The local arts organization Dzanc House and the Historic South Side Neighborhood Association are partnering to bring art, live music, food and fun to Ypsilanti’s Historic South Side Neighborhood.
Historic South Side Stroll is an annual event, this year taking place Saturday, Aug. 15, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is mainly outside, happening throughout the Historic South Side Neighborhood, with Glass by Iman's stained glass art exhibited and books and zines sold inside of Dzanc House.
Homeowners throughout the neighborhood are hosting artists and local businesses, with tables and tents set up in the yards of the houses. This year’s event will feature more than 50 artists and businesses across 12 houses and six live music performances across three stages, according to Amanda May Moore, creative director at Dzanc House, and Claire Small, president of the Historic South Side Neighborhood Association.
This is an increase compared to the previous year’s 30 artists. Food trucks will be set up along the streets in the neighborhood and in the nearby Catherine Street alley. A map of the stops will be provided before the event.
Live music performances will take place throughout the event. Guests can hear music as they are strolling or stop to watch musicians perform. Six different musicians will perform between three different houses. The first performance will be from noon to 1:30 p.m., the second will be from 2-3:30 p.m., and the third will be from 4-5:30 p.m. Each performance will feature two musicians. Musicians include Geranium Red, Dino Time, Ghost Town, Michelle Wolf,Bekka Madeleine, and a to-be-determined sixth musician.
During the stroll, at 11 a.m., the Ypsilanti District Library is hosting a kids' art event, Messtival. Event organizers encourage visitors to the South Side Neighborhood to extend their stroll to the Michigan Avenue branch of the YDL for art activities such as messy painting, clay work, potion making and a science lab.
Attendees can also choose to participate in Sketch & Stroll if they register ahead of time. Sketch & Stroll allows participants to draw or paint the historic houses they see while walking through the neighborhood. The artwork can be any medium, but it must be 16 by 20 inches or smaller.
Sketch & Stroll participants must arrive at Dzanc House between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. to get checked in and to have their materials stamped to ensure that all work is created during the time of the event. Artists will have until noon the day of the event to complete their work. All work created during Sketch & Stroll will be sold at an agreed-upon price, with half of the profit donated as a fundraiser for Dzanc House and the other half to be kept by the artist.
People interested in Sketch & Stroll can register via a Google form available on the Dzanc House Instagram, @dzanc_house. The deadline to register is Aug. 8, Moore said.
In an interview with The Eastern Echo, Small emphasized the importance of this event to the community.
"It's a fun day; we’re building community; we’re bringing in art and spreading it across the neighborhood,” she said.
