Parks & Rec: Plenty of things to do this weekend in Ann Arbor parks

42nd annual Huron River Day is back
Enjoy the beautiful Huron River with free, family-friendly river activities during the Huron River Day festival at Gallup Park, 3000 Fuller Road in Ann Arbor, Sunday, May 15, noon–4 p.m. Visit www.a2gov.org/HRD for the complete schedule.

For just $5, you can paddle a boat (canoe or kayak), try stand-up paddle boarding (SUP), listen to live music and eat delicious, local food — all while learning about the Huron River. Fun, river-themed exhibits and children’s activities, fishing, studying river critters with the Huron River Watershed Council, live animals from the Leslie Science & Nature Center and squirting water with the Dirt Doctor.

The program kicks off with music from Hullabaloo and opening remarks from Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner Evan Pratt. Joe Reilly will then sing his popular, playfully joyful songs about nature; and Kat Steih follows with folk, rock and spirituals. The last act of the day will be the Neutral Zone Jazz Combo. Many of the musicians will perform songs that celebrate the Huron River.

Tasty treats will be available for purchase from a variety of local food trucks including Ray’s Red Hots, Bao Boys, Humus Falafel, Petey’s Donuts and Hello! Ice Cream. Parking is available in Gallup Park, but if you ride your bike to the festival, and use the bike corral, your boat rental will be free. Click here to view a video about the event

Canoe and kayak auction at Gallup Livery this weekend
The annual public auction of used and damaged boats is planned for tomorrow, Saturday, May 7 at noon. It is estimated there will be five canoes, one rowboat, five stand-up paddleboards and 25 kayaks for sale. Prices generally range from $50-$150 per boat. Boats will be available to view 30 minutes prior to the auction. Boats must be picked up by the end of the day on May 7. Questions? Call Gallup Livery 734.794.6240.

We need you! Learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities with GIVE 365
Check in with GIVE 365 for upcoming volunteer opportunities including a variety of Love-a-Park Days through October. There are also several upcoming neighborhood workdays with Adopt-a-Park! Please reach out to adopt-a-park@a2gov.org if you are interested in volunteering as a group.

Delayed opening at Argo Livery and Cascades
The Argo Livery opening has been delayed until Saturday, May 14 due to high water conditions and the weather. The Argo Livery will open on Saturday, May 14 and will be open weekends only, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. The Gallup Livery will be open, weather dependent, and offering stillwater paddling in 2.5-mile Gallup Pond where the river is more like a lake. Gallup Livery is open every day beginning Saturday, May 7,10 a.m.-7 p.m. When the river level comes down, the Gallup Livery will offer a river trip every day of the week. More details and updates on the river trip www.a2gov.org/canoe, or call the Gallup office 734.794.6240.

Wednesday Ann Arbor Farmers Market is back
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market is open for onsite sales Saturdays, 7 a.m.-3 p.m., at 315 Detroit Street. Put the Wednesday market back on your calendar! It will be held each week, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. You will find flowers and plants, vegetable and herb seedlings, maple syrup, pussy willows, leafy greens, root vegetables, microgreens, eggs, poultry, meat, cheese, bread, baked goods, beverages, prepared food, artisan products and more! We accept cash and tokens for credit cards and SNAP/EBT/P-EBT are available at our market office window. Please follow all safety guidelines posted and communicated by market staff. Service Animals Welcome. More information at our website.

Your input is valuable!
The City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Open Space (PROS) Plan process is now underway. An online survey is gathering community feedback to help identify goals, needs and priorities for Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation for the next five years. The survey will close June 5.

Natural Area Preservation upcoming volunteer events
From Pollinator Week to World Environment Day, there are many opportunities to volunteer with Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation in city parks and nature areas this June. Visit https://www.a2gov.org/news/pages/article.aspx?i=877 for the complete listing of opportunities.

Ann Arbor parks mowing schedule
As you know, this month is “No Mow May.” This year, like in previous years, City of Ann Arbor parks will continue to be mowed on a two-week cycle. Due to time constraints and logistical problems with implementation, planning for a meaningful version of “No Mow May” is not feasible for 2022. With over 450 acres of mowed park-land, it is impossible to simply forgo mowing all the turf without experiencing significant problems when mowing resumes. The hope is that staff can develop a strategy that considers park usage and expectations and tailor a plan for the entire system. This approach will hopefully allow the city to start this program in a way that offers a positive impact on pollinators. It is important to note that over 75 percent of the City of Ann Arbor’s park-land will still not be mowed. This includes our forty-plus nature areas, which are significant habitat, not just for pollinators but for all of Michigan’s native plant and animal species. Thank you for understanding.

Ann Arbor Senior Center upcoming events/activities
Birding bundle drive-thru
Wednesday, May 25, noon-1 p.m. Please join the Ann Arbor Senior Center for a spring drive-thru event. Senior geared goodie bags will be given out to patrons that sign up including a bird painting kit; limited spots available. All will be welcome to enjoy cookies and beverages to take home or enjoy in your car! To RSVP, contact bpatton@a2gov.org or 734.794.6250 to reserve your spot today! Free of charge.

Senior line dancing
Tuesday, May 10-July 12, noon-1 p.m. Join this class in partnership with Washtenaw Community College for seniors 65 and older. A line dance is a choreographed dance in which a group of people dance along to a repeating sequence of steps while arranged in one or more lines or rows. It is a great time to socialize along with low impact exercise. Dance a party full of familiar oldies. Call to preregister, 734.794.6250. Free of charge.

Bridge supervised play
Tuesdays, May 10-June 28, 1-3 p.m. Supervised Bridge Play is designed for beginners and low intermediate players who wish to improve their bidding, declarer, and defensive play. The program will run with students playing 7-9 hands per session. Hands will be analyzed after completion to review the bidding, play, and defense. No book or partner needed. It is highly recommended that students have some type of previous bidding class or experience. Please note that this is not a duplicate game, just practice. Contact the instructor Ray Gentz at ray62856@gmail.com. Drop-in fee: $10 members; $12 nonmembers.

Bridge games
Mondays, 12:30-3:30 p.m., drop-in fee: $2 member; $3 nonmember. Non-sanctioned Duplicate Bridge, directed by Ray Gentz, attracts players of all ages with varied levels of expertise including life masters to beginners. Thursdays, noon-3:30 p.m.; fee: $8, member; $9, nonmember. Our Thursday afternoon games are ACBL Sanctioned and directed by Ellen Silverest. No partner? Arrive by 11:30 a.m. and tell the director and she will give you a guarantee to play.

NEW! Wednesday workshop series
The Betty Brigade – How to Downsize and Minimize at Home. Wednesday, May 11, 9:30-10:30 a.m. In-person. Join us when downsizing and moving expert Sharon McRill will be joining us for a lunch and learn about Spring cleaning and downsizing. RSVP to 734.794.6250 or bpatton@a2gov.org. Free of charge.