Arbor Update

Re: Rolling Sculpture

I think this event is an interesting counterpoint to the Green Fair and it’s entertaining to watch passersby melt into car-gasms as they admire what, in some cases, represents hundreds of hours of restorative work.

It’s an event that brings lots of people into downtown Ann Arbor, and it’s good for downtown businesses, and I’d support closing down the streets in future years so that this event can continue

But.

While enjoying a post-RAT meal (for bicycles … Ride Around Town, 2nd Friday every month 6pm leaving from Liberty Plaza) at Seva out on the deck, I was treated to the repeated revving of a Harley motorcycle engine two blocks away, loud enough to disrupt conversation—for 30 seconds at a time. I was on the verge of ordering a second piece of orange cake—because, yes, it’s that good … o m g—when it became apparent that the revving would continue unabated. I reconsidered the second piece of cake.

My personal ledger for Rolling Sculpture:

-$3.50

Or thereabouts. I don’t remember the cost of the cake.

Note to City Council: consider making street closure next year contingent on a commitment by organizers to prevent motorcycle engine revving.

I really enjoy the show too, but I agree on the engine revving, motorcycle or otherwise. Another vehicle they did with this were a couple of dragsters. I had to leave the area until they were done.

Well, in addition to going fast, which isn’t going to happen downtown, one of the points of those motorcycles and dragsters is to be loud. While I agree that I didn’t like it and stayed away while it was going on, judging by the crowd around them and the applause after each revving, there were a lot of people who thought it was pretty cool.

I went to my first Townie Party yesterday evening and found the setup to be a bit strange. Food and nonalcoholic drinks were to the west of the bandstand. To the east of the bandstand was a complex of fenced areas. Inside one of the fenced areas were alcohol sales. I was told that if I bought food, I would get a ticket for a drink.

Another fenced area was off limits to anyone without a gold plastic armband, which signified that you had been invited to the true Townie Party. I didn’t have one. Oh, well.

I remember the invitation-only fenced off area at the Townie Party a few years ago, but I didn’t notice any such area this year.

The only fenced off area I saw was the one which surrounded the alcoholic-beverage-sales booth.

Hey all,
In case you are around around and looking to get downtown either for work or for the Art Fairs, there is a page on our website with info on road closures, Art Fair Shuttle Info, etc.: Commuting During Art Fair