The Ann Arbor Art Fair

Earlier this summer, I visited Ann Arbor, Michigan, and blogged about spending a nice afternoon leafing through used books and picking my way through CDs in the many shops there. But Ann Arbor's yearly moment of glory is, without a doubt, the big summer Art Fair. The streets are blocked off and artists from across North America set up booths and sell their works. Thousands of visitors cram the streets, rubbernecking at the art (and sometimes buying, I suppose,) snacking on gyros or tacos, and pausing to listen to street musicians on acoustic guitars. It's always hot, it's always crowded, and a trip up there always means parking outside downtown and taking a shuttle bus into the action--but the Art Fair is kind of a must-see. As I hadn't actually made it to the event since 1993, I was long overdue for a visit. And I thought Kitty might get a kick out of it. So here are a few shots of this year's Ann Arbor Art Fair...

Some scenes of the downtown streets...

Kitty eyes discount clothing...

It wouldn't be Ann Arbor without a little street theater and "neo-con" bashing...

...and politically, the number of t-shirt buyers said it all...

These guys were almost as good as Taipei's reknowned Muddy Basin Ramblers...

Kitty enjoys samosas and a curry...

Glad to see the nudists were out recruiting...

When it all became too much, what better way to relax than to stretch out in the shade in front of Hill Auditorium, (where I once played percussion with my high school orchestra in front of 3000 people).

Stay tuned for the last Concert Report of the summer: The Police and Elvis Costello...