Community Calendar

2025 Blues Music Award Winner Thornetta Davis, was crowned Detroit’s Queen of the Blues in 2015 by the Detroit Blues Society, is an internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, and independent recording artist. With a career spanning decades, she has shared the stage with legends like B.B. King, Ray Charles, Etta James, and Bonnie Raitt.

Alluvion Arts presents We Will Not Whisper, an exhibition featuring 19 female visual artists, collectively responding to the ongoing erosion of civil liberties and democratic institutions in America. 

The exhibition opens to the public on March 7,  5-7 pm inside Commongrounds, 414 E. 8th Street, Traverse City, Michigan, on the second floor. Artwork is exhibited on both the first and second floors of Commongrounds and varies in technique from painting to collage to assemblage and fiber.

The exhibit was conceived in early 2025, when a group of Northern Michigan artists began to talk about the emotional and practical impacts of recent federal social and civic policy changes on their studio practices. Weeks of conversation lead to the idea of creating an exhibition that employs the visual arts to take on and reflect upon these difficult times. 

Exhibit Hours: Monday - Saturday 8am-5pm

Join us for the Friends annual Spring Book Sale!

Friday, April 10th | 5:30 PM-8:00 PM
Members Only Pre-Sale
(Membership Sign-Up Available at the Door)

Saturday, April 11th | 9:00 AM-6:00 PM
Sale Open to the Public
Members receive 50% off!

Sunday, April 12th | 12:00 PM-4:30 PM
All Day Fill a Bag for $5

Hardcover Books: $4
Paperback Books: $2
Children’s Books: $2

Friends of the Library = ½ OFF ALL WEEKEND

Become a member at tadl.org/friends

WATERCOLOR ABSTRACT - 2-day Workshop

APRIL 10 & 11 , 2026
Friday & Saturday
9:30am - 4:30pm

REGISTER BY: April 5th
CLASS FEE: $200, or $180 for members​
FORMAT: in-person

Creating Spontaneous Watercolor with Abstract Elements and Techniques Workshop with exhibiting artist Rocco Pisto! For beginners & dabblers to experienced.

In this two-day workshop students will learn how to free up their paintings with abstract elements and various techniques used by professionals around the country. Learn about art history and how it translates to today’s artists. Discuss and work on a color therapy project. Learn about color value, hue and gradation. Discuss the elements of art and how it relates to both representational and abstract painting. Push your painting beyond your comfort zone and explore the freedom of working with a mop brush on quality watercolor paper both white and black. Bring at least six sheets of paper and have your paint already dried on a palette.

SUPPLY LIST: Click HERE to download & print.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Email roccopistoart@gmail.com

Showcasing works in wood, paper, and fiber, featured artists will present furniture, textiles, paper assemblages, basketry, and more in both functional and decorative creations.

Exhibit runs from March 14 - April 18
Tuesday - Saturday from 10am-4pm
Sunday from 12pm-4pm

Artist talk April 18-2:00

Family Fun Days are free, community-focused events hosted by YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps in partnership with the Great Start Collaborative Traverse Bay. These days are a wonderful way for families to play together, explore the outdoors, and connect with local resources.

What to Expect:

Music & Storytelling: Don't miss special performances by Miriam Pico and Jen Strauss starting at 10:30 AM!

Giveaways & Prizes: Thanks to our sponsors, we are hosting raffle drawings every 15 minutes, including a chance to win a free week of Sparks Day Camp for kids ages 5–10.

Activities & Food: Enjoy arts and crafts, campfire s'mores, and a free lunch served from 11:15 AM to 12:15 PM.

How to Give Back:
While the event is free, we encourage families to bring a non-perishable food item to donate as they arrive to help support our local community.

For more information, please click here.

There’s nothing more exciting than the first bloom of spring – especially here in northwest Michigan! This open call exhibit will feature work from a range of local and regional artists in a variety of media – all in celebration of spring!

Take in the beauty of Bloom! beginning April 4th in ourFisher Room Gallery.

Winter Gallery Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday – Noon to 4:00 pmClosed Mondays, Holidays and for Occasional Events

Admission to our Galleries is always free!

Hit the pause button with us for Slow Art Day, a global celebration of unhurried, mindful looking. On this special day, we invite visitors of all ages to slow down, settle in, and spend meaningful time with selected artworks across the galleries.

Throughout the museum, you’ll find gentle slow-looking prompts to guide your experience, along with an art-inspired music playlist curated to deepen the atmosphere. Whether you come on your own or with friends, you can explore at your own pace—then join optional group-looking sessions led by museum staff to share discoveries and reflections.

Why slow? Most people spend less than a minute with a work of art. But when we linger—five, ten, even fifteen minutes—unexpected details, emotions, and connections emerge. Slow Art Day reminds us that you don’t need expertise to engage deeply with art; curiosity and time are enough.

Drop in any time between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to experience the galleries in a new way, reconnect with your sense of wonder, and enjoy a slower moment at the Dennos.

Cost: FREE
Audience: All ages, abilities, and interests

🎨🦉🔬 Discover, Explore, Create

Join us every second Saturday for a FREE afternoon of hands-on discovery! Families are invited to enjoy interactive experiences in science, history, and art while exploring the museum’s indoor and outdoor exhibits—including live animals and nature displays.

What to Expect:

🧪 Engaging science, history & art activities
🐍 Animal encounters & museum exploration
🌳 Outdoor exhibits to spark curiosity
🧩 Opportunities for problem-solving & creative thinking
🧠 A space to build critical thinking skills and lifelong learning

Please note: Free Second Saturdays are designed for quality family time. We kindly ask that no large groups attend.

Please Pre-register by "purchasing" a free ticket. This helps us prepare for number of people attending, THANK YOU!

On April 11th 2026, Traverse City Roller Derby will be hosting an incredible racing event at K1 Speed Traverse City!

Grab some friends and show you have what it takes by skating for best combined time on a K1 Speed racetrack for a chance to win $1500!

Teams of five skaters compete to have the fastest combined time in a five lap time trial.
Each skater will have two opportunities to perform their best time. In the first heat, they will skate with their team. Using their initial competitive time, individual skaters will then be broken up into heats based on their speed.
Every skater will get a second opportunity to race the track versus skaters closest to their time.

The team with the fastest combined time will win the Grand Prize of $1500 cash!

Additional individual prizes will be given out for places based on divisions (women’s, all gender, youth, age).

The race track is concrete and we recommend higher number hardness wheels.
Quad skates and helmets are required for this race. Protective gear (knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards) is recommended.

Entry fee is $40 per skater. Each skater can only be on one team. Open to all ages.
$5 for spectators.

Go to www.tcrollerderby.com and click “Events” to sign up!

Entry deadline March 28th.
After entry deadline is closed, we will send out more details about the event including the schedule of events and helpful recommendations about the area.

Looking forward to seeing your speed on the track!