Ann Arbor Summer Festival

Ann Arbor Summer Festival
Friday, Jun 9, 2023 at 5:00pm
734-994-5999

A Community Tradition since 1984

A2SF champions performing arts, outdoor entertainment, and community spirit. In addition to a nearly four-week festival each June that attracts a diverse audience of over 80,000 people and offers over 200 concerts, art exhibitions, kids activities, spectacle, and film screenings, A2SF presents compelling experiences throughout the year.

Founded by Eugene Power, and established as a partnership between the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, early seasons emphasized classical music and theater, but have since become more popular and diverse in nature, encompassing a breadth of performance genres. Today, the June festival offers two concurrent series. The outdoor centerpiece at Top of the Park offers admission-free concerts, movies, open-air spectacles, and unique family attractions held along a beautiful U-M campus green. The indoor, ticketed series features world-class music, dance, contemporary circus, and comedy.

FRI JUNE 9

5:00PM KIDZONE TENT

Kidzone: Goldfish Swim School – Fish for Bubbles!

Join Goldfish Swim School, Ann Arbor’s premier learn to swim facility for children ages 4 months to 12 years, for a fun-filled fishing activity! While you know them from teaching children how to swim and be safe in and around the water, they’re excited to bring some fun to the A2SF KidZone by bringing the pool to you!

Kids can try their luck at fishing for Bubbles in a kiddie pool, win fun prizes, and add their artistic genius to their Goldfish Mural. They’ll also have stick on tattoos, no mess paint coloring sheets, and more. Come kick off summer with your favorite swim instructors, who cannot wait to create an entertaining environment for kids to learn and play outside of the pool. Come join them for some reel fun and an evening of entertainment for children of all ages!

5:00PM

Sarah D’Angelo GROVE STAGE - TOP OF THE PARK (INGALLS MALL)

GENRE: Jazz

Detroit based multi-genre vocalist and clarinetist Sarah D’Angelo finds an exhilarating freedom of musical expression in jazz, blues, gospel, and pop. You might find her putting her own charming, intimate spin on songs ranging from gospel and jazz to rock and Top 40 at various local venues, including the Blue Llama, Lucille’s Jazz Lounge, and the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe. D’Angelo sings and plays clarinet regularly with such groups as the Paul Keller Orchestra, the “At Sundown” Quartet and often leads her own quintet around southeast Michigan and beyond with whom she has most recently recorded her first solo album, Medicine Man. She has sung on various stages all over the Midwest, including the Michigan Jazz Festival, Mackinac Island Jazz Festival, Lansing Jazz Festival, and the Brighton Jazz & Blues Fest.  Her vocal confidence and control are sure to resonate with audiences at A2SF this summer. “Sarah D’Angelo does it with verve, class, confidence, poise, perfect intonation, spot-on phrasing, terrific dynamic, personal expression and loads of love. She’s an incredible team player with her own exquisite persona.” Linda Yohn, WEMU 89.1 

5:00PM THE ANNEX

The Annex: Manifestos of Love – A Silent Disco

In celebration of Opening Night, Express Your Yes invites us to embark on a journey inward to explore the limitlessness of our identity through collective vibration featuring a legendary lineup of DJs, poets, and MCs spinning live sets through headphones provided by Quiet Coyote and Whoa Silent Disco. This is a co-created space for joy and pleasure, to move and play with each other, to explore and love on our own bodies, and flow with toys and hula hoops. You can also expect art making, tarot, acupuncture, massage, improv & games, guided movement, and more! This activation is part of Ann Arbor is Burning: A Celebration of Radical Queer Imagination. Hosted by Express Your Yes.

5:30PM

Retreat: Fit2Live – Crossfit POWER CENTER LAWN

It’s time to get your sweat on! This class is fun and teaches the proper mechanics of all things bodyweight movements with instructor Ryan Stockard at Fit2Live. Appropriate for all ages and fitness levels.

7:00PM

Vespre   RACKHAM STAGE - TOP OF THE PARK (INGALLS MALL)

GENRE: R&B, Soul

Written, produced, and performed by Detroit artist Kaylan Waterman, the music of Vespre is shimmering neo-soul, all twilight grooves and lush vibes. Translating as “late evening or “evensong,” the name “Vespre” nods at these themes, a reflection that her music is meant to represent the moments that stand between night and day. Synths, samples, and floating vocals create a soulful, romantic atmosphere, bringing to mind Sade, Annie Lennox, and modern electronica in equal measure. A bold force pursuing her own creative vision, Vespre is at once a musical exploration of the ethereal and an examination of the artist’s roots. Her latest release is “things we want to know,” a moody yet soothing R&B track about love in a time of quarantine and war. Experience the celestial soulgaze sound of Vespre live at A2SF this summer.  

8:45PM

Dames Brown RACKHAM STAGE - TOP OF THE PARK (INGALLS MALL)

Returning to an A2SF stage this summer is Detroit-based vocal ensemble Dames Brown. The trio, composed of Athena Johnson, Teresa Marbury, and LaRae Starr, share extensive backgrounds in jazz, R&B, funk, soul, and gospel singing, ensuring that they each bring a wide range of musical stylings to their performances. The vocalists have lent their exquisite range to several essential modern house tracks, including Sophie Lloyd’s “Calling Out.” Their debut single “What Would You Do?” is a showcase for their dynamic vocals, capturing an intriguing, danceable blend of funk, house, and soul. Production muscle from Amp Fiddler and Andrés pushes musical boundaries and rounds the track out with the Dames’ vocal delivery bringing the heat. New music is soon to come on British dance music label Defected, but in the meantime be sure to experience the striking songwriting and house music authenticity of Dames Brown live for yourself at A2SF.

10:00PM

A2SF Official Afterparty feat. Henry Chow & Adia RABBIT HOLE BY ROOT (210 S 1ST STREET)

Get ready to fall down the Rabbit Hole and immerse yourself in the ultimate after-party experience! Join us for Ann Arbor Summer Festivals’ Official Afterparty Series, taking place over 5 nights in June at our newest nightclub and cocktail bar located at 210 S 1st Street.

Follow the green lights and let us take you on a journey like no other, where herbal and root-infused cocktails, absinthe, and other delicious concoctions await. And with Krazieye Productions collaborating with us, we’re bringing in top-notch DJs from NYC, LA, Chicago, and Detroit to keep the party going long after A2SF ends.

Don’t let the festivities come to an end, come fall down the Rabbit Hole with us and dance the night away!

There will be limited pre-sale tickets to purchase so purchase now! 21+

Festival Dates: June 9-25, 2023

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