Downtown Alpena

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.

vibrant. artsy. growing.

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, familiar events getting new life after a year off and your old favorite shops and spaces waiting to welcome you with a smile!

Downtown Alpena is vibrant, artsy, and growing! It’s the place to be!

Announcements

upcoming meetings

The Alpena Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors will have its monthly meeting Tuesday, December 7 at 3:00 pm. The meeting will be held at City Hall with the option to join virtually. Members of the public are invited to join virtually. View the agenda and meeting information here.

The Alpena DDA will also be holding two informational meetings in December. The two meetings will be held to inform the public of the accomplishments of the DDA and projects moving forward. View meeting information here.

new holiday events

Splurge & Stroll Downtown each Thursday evening in December from 5-7 pm! Over fifteen downtown shops will be staying open late each Thursday in December leading up to Christmas for all your holiday shopping needs.
View all the event details here.

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.