KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter for the Ann Arbor / Detroit Metro Area |
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Fri, Jun 5: St. Frances Cabrini Festival 2025
Sat, Jun 6: Detroit's Palmer Park Art Fair
Sun, Jun 7: Brownstown Youth Fishing Derby
Sun, Jun 7: The Call for Independence:
America at 250!
Sat, Jun 13: Lavender U Pick
Fri, Jun 19: 20th Annual Hamburg Family Fun Fest
Sun, Jun 21: Motor Muster in Greenfield Village
Sun, Jun 28: 41st Annual Michigan Challenge Balloonfest
Sun, Jun 28: Livonia Spree 2026
Sun, Jul 5: Salute to America in Greenfield Village
Sat, Jul 18: Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad Touch-A-Truck
Fri, Jul 24: GOAT The Movie at Detroit River International Wildlife
Refuge |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: One summer afternoon during a family camping trip in New Jersey when I was about 6 or 7 years old, a horse fly suddenly appeared next to my ear and started following me everywhere I went. I’m sure that, from its own perspective, it was just going about its business doing ordinary horse fly things, but to me it felt enormous, ominous, and purposeful. I can't remember if it
actually bit me, but I can still summon the hot panic of not being able to get away from its threatening buzz. To my small self, that fly wasn't a little distraction, it was a crisis with wings. The memory surfaced recently when my daughter Ella sent me the above photo, taken in Quintana Beach County Park, near Houston. The point was clear: Proceed, and you will be under attack, and not by any adorable Northeastern bugs you might be used to. No, these bugs were born in Texas. Beware. Sometimes that is exactly
how challenges feel, especially to kids: Problems loom much larger to them than they do to adults with decades of experience. A broken toy, a skinned knee, a mistake in front of the class, or a slight misunderstanding with a friend may be a fly in the ointment to us, but a Texas-sized monster to a child. The trick is to validate the feeling without validating helplessness. We stand beside them and say, Yes, I know, this feels huge. The bugs, even if they're not as large as they
think, are real. They watch us shoo them away and learn gradually to do it for themselves. If I had seen the sign above, my first instinct would have been to flee back to the safety of the car. And Ella said it was not exaggerating, at least not by much: The moment she stepped onto the property, giant mosquitoes descended, and they were hungry; even leggings soaked with OFF Deep Woods did not deter them. She assures me that the photo she got of the Bay-breasted Warbler was
worth all the bites on the backs of her knees. She knew better than to show me the damage. Clearly, the script has flipped.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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Maybury Farm offers outdoor party packages for birthdays, family events, and group gatherings with covered pavilion seating, picnic tables, and a tractor wagon ride through trails. Summer packages (April–Sept) and Fall packages (Sept–Nov with corn maze access) come in small, medium, and large options for 25–75 guests, with extra guests per fee. Events run in 3-hour time blocks on weekends. Full payment and online booking are required and non-refundable. Guests should dress for weather; the farm operates rain or shine unless unsafe. Outside food trucks, alcohol, entertainment, grills, smoking, and electricity are not allowed. Set-up and cleanup are required there.
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Kroger Delivery helps busy families reclaim time and reduce stress by delivering fresh groceries and household essentials straight to the doorstep, within the one-hour timeframe that fits your busy schedule. Conveniently shop from your phone to add favorite items, reorder past products, and save with digital coupons. A Boost membership provides fee-free delivery on qualifying orders and extra fuel rewards, to keep costs predictable. Refrigerated trucks preserve freshness for produce, dairy, and frozen items, while professional drivers handle everything right to your doorstep. Visit Kroger.com to enjoy the convenience of delivery without sacrificing quality for fresh, making weeknight dinners, packed lunches and healthy snacks quick and easy.
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Ann Arbor Summer Camps That Actually Keep Kids Engaged (9–5 Full Day) Looking for a summer camp your child will actually love and that solves your day? iCode Ann Arbor offers hands-on tech camps where kids build games, explore robotics, and create with AI—not just play on screens. Camps run 9–5 with small groups, guided instruction, and real projects kids are proud of. Designed for ages 6–15, from beginners to advanced learners. Spots are limited, and families are already enrolling. Right now, save $150 with our Grand Opening offer. View camps and reserve your spot: https://icodeschool.com/ann-arbor-mi/camps/
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It’s Village Fair time! Join the BB Chamber from May 28-30 surrounding Shain Park for our 61st Birmingham Village Fair! A family friendly event packed full of fun. The Birmingham Village Fair! Grab family and/or friends and swirl, twirl or go round-and-round on a fun-loving ride; bite into classic carnival food; try your luck at a game!
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Join us May 28-30 for the Milan Community Fair. Enjoy the carnival rides, games, and food of our family friendly fair. Our parade is the official kick off to the Milan Fair. Skerbeck is back again with good food, fun games, and thrilling rides! The Market Place and Food Court features over 20 vendors and stands to be the best market in recent years! Experience live music performances throughout the weekend and watch as the the fireworks are launched above ford lake in downtown Milan!
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The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear will be hosted in Downtown Detroit, May 29 - 31, 2026. The event will feature the cars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing in the Chevrolet INDYCAR Grand Prix, the INDY NXT by Firestone Series and the return of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series.
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Bank of Ann Arbor presents Music in the Air Friday Night Concerts! Concerts are held for 14 summer Friday nights on our state-of-the-art stage in Kellogg Park at 7PM and are FREE.
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Join us in the heart of downtown Milford for the Village Arts Festival, a one-day celebration of exceptional handmade art, community, and creativity. Presented by the Village Fine Arts Association (VFAA) and the Suzanne Haskew Arts Center (SHAC), this juried fine arts festival brings together talented artists and art lovers in Milford’s beautifully renovated Central Park. Set along the Huron River, Central Park offers a scenic and welcoming backdrop with easy walkability to local shops, restaurants, and downtown attractions. Reimagined as a vibrant community gathering space, the park has quickly become a cultural hub—and the perfect setting for a fine arts-focused event.
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Experience the beauty of the season from the saddle with our unforgettable horseback riding adventures! Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned rider, we have the perfect trail ride for you. Each guided experience includes a pre-ride lesson from our expert wranglers, stunning natural scenery, and plenty of photo-worthy moments.
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Enjoy a fun, FREE, family-friendly day designed to help kids and families kick off a healthy, engaged, and active summer. Healthy Kids Day is filled with hands-on activities, outdoor fun, and opportunities to explore all that YMCA Camp Birkett has to offer. Saturday, May 30, 2025 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM YMCA Camp Birkett (9141 Dexter-Townhall Rd, Pinckney, MI 48169)
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The First Steps PTO is delighted to announce this year's KidFest on Sunday, May 31, 2026 from 3:00 to 5:00pm! Once again we're outside at Leslie Science & Nature Center with all kinds of fun family activities and JOE REILLY performing from 4:00-4:45p. First Steps Early Childhood program celebrates 25 years offering their wonderful program to families in our community. Join the fun and help us raise scholarship funds so more families can affordably participate this year.
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Spend your Sunday evening with us at Lake St. Clair Metropark enjoying music from different local bands. Each Sunday starting Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, the Thomas Welsh Activity Center becomes a concert venue. From rock to country to R&B and oldies, there is a concert for everyone. Lounge in a lawn chair or get on your feet and dance. Concessions will be open during the performances. We invite you to join us this summer!
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Come on down to Centerline for 3 days filled with fun, car shows, fireworks, and carnivals! Enjoy a variety of food trucks, check out the beer tent, see animals down at the petting farm, play cornhole, and more! Stellantis works with the Center Line Festival Foundation to offer families attending our events free parking! Not only do we offer free parking we offer free shuttle buses to and from Memorial Park, the Carnival, and on Sunday Cruisin’ 53.
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- Center Line Independence Festival - 25355 Lawrence Avenue, Center Line, MI, USA - Friday, May 29, 2026 to Sunday, May 31, 2026, See Website
- Healthy Kids Day® - Ann Arbor YMCA, 400 West Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, United States - Saturday, May 30, 2026, 11:30AM-3:30PM
- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Detroit - Ann Arbor - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA - Saturday, May 30, 2026 and Sunday, May 31, 2026, See link for times
- Canton Farmers Market - Canton Farmers Market, Ridge Road North, Canton, MI 48187,
United States - Sunday, May 31, 2026, 9AM - 1PM
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Dallas area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens of ideas!
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Ann Arbor - Detroit area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool,
& more. Our guide puts summer fun right at your…
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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