Weekend Roundup: What to do in EL the weekend of May 20-22

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The star of this weekend will undoubtedly be the East Lansing Art Fair, and it’s looking like the weather will totally cooperate this year, with some sun, no rain, and no heat wave. If that’s not your jam, there’s lots of other stuff to do, including enjoying music, an artistic gathering and that lovely, old book smell.

Friday night there’s “The Hob Nob” in the Ross Wing of The Broad Museum from 6:00-8:00 pm. There is no admission charge, and there will be champagne and pizza plus sweets and a cash bar. The galleries will be open, so you can sip champagne, forget the week behind you, and check out some world-class contemporary art. If you feel a little more like something casual, you can check out The Coffeehouse at All Saints Episcopal Church from 7:30-9:30 pm in the Church’s Undercroft. Featuring music, sing-alongs and spoken word performances the Coffeehouse welcomes all ages and is totally okay with people dropping in and taking off throughout the evening.

On Saturday, your best bet for a little bit of all the best things in life is The East Lansing Art Fair. There is a large assortment of juried fine art for sale in many different media, there’s an assortment of food and drink in the Food Court, live performances on multiples stages, a Children’s Area and live demonstrations by artists. In its 64^th year, the Festival is a great place to see friends and neighbors after a long Michigan winter, and a good opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts for the graduations and weddings popping up on the calendar. The Festival will be open from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Across Grand River Avenue and surrounding the MSU Union building is MSU’s Spring Arts and Crafts Show with 356 vendors, its own dining area and everything from handmade soaps and lotions to children’s toys (like the genius marshmallow shooter that kept my son amused for the summer of 2005) and whimsical yard sculptures to compliment your garden. The Fair is open from 9:00am – 6:00 pm.

As if that weren’t enough shopping, Peoples Church also offers its annual Used Book Sale and Jewelry Sale, both in the basement of the Church which is easily reached through the back entrance on Albert Avenue. On Saturday, the Book Sale runs from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, and the Jewelry Sale from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

The best news? If you miss any of the Saturday options listed above, they are all happening again on Sunday at slightly different times. The Art Festival and the Arts and Crafts Show are open from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, the Used Book Sale and Jewelry Sale from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. Whatever you do with your weekend, we at ELi hope you enjoy some of what East Lansing has to offer.

For more information on all of these events (and more) visit East Lansing Info.org and check out our Local Events Calendar.