair, and you will be able to enjoy it more also.
The shuttles are wonderful. They run all day, on schedule, and are very inexpensive.
I'd like to add an idea if the weather is rainy...leave the umbrella at home, or if you can't stand the thought of getting wet, please be careful. I can't count the number of times I've been "assaulted" unintentionally by umbrella devotees.
The weekend days are the busiest.
If it's hot, it's double-hot at the fair, so keep hydrated. There's lots of places to buy water, soda, lemonade, etc.
Bring a full wallet, or build up your self-control before you go. You will find many temptations in a very wide variety of mediums!
If I go this year, I'll look you up, 1gobluedem!

[SharonRB]

4. Have fun, livvy

and try to stay cool. It's going to be a hot one this year, although I think by Friday it's supposed to be back in the 70s.

[1gobluedem]

5. Great point about the umbrellas

And so very true. And I hope you stop by our booth! We have lots of candy to give away....:P

Plus Art Fair is the best place ever for people watching.

[noonwitch]

6. You know it's Art Fair week because the temps are over 90

I have never gone to the AA art fair. I hate crowds, especially when it's hot, and it is always hot the week of the fair.

[Scout]

7. If you're planning to attend, please let this townie

urge you to STAY HOME. It sucks. It's hot. It's crowded. Some idiot always bangs into your ankles with their stroller. Some other idiot always bring their poor suffering dog. It's crowded. It's hot. All the good art is too expensive to buy. Did I say it's crowded, and it's hot? Oh yeah, no where to park. Everywhere to eat and drink has long lines, even longer for the bathroom. It sucks. It's crowded.

STAY HOME!

[1gobluedem]

8. But how do you REALLY feel? :-)

Fortunately, I work in Ypsi so I don't have to battle the crowds as I go to work. But I get Art Fair parkers on my street because I live about eight blocks from the South U fair. And people seem to feel it's just fine to leave me only an inch clearance on each side; makes it so easy to get out.

I love your sig line!

[jeanarrett]

9. One more about parking.

If you DO happen to get to the Art Fair early and use the Fourth and Williams parking garage, you will have to go all the way to floor 6 or 7 to get a parking spot! There is nothing between 1 and 5 and you can't park on the lower floors before 10:00 a.m. (first floor entirely taken up by Art Fair vans). Maddening when trying to get to work and someone is creeping along at 2 miles an hour through every floor just knowing someone left a spot for them!

[skipos]

10. Anyone go yet?

I really like the Amish photography of Bill Coleman, who is on Main Street I believe.

Check him out here...
http://www.amishphoto.com/galleryindex2.htm

[jeanarrett]

12. Wow! Those are really spectacular!

I really like the panoramics and the one with the sheep standing there reminds me of the movie "Babe." I'll have to walk down on my lunch hour and check him out. Thanks--

[1gobluedem]

14. I like the weddings and quilts

I'll be down there today and will have to go check him out too!

[livvy]

21. Not going to make it this year.

I have little self control when it comes to pretty things, and my wallet is emptier this year than it was last. I decided to donate any extra I have to Granholm's campaign, and go into the campaign office to help out instead.

Was that artist there who makes the life size statues of people that look so real? They are the most amazing creations. They look so real, it's almost spooky, right down to tiny little hairs on their arms, and wrinkles.

I'm sorry I'm going to miss it this year. I really do like this fair. :-(

[LisaM]

11. Go? After all those dire warnings?

Too hot, can't bring my dogs, nowhere to park, too crowded, no drinking on the street, crowds suck, and I'm going to get poked in the eye by an umbrella. They win! I've been scared off!

I wish I could go, but I'm stuck in Seattle.

[jeanarrett]

13. So much better to be stuck there though, rather than say in . . .

Lebanon!

[livvy]

20. You can also get poked in the ear, or just end up getting the runoff...

if you're standing just in the right spot. :D

The closest I've ever seen people come to blows over umbrella offenses was at a rally for Edwards during 2004. It was just drizzling really, but there were these two ladies with the perfect hair and make-up who insisted on having their umbrellas protect them. People behind them couldn't see, and one guy asked them politely to take them down, if not right away, but at least when Edwards came out. They were very rude to the guy, who remained polite, but insistent.

I was standing next to these ladies and they kept chatting and laughing, bobbing, tipping, and turning those damn umbrellas all around. I kept ducking to avoid getting poked, but it was so crowded there was no way to avoid the runoff. Other people around them were having the same problems, so they started telling the ladies to ditch the umbrellas, too.

Well, these ladies were having none of it. They were getting louder and more petulant with each complaint. The crowd was getting uglier. The first guy who complained was nearing his flash point, and began to get more irate, actually threatening physical assault on the umbrellas if they didn't get rid of them. I have to give him credit. He was still focused on the offending umbrellas, and hadn't yet threatened physical assault on the ladies themselves. Not so with some others nearby.

I really began to be concerned there might be some type of altercation.
I hadn't said anything at this point, just kept dodging the prongs and drips as best as I could, but like I said, the atmosphere was getting ugly. I really wanted to see and hear Edwards. I knew if an umbrella riot broke out that would not happen, because it is my lot in life to be the only one injured when there is the slightest opportunity for injuries to occur. At the very least, I figured I would end up very muddy, so I tapped the lady closest to me, smiled and quietly queried, "Why are you being such a stubborn jackass about this? Just put the umbrellas away."
She stared at me like I had just hatched from an egg, and still had yolk on my face. Her face kind of twitched a bit as she processed my comments, and then just simply said, "No. We'll put them down when Edwards comes out."

Well, surprisingly, true to her word, they did take them down when he came out, but not right away. They made us all wait just a bit, I guess to show us all that it was their idea and not because they were trying to be considerate or anything. I think it was too hard for them to clap and hang on to them at the same time.

The moral of the story is that umbrella devotees are a serious bunch and should not be dealt with lightly.

[livvy]

38. One last note on the near umbrella riot...

Edwards was excellent, no one was hurt, and the two ladies ended up getting wet anyway! Ha!

[TahitiNut]

15. I've been reading this thread with some bemusement.

Living in Silicon Valley (Santa Clara County, Calif) for 15 years, I became addicted to the Art & Wine Festivals every weekend during Daylight Savings Time. Every weekend a different town - the main streets closed off and booths along both sides and down the center. Towns competed, but cooperated so their scheduled weekends didn't conflict. A day in the sun and fresh air, noshing on ethnic food, greeting other fruits'n'nuts, and just enjoying the day. The format was almost always pretty much the same with some notable exceptions (e.g. The Gilroy Garlic Festival) - start on Friday at 6pm and wrap up on Sunday at 6pm.

I NEVER had problems with other people banging into me with their strollers. People would bring their kids and dogs - even if the temperature was in the high 80s (normal) - and always kept them safe and under control. The thing is - people in Silicon Valley, for all their human faults and frailties, were very accustomed to being around other people and being considerate. I rarely had to growl at someone halting foot traffic because they blocked others while they cluelessly engaged in navel-gazing, conversation, or head-scratching. It just staggers me to be back in Michigan and deal with such "unsocialized" people absolutely every time I'm in the supermarket or a crowd anywhere. Virtually everyone in Silicon Valley, whether they were Asian, Eastern European, Middle-Eastern, or whatever, knew to shuffle off to the side when they had a cranial CPU crash so they didn't get in the way of other people.


Then again, Silicon Valley (and the bay area) is far more socially liberal - even those who vote Republican, strangely enough. I think people there enjoy people more - or at least aren't afraid of being around large numbers of other people. I can't even count the times I've hear folks in rural or semi-rural conservative areas voice negative feelings about "too many people" - as though there could be could ever be too much of a good thing. I really think that the most fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives is whether they like people. Conservatives really don't. I sometimes think it's just that simple. I like people - I think we're a fascinating species.

[1gobluedem]

16. Those sound lovely

And it sounds as though they were frequent so you didn't have a huge throng flocking to each one and attendance could be spread out. We're talking about 500,000 people over four days which is a LOT of people flooding the streets.

[TahitiNut]

17. The A&W Festivals were all very well attended. Throngs of people.

That's one of the side-effects of the cost of real estate in Silicon Valley - people have less disposable income for entertainment and other purposes. Further, homes are far smaller - with small yards/patios. Thus, people use public spaces HUGELY more often, not only because of space but to enjoy the year-round climate and geography. Attendance for a 2-day festival was almost always estimated in 6-figures when I was there. That's the point - people like people and don't avoid crowds anywhere nearly as much as my born'n'raised state of Michigan.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival, an exception to the blocked-street downtown venue, was always held on open land, with shuttle parking. Attendance there has been over 100,000 for many years, as I recall. (2005 Attendance: 129,644.) That again is for a 3-day weekend festival going from 10am Friday to 6pm Sunday. (They open earlier on Friday since they don't block streets.) The Gilroy Garlic Festival was also somewhat unique in that it charged admission ($12 adult, $6 seniors and children). Most didn't. Gilroy is also a bit of a drive south of the major population centers in the bay area - so it's less convenient.

On edit: I found the attendance figures for the GGF ...
Attendance to Garlic Festival during the last decade:

2002: 125,409
2001: 127,719
2000: 123,048
1999: 126,710
1998: 122,010
1997: 122,297
1996: 108,000
1995: 100,240
1994: 125,000
1993: 135,000

http://www.gilroydispatch.com/news/contentview.asp?c=60335



PLEASE don't get me wrong. I'm not slamming the AAAF - if anything, I'm applauding weekend summer street festivals unreservedly. They were something I adored about living in the Bay Area ... exercise, sunshine, fresh air, people, food, beverages ... what's not to like?

[1gobluedem]

18. I don't think anyone is 'afraid' of crowds who goes to Art Fair

It's a matter of courtesy. You cram the streets full of booths of fragile objects and then they're flooded with people who have no consideration for others. I know someone who was knocked flat by one of those gigantic strollers because the person pushing it wasn't paying attention and knocked this woman off the curb. She wound up with two badly bruised, skinned knees and a broken wrist and the woman didn't even apologize. They steer these behemoths into booths and crash into shelves which is upsetting to the artists who, after all, are there to make a living. When their work is destroyed by carelessness it's huge.

As far as pets go, if the AF were on a big grassy field with plenty of shade and water for the dogs and a place for them to run, sure go for it. But this is on city streets that are very hot and hard on their paws, people break glass (not on purpose, it just happens) and pets can get cut, there is food that's very bad for a dog spilled all over the place that they try to lick up, and the air at their level is very close. I've seen so many poor dogs panting miserably at this event.

I guess my point is there are places to take huge strollers and dogs and there are places where it's not a good idea. That doesn't make me anti-crowd; in fact I love the AF and usually my SO buys me a lovely piece of jewelry there so it's definitely worth my while!

[Lefty48197]

22. Far more socially liberal? Than Ann Arbor? C'mon...

I love going to Ann Arbor. I grew up there. You always see peace signs in windows, anti-war signs, anti-Bush signs... I really do feel like I'm home when I go there.

[1gobluedem]

23. Me too!

Of course, I live there. So it is home....:bounce:

[LisaM]

19. Those huge strollers are an issue

I guess it's just like everything else, pets included - people who control their pets or keep their giant strollers to the side don't get noticed. I don't like when people bring strollers to runs - even when they're not supposed to - you always have to dodge them. Those people are so worried about exercising themselves that they just let their kids be tiny hostages in the strollers. I take my dogs lots of places, but usually if it's too hot, my boyfriend and I will take turns holding them in the shade or whatever we need to do. Don't worry, we don't leave them alone in a hot car! I can tell you, hot or not, they would far rather be with us than left home.

I have been to California and I don't think the people in Silicon Valley are friendly at all! I rode the BART, the CalTrain, and went to a hockey game by myself, and no one even smiled at me or said hi or anything. People in Michigan are friendlier by far (I live in Seattle now, where no one ever talks to you either) though I haven't been to the Art Fair in a long time. I'm going to Boston in a month - I haven't been there in a long time, but last time I was there, everyone was super friendly, ditto New York and DC in the last couple of years - I find the East Coast much more voluble than the West Coast. Ann Arbor is usually pretty good.

Now, if you can just get rid of the teenagers.....

[livvy]

24. Only one more day, right?

How has the turn out been?

[SharonRB]

25. Hey, roomie

Did you get a recorded message from Dave Woodward about a fundraiser for the Gov at Marie Donegan's house after the rally on Sunday? It sounded like you could go for $25, but I'm not sure. Of course nobody in my house bothered to tell me there was a message on the voicemail until after 8 tonight, so I couldn't reach anyone in Lansing for details. I hope they check their messages and get back to me tomorrow. I might want to go.

[livvy]

26. Nope. I got a recorded message from Kerry and Granholm, but that's it.

[SharonRB]

27. Did you only get one about the rally, but not the thing at Marie's?

The message was left at 3-something this afternoon. Doesn't give one much time to rsvp and get details. I hope there's someone in the office tomorrow to talk to. If I can really go for $25, I'd seriously think about it. I paid that for the reception on Wednesday, but I don't mind doing it again. It's well worth it and this one might be small enough to actually get a chance to talk to her. And if Kerry is there, that's a bonus. I think he'll be with her all day. I know they have something in Ann Arbor together at 4:00.

[livvy]

28. Right, just about the rally. I haven't heard anything about after it.

[SharonRB]

29. Maybe it's just an Oakland County thing?

Dave Woodward is head of the Oakland County Dems.

BTW, are you going to the convention? I'd like to find out more about it -- do you know if just anyone can go? I figured it was in Lansing, but it's at COBO the 26-27 of August, which is a weekend. I've never gone to anything like that and don't have clue.

[livvy]

30. Good questions, and I don't have an answer for any of them!

Where is there info about it?

[SharonRB]

31. There's a Michigan Dem site

www.michigandems.com

I looked under the calendar and events tab, but there isn't much info.

On edit:

Looks like there's info on Stabenow's site.

http://www.stabenowforsenate.com/node/57

I just signed up to pay MDP dues on the site. In order to vote at the convention, you have to be a member for at least 30 days. It doesn't sound like you have to be a member to attend, though.

[livvy]

32. I found this...which is exactly what you found...so nevermind...duh!

Michigan Democratic Party State Convention
Start: 08/26/2006 - 9:00am
End: 08/27/2006 - 5:00pm
Body:

Open to all! Hear from Senator Stabenow, Governor Granholm, and many more Democratic officials and candidates.

Choose the Democratic nominees for Attorney General, Secretary of State, the Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan, Michigan State and Wayne State Board of Regents. Precinct Delegates and current members of the Michigan Democratic Party (must have joined at least 30 days prior) are entitled to vote. Join the Michigan Democratic Party.

More details coming soon.
Location

Cobo Hall
1 Washington Blvd
Detroit, MI, 48226

http://www.stabenowforsenate.com/node/57

[SharonRB]

33. LOL -- Google is your friend!

Are you already a paid member? If not and you want to go and be able to vote, you should join now, like I did.

[livvy]

34. I just did. Want to plan on going?

And yes, Google is a very good friend!

[SharonRB]

35. Tentatively, absolutely!

We can talk at the meetup and see if anyone else wants to go. Since it's just downtown, we can just drive down for the day Saturday, come home and then go back on Sunday, assuming we go both days. I may have to play it by ear for both days, though. It's my busy time at work, and I wind up going in on the weekend sometimes this time of year. I'll try to plan not to have to go in that weekend if I can help it.

Woo hoo, I'm psyched now!

[livvy]

36. Ok, now that we have totally hijacked this thread...sounds good!

I'll talk to you at the meetup.

[SharonRB]

37. That we did!

I should have just picked up the phone and called you. It would have been easier.

(The art fair is almost over anyway.)

:hi: