∫ Art in the Loft, on the third floor of the Center Building at 109 N. 2nd Ave. in Alpena, is currently showing its “WinterView” exhibit, in conjunction with Carol Lund’s “Barbie Teaches Art History” exhibit. “WinterView” will be on display through March 2. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Visit artintheloft.org, email director@artintheloft.org, or call 989-356-4877 for more information.
∫ The annual Season of Light display is up now through Jan. 6 at Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan, 491 Johnson St., Alpena. Call the museum at 989-356-2202, or visit bessermuseum.org.
∫ Thunder Bay Arts Council Gallery, 127 W. Chisholm St. in Alpena, features 25 local artists’ work on display and for sale. Kelly Belew is the featured artist for December. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Visit thunderbayarts.org or call 989-354-2586.
∫ Dragonfly Art Gallery, 116 E. Main St. in Harrisville, is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Call 989-820-9614.
Today, Dec. 12
∫ ALL hosts Mexican Train Express dominoes from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays.
∫ Great Start Collaborative Playgroup is held weekly at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays at Alpena County Library. No registration necessary.
∫ TOPS #1614 Alpena welcomes new members who are looking for support in their weight-loss journey. Meetings are held every Tuesday morning at the First Presbyterian Church at 1600 W. Chisholm St. in Alpena. Weigh-ins start at 9:45 a.m. and meetings start at 10:30 a.m. There is no obligation to join if you attend your first meeting. For more information, call 989-255-4787.
∫ Potential homeowners can find out the steps they need to take to get closer to homeownership from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Tuesday at the Habitat for Humanity offices at 2630 U.S.-23 South in Alpena.
∫ Every Tuesday, play ukulele at 10 a.m. at the Harrisville branch of Alcona County Library, with ukuleles available for checkout, and players of all skill levels welcome.
∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center offers quilting at 10 a.m. and Spitzer at 12:30 p.m. each Tuesday.
∫ Good Grief is a support group at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, in-person at Friends Together, 105 Prentiss St. and via Zoom. Call 989-356-3231 for the link.
∫ The FamilySearch Center is open from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 411 Long Rapids Plaza in Alpena.
∫ The Alpena Lions Club hosts their weekly meetings at noon on Tuesdays at First Congregational Church, Alpena. Visit alpenalionsclub.com or the Alpena Lions Club on Facebook.
∫ Mindful Movement, a healing, gentle, unique yoga program designed to nourish, inspire and empower each woman healing and dealing with cancer, is at noon on Tuesdays, in-person and via Zoom. For the link, call 989-356-3231.
∫ ALL will experience Art Everywhere at Alpena Community College at 1:30 p.m. today. Here’s an opportunity to experience the 2023 Student Expo and the Ambient Learning that is everywhere on ACC’s campus led by ACC Art Instructor Brian Schorn. Participants will experience a tour of the art located within the campus of ACC beginning with the Art+Design Student Expo and finishing in the Wilson Gallery. Schorn joined ACC as a full-time faculty member in August of 2021.
∫ For its Tuesday Topics presentation on Tuesday, Friends Together will welcome Maryam Blackeagle, owner of Mashkiki Garden, at 4:30 p.m. She strives to help others see the power in nature. Mashkiki translates to Power of the Earth. Maryam has 40 years experience as a nurse and herbalist. She spends her time educating and empowering people so they can make better informed decisions about their health care. She believes in a holistic, complimentary approach to one’s health and well-being. She will show us ways to balance western and natural medicine. Join in to listen and learn from her decades of experience.
∫ Cub Scouts meet from 6 to 7 p.m., and Boy Scouts meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. each Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 727 S. 2nd Ave., Alpena.
∫ Bay View Center hosts a diversity support meeting at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday. This weekly potluck is for those in the LGBTQ community, their families, and supporters, at Bay View Center, 710 N. 2nd Ave. If you have questions, call 989-340-0955.
∫ Karaoke Night is from 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Black Sheep Pub in downtown Alpena.
∫ The First Presbyterian Church will be holding its annual Blue Christmas Service at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12. The service is a time to remember that Christmas can sometimes be a time of sorrow, tension, and sadness. Through prayer, music, and worship, we ask God to bring comfort to the afflicted and hope to the suffering. Everyone is welcome to attend this solemn evening service.
Wednesday, Dec. 13
∫ ALL pickleball plays from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the APlex.
∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center exercise is from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
∫ Guys Like Us is a Wednesday morning coffee crew of men who are coping with cancer, meeting at 10 a.m., in-person at Friends Together and via Zoom. Call 989-356-3231.
∫ On Wednesday, Dec. 13, the Library Board will meet at 2 p.m. at the Harrisville branch. The Library Board will interview candidates for the board opening at this meeting.
∫ Join the Alpena County Library for the fall session of Sewing Club, meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. This club is open to all skill levels, from newbie to expert, ages 10 and up. Registration is required. Call Barb Brege at 989-255-8969.
∫ ALL offers a Second Square Dancing Class from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays at M. Briggs Center.
∫ Women on Wednesday is a support group for women with cancer meeting in-person and via Zoom at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Friends Together.
∫ The Alpena Eagles #1241 on M-32 will host a country-style pork rib dinner on Wednesday. The dinner will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., for $10 per plate, open to the public at 1960 M-32 West, Alpena.
∫ Overeaters Anonymous, a 12-step program of recovery for those with compulsive eating behaviors, meets at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday at 3100 Piper Rd. Alpena, in the back room. For info, contact Diane R. at 989-821-9601.
∫ Alpena Sportsman’s Club is a nonprofit located at 4260 M-32 West in Alpena, open to members and non-members. Skeet and sporting clay shooting are offered from 5:45 p.m. until dark on Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, text Joel Suszek at 989-255-4928 or Jeff Welch at 989-255-6068.
∫ Open Mic Night is from 6 to 9 p.m. each Wednesday at Patchwood Plaza in Hillman. Call the Hillman Area Chamber of Commerce at 989-742-3739.
∫ The regular meeting of the Marine Corps League Alpena Detachment 1327 has been moved to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec.13 at the VFW Post 2496. This is only for December.
∫ The Besser Male Chorus will perform a concert at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at First United Methodist Church on Ripley Boulevard in Alpena. Each concert is by donation to help continue to fund what the chorus does each year. If any male is interested in joining, call 989-464-7464.
Thursday, Dec. 14
∫ The National Audubon Society invites birdwatchers to participate in the longest-running community science survey, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. On Thursday in Hubbard Lake, and Saturday in Alpena, birders and nature enthusiasts in Hubbard Lake and Alpena will take part in this tradition. Interested birders must arrange with the count contact in advance to participate. To sign up for the local count with the Thunder Bay Audubon Society, contact Karen for the Alpena count at 989-464-6573 or Lynn for the Hubbard Lake count at 989-657-1666.
∫ Community Walking Club meets at 9 a.m. every Thursday in the parking lot of the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library.
∫ Join the Alpena County Girlfriends at JJ’s Steak and Pizza House at 10 a.m. on Thursdays for coffee and conversation. This is a women-only group whose purpose is to make friends and socialize with women from Alpena County and the surrounding areas.
∫ Join ALL for Spitzer from 10 to 11 a.m. on Thursday at M. Briggs Center, led by Marilyn Klingshirn.
∫ On Thursday at noon, Living Hope Church in Alpena will host a Senior Christmas Lunch, for those 55 and older. Come enjoy fellowship, hymns, a Christmas meal, tea and coffee. All are welcome. The church is located at 1499 M-32, Alpena.
∫ Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel (MARSP) will hold their Christmas gathering at noon on Dec. 14 at the First United Methodist Church on Ripley Boulevard in Alpena. Mike Centala and Bill Kelley will provide music. Toys or a monetary donation can be made to Toys for Kids. Please do not wrap your items. A catered meal will be provided at a cost of $14 (RSVPs were due by Dec. 7). If you are retired from public school or Alpena Community College, you are encouraged to join MARSP to learn more to ensure you continue to receive your benefits. Updates on retirement and insurance and new legislation are shared at each meeting.
∫ Pinochle and bridge are held at 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays at Alpena Senior Citizens Center.
∫ ALL presents and Encore presentation of The Current Middle East Conflict — a Neophyte’s Guide at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at M. Briggs Center. Seating is limited. Please register by calling the ALL Office at 989-358-7207. This session will also be recorded for future viewing on YouTube. This presentation will try to distill massive amounts of scholarship and opinion on the Middle East Conflict into a palatable and understandable guide relating the history of the region to the current Israeli-Hamas war taking place in Gaza. Presenter Rocky Roland served 27 years in the U.S. Air Force as a fighter pilot and space systems expert. During three years on the Naval War College faculty in Newport, Rhode Island, Roland analyzed and presented learning objectives based on strategies and military operations from Roman times to the immediate past — including the Six-Day War (the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict), the Yom Kippur War (1973), the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm/Desert Sabre (often referred to as the Gulf War).
∫ Needles and Threads group is held from 2:30 to 4:30 pm every Thursday at the Grand Lake branch of Presque Isle District Library. Bring your latest knitting, crocheting, sewing, needlepoint, or other crafts. Call 989-734-2477, ext. 2 with questions. The library is located at 18132 Lake Esau Highway, Presque Isle.
∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The holiday play is co-directed by Julie Meyers, Doreen Kriniak, and Dani Ayotte. All seats are $5 general admission. ACT is located at 401 River St., Alpena.
∫ The ROCK Men’s Ministry invites all men and young men (6th grade and up) to their monthly meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at New Life Christian Fellowship, 317 S. Ripley Blvd., Alpena. Bring your Bible and a friend for a time of fellowship, worship and a Bible study. We will continue our study in the book of Luke. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Please contact Luke Dreyer with any questions at 989-370-8114.
Friday, Dec. 15
∫ ALL pickleball plays from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the APlex. Call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 for details.
∫ Friends Together will hold a pop-in and drive-thru popcorn sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15, sponsored by Stanson Floor Covering and Furniture. Kettle corn will be $10, and caramel corn will be $15. Call Friends Together at 989-356-3231, at 105 Prentiss St., Alpena.
∫ Exercise is at 10 a.m. at Alpena Senior Citizens Center. Then at noon, Mahjong is played, and pinochle starts at 12:30 p.m.
∫ Presque Isle District Library’s Posen branch offers knitting and crocheting from 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays. All levels are welcome. If you have questions, call 989-734-2477.
∫ The Northeast Michigan League of Women Voters will hold the December Lunch Bunch from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday at the Nucleus Lounge in the Center Building in downtown Alpena. The public is invited to meet the League for good food and friendship.
∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at 6 p.m. on Friday, featuring 32 children in a variety of festive roles. The holiday play is co-directed by Julie Meyers, Doreen Kriniak, and Dani Ayotte. All seats are $5 general admission. ACT is located at 401 River St., Alpena.
∫ ALL hosts contract bridge from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Fridays at M. Briggs Center. This is an ongoing group of card players who welcome any players at any time. This group is a teaching class but experienced players are also welcome.
∫ The Hillman VFW Post 2356 hosts its Friday Night Fish Fry from 4 to 7 p.m. every Friday night, with your choice of fish or shrimp, potato, coleslaw, roll, and drink. The fish fry is open to the public, and the cost is $12 for the fish dinner or $14 for the shrimp dinner.
∫ ALL hosts square dancing from 4 to 6 p.m. For more information, call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 or email all@alpenacc.edu.
∫ Stop by Santa’s house in Culligan Plaza to meet Santa, get your photo taken, and tell him your wishes for this Christmas. Santa will be in his house, located in the plaza next to the city’s Christmas tree, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Fridays, Dec. 15 and 22, and from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23. The events are free and open to people of all ages. Santa also has a mailbox in front of his house where families can drop off their letters to Santa at any point leading up to Christmas.
∫ Alpena Hopper Lodge #199 hosts soup and pie dinners on the third Friday of each month, from 5 to 7 p.m. The public is welcome, and the cost is by donation. The lodge is located at 1020 U.S.-23 North, Alpena.
∫ This December, the Alpena Street Performers will be wandering throughout downtown spreading musical Christmas cheer! Join the Wandering Carolers from 6 to 8 p.m. on Fridays, Dec. 15 and 22, and Saturdays, Dec. 16 and 23. They will be visiting Downtown Alpena eating establishments and open businesses between 6 and 8 p.m. Just remember, “the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” See you downtown!
Saturday, Dec. 16
∫ The National Audubon Society invites birdwatchers to participate in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. On Saturday in Alpena, birders and nature enthusiasts will take part in this tradition. To sign up for the local count with the Thunder Bay Audubon Society, contact Karen at 989-464-6573.
∫ The Alpena Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, 1302 State Ave. in Alpena. Visit Friends of the Alpena Farmers Market on Facebook.
∫ On Saturday, The Climb Men’s Ministry monthly Men’s Breakfast will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. at Living Hope Church, 1499 M-32, Alpena. This is an opportunity for men to gather and break bread, grow together, encourage one another, and hear testimony of how Jesus is working in their lives.
∫ Cookies and photos with Santa will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cliff Anschuetz Chevrolet. This year will again feature the best cookies in town from Cookies by Hannah, a hot chocolate bar and coffee from Cabin Creek! Photos will be done by Steve Jakubcin with a backdrop by Matt Seguin.
∫ Revolution Dance presents its Holiday Show at 2 p.m. at the Alcona High School auditorium, 51 N. Barlow Road, Lincoln. The public is welcome. The suggested donation is $5 per person.
∫ American Legion Post 65 will host a Family-Style Christmas Dinner from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, by donation at the door. The menu includes turkey, ham, Polish sausage, barbecue chicken, potatoes, coleslaw, veggies, roll, and a dessert bar. The public is welcome, at 1316 M-32, Alpena. Carry-outs will be available. If you have questions, call 989-356-3357.
∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The holiday play is co-directed by Julie Meyers, Doreen Kriniak, and Dani Ayotte. All seats are $5 general admission. ACT is located at 401 River St., Alpena.
∫ Join the Wandering Carolers from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, Dec. 16 and 23. They will be visiting Downtown Alpena eating establishments and open businesses between 6 and 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 17
∫ Posen VFW Post 7804 will host a breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday. The menu includes eggs to order, French toast, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, ham, sausage, and desserts. The cost is $10 per adult, $5 per child ages 5 to 12, and free for children younger than 5.
∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The holiday play is co-directed by Julie Meyers, Doreen Kriniak, and Dani Ayotte. All seats are $5 general admission. ACT is located at 401 River St., Alpena.
∫ The Besser Male Chorus will perform a matinee concert at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alpena. Each of the concerts are by donation to help continue to fund what the chorus does each year. If any male is interested in joining, call 989-464-7464. The Besser Male Chorus will start practicing for the spring concert in March, and welcomes new members.
∫ If a problem drinker is affecting your life, Al-Anon can help. Confidential and anonymous meetings are held from 2 to 3 p.m. every Sunday at St. Raphael Church in Mikado.
∫ Members of the Alpena Symphony Orchestra will present a Christmas Serenade Concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday at Hope Lutheran Church, 5462 W. Nicholson Hill Road. A variety of holiday music will be performed by a variety of musicians from the orchestra. There is no charge for this concert, but donations are always gratefully appreciated. The Alpena Symphony Orchestra is a nonprofit organization. Call Andrea Arbuckle at 989-464-9586 for more information.