In Downtown Alpena we have a full calendar of events year round. From shopping events to our Chili Chowder Cook-off to Friday Night Street Performers to Visits with Santa, there are numerous events each season to enjoy. Explore what might be going on downtown during your visit (no matter if you're coming from down the street or across the country!) by clicking the buttons below.
Fall Events
Chili Chowder Cook-offEvery fall, the DDA hosts its annual Chili Chowder Cook Off! An average of a dozen contestants from around the region compete in several categories from Best Chili or Chowder to Most Spirit Booth. The Chili Chowder Cook-Off is proudly a zero-waste event with the help of our volunteers.
The Chili Chowder was a great success this year! A big thank you to our partners, The Fresh Palate and the Thunder Bay Arts Council who helped to make the event great as a part of the Shades of Fall. And another big thank you to all of those who participated including: Keep Judge Curtis, Neighborhood Provisions, Kipfmiller's Produce & Meats, Cliff Anschuetz Chevrolet, The Mountain Bar & Grill, Terry Zuchowski, Red Brick Tap & Barrel, and Blue Moon Cafe. |
Bard at the BarBard at the Bar is a Shakespearean-Themed Bar Crawl hosted by the Alpena DDA and Thunder Bay Theatre (TBT). Professional actors and actresses from TBT's core company perform various scenes from Shakespeare's works at downtown bars and restaurants.
Bard at the Bar is postponed as Thunder Bay Theatre seeks to renovate and repair their building following the 2020 fire at the neighboring John A. Lau. For more information about TBT, visit their website. |
Witches Night OutThe Alpena Downtown Development Authority is hosting Witches Night Out in Downtown Alpena on Friday, October 21st from 5pm-8pm! There will be cauldrons at participating businesses with deals and discounts for the community to draw and use! Join us for a bewitching night in Downtown Alpena!
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Downtown Trick-or-TreatingThe Alpena Downtown Trick-or-Treating! 2023 times are TBD.
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Winter Events
Bolenz Jewelry Holiday Parade + Downtown Tree LightingJoin us to kick off the holiday season on Friday, November 24th, 2023 with the annual Bolenz Holiday Parade through Downtown Alpena! The tree lighting ceremony and arrival of Santa in Culligan Plaza follows the parade.
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Visit With Santa DowntownSanta will be at his house in Culligan Plaza in Downtown Alpena on the following dates and times:
Fridays, December 1st, 8th, and 15th, 2023 Saturdays, December 2nd, 9th, and 16th, 2023 We are excited to see the community coming to enjoy the holiday season downtown! |
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Holiday Open HouseThis year, the Downtown Development Authority is hosting a Holiday Open House for the businesses in Downtown Alpena on Saturday, November 11th, 2023. This event will be an all-day event and the entire community is welcome to come and join in the fun! Each business will be decorated in their own way for the holiday season and some businesses may even decide to do deals or hand out yummy treats! Come join us in Downtown Alpena this November for a fun-filled day!
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Cocoa CrawlJoin us in Downtown Alpena on Saturday, January 28th from 11am-4pm for a fun Cocoa Crawl. Participating locations will have cocoa treats including anything from hot chocolate to candies! You will also receive a card with the participating locations on it, and once you have stopped at each one and gotten a signature or a stamp, you can turn in that card at your last location to be entered to win a gift basket put together using items donated by the businesses! This will be a very fun event throughout the day, and we cannot wait to see the community join us for it after the holiday season!
A list of participating businesses will be posted on January 10th. |
Alpena Ice Festival
Alpena Ice Fest is scheduled for Saturday, February 11th, 2023! The event begins at Mich-e-ke-wis Park with ice sculptures on display by Ice Creations of Napolean, Ohio, a huge bonfire by Alpena Fire Department, demonstrations, food and fun, and ice and snow related activities. Activities then move to downtown from 4-9 pm!
Nearly thirty ice sculptures will be on display throughout Downtown Alpena, including an ice throne in Culligan Plaza! 2nd Avenue will be closed with fire pits and "Fire and Ice" themed cocktails and specials at downtown restaurants.
Nearly thirty ice sculptures will be on display throughout Downtown Alpena, including an ice throne in Culligan Plaza! 2nd Avenue will be closed with fire pits and "Fire and Ice" themed cocktails and specials at downtown restaurants.
Spring Events
Downtown Clean Up & Flower Planting
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This year, a group of volunteers is leading an initiative to beautify Downtown Alpena by planting flowers in the tree bases along Chisholm Street! There is a planting day where you can participate in this event on Saturday, May 20,2023. Volunteers will be meeting on Saturday at Culligan Plaza to pick up gardening supplies if needed, but please bring your own if you have it!
If you want to sponsor a flat of flowers, you can donate $50 that will be used to purchase a flat of flowers from Kipfmiller's Produce & Nursery. Each sponsor will get a sign posted in one of the tree bases to recognize their support. You can donate online at the link below! |
Summer Events
Fishing for Downtown Dollars
Our Fishing for Downtown Dollars event will be back this year during the Brown Trout Festival! Stop in any participating business on Friday, July 14 & Saturday, July 15, 2023 to go "fishing" to win Downtown Dollars! Over $500 of Downtown Dollars will be in fishbowls throughout the downtown in participating businesses.
A special thanks to Alpena Furniture & Flooring, Bolenz Jewelry, and Bluebird Boutique for sponsoring extra fish this year! Check out the Facebook event below for a list of participating stops. |
Downtown Sidewalk SalesCome to Downtown Alpena on Friday, August 11th & Saturday, August 12th, 2023, to enjoy the Downtown Sidewalk Sales event that will be taking place. Participating businesses will be placing marked down merchandise outside of their storefronts for the public to come and purchase! There are always some great deals, and it is always a fun day spent in Downtown Alpena.
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Cars & Coffee
Cars & Coffee is back this year thanks to Sam Rumbles- State Farm! The event will take place three Saturday's this summer, June 25, July 23, and August 27 from 8 am- 1 pm. All classic and unique cars are welcome to join on River St. in Downtown Alpena, please enter off Second Ave. Grab a coffee and check out some cool cars! For more info, contact Sam Rumbles at 989-356-2524.
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Friday Night Street PerformersOn Friday nights throughout the summer, street performers are scattered all over Downtown Alpena offering live music from blues to jazz to country.
Downtown Street Performers kick off on Friday, May 27, 2022 and run all summer long, weather permitting. You can tune in to Live Music from local musicians and bands in Avery Park, Culligan Plaza, River St. Park and Pocket Park from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. |
Alpena Flower Festival
The Alpena Flower Festival is a new event for Downtown Alpena and will be taking place on Friday, June 2nd and Saturday, June 3rd. Local florists will be commissioned to construct large-scale and small scale floral structures in public spaces throughout downtown. There will also be an option for businesses to sponsor a flower construct similar to the Alpena Ice Festival. The hope is to jump into the spring and summer season by beautifying and celebrating Downtown Alpena!
Fresh Waves: The Downtown Mural Project
In 2019, the DDA launched a new arts initiative to bring vibrant murals and public art downtown. Over three years, the project has commissioned fifteen unique, inspiring pieces of artwork! Each year the location of the mural will change and be selected by the DDA's Marketing & Promotions Committee. We will be announcing 2022 details in Early 2022.
