our story
Historic Downtown Alpena is the food, arts, and regional hub of Northeast Michigan, located on the shores of the Thunder Bay River and beautiful Lake Huron. As a major port of the lumber era, Downtown Alpena is home to a significant amount of historic buildings from the turn of the 19th century that have been preserved & renovated over the years.
Now Downtown Alpena is home to a diverse and vibrant set of nearly 200 businesses, including art galleries, a year-round professional live theater, a winery, the only Marine Sanctuary located on the Great Lakes, and a variety of offices, restaurants, bars, non-profits and shops. Alpena is the second largest city in Northern Michigan, second only to Traverse City, and our downtown is proud to be the commercial and cultural heart of our community.
If you haven’t taken a stroll through Downtown Alpena in a while, you’ll find that a lot has changed. There are so many new spots of growth, with new retail businesses opening their doors, new restaurants serving delicious meals, year-round festivities and events, and your old favorite shops and spaces waiting to welcome you with a smile.
Downtown Alpena is vibrant, artsy, and growing. Come join us!
Now Downtown Alpena is home to a diverse and vibrant set of nearly 200 businesses, including art galleries, a year-round professional live theater, a winery, the only Marine Sanctuary located on the Great Lakes, and a variety of offices, restaurants, bars, non-profits and shops. Alpena is the second largest city in Northern Michigan, second only to Traverse City, and our downtown is proud to be the commercial and cultural heart of our community.
If you haven’t taken a stroll through Downtown Alpena in a while, you’ll find that a lot has changed. There are so many new spots of growth, with new retail businesses opening their doors, new restaurants serving delicious meals, year-round festivities and events, and your old favorite shops and spaces waiting to welcome you with a smile.
Downtown Alpena is vibrant, artsy, and growing. Come join us!
what's new
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THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS!
We want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out to our downtown flower planting and clean-up day Saturday, May 28. It was a beautiful day to beautify downtown Alpena! Thank you to everyone who sponsored flats of flowers around the tree bases and to Kipfmiller's Produce for help with the flowers. |
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ALLEYWAY TRANSFORMATION
In the next few weeks, the alleyway between 2nd and 3rd Ave in Downtown Alpena will be transformed into a pedestrian-only gathering space. At its meeting on Monday evening, Alpena City Council approved the closure of the alleyway in certain sections between 2nd and 3rd Ave. to automobile traffic beginning July 1 through November 1, 2022 (weather permitting). The alleyway will be closed:
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announcements
upcoming meetingsThe Alpena Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors has changed its July & August meeting dates . The new dates are Tuesday, July 12 & Tuesday, August 9 at 3:00 pm The meetingswill take place at City Hall Council Chambers (208 N. First Ave). with the option for the public to join virtually. Meeting information will be posted below. |
The Alpena DDA is excited to announce its mural project, Fresh Waves, recently won a 2021 award for Best Placemaking Project through the Michigan Downtown Association! You can learn more about the project and award by clicking here. The 2021 Alpena DDA Annual Report is live! Learn more about projects, programs, and the growth that happened downtown in 2021 by viewing the report here. |
