Tulip Time in Holland
May 1, 2013
Yellow Tulips, photo by srab44_2000
Holland’s annual celebration of Dutch heritage and culture, the Tulip Time Festival, starts Friday May 4th and runs through May 11th. While last year’s crazy March heatwave had tulips blooming in mid-April, tulips have been in the slow lane in 2013 due to a cool spring. The good news according to meteorologist Bill Steffen is that a well-timed warmup should have tulips in near perfect bloom this year.
Check this photo out background bigtacular and see more in E. Benson’s Tulip Time Festival 05/2009 slideshow.
La Marche du Nain Rouge
March 11, 2013
Detroit MI, photo by billyvoo
Over 300 years ago, around the same time the city of Detroit was founded, an evil was discovered in and around the city. An evil that has plagued the people and the city, and even wrecked havoc upon the founder of Detroit, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. This ‘evil’ was said to have been a Nain Rouge, other wise known as the “red dwarf of Detroit.”
~La Marche du Nain Rouge
La Marche du Nain Rouge is held every year on the Sunday following the spring equinox. That’s Sunday March 24, 2013, and they explain:
La Marche du Nain Rouge is an annual Detroit tradition that purportedly dates back to shortly after the city’s founding by the French in 1701. Annually held on the Sunday closest to the Vernal (Spring) Equinox, it is parade and street theater similar in sensibility to Mardi Gras and other Carnival celebrations. However the impetus for La Marche is different.
La Marche drives Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf) out of Detroit, preventing its evil spirit from plaguing the people of the city for the rest of the year. By forcing Le Nain Rouge from the city (and into the spirit plane), Le Nain is banished, transforming Detroiters’ fears and doubts into the hopes of new life and the coming Spring season.
Tradition holds that a citizen of Detroit dresses up as Le Nain Rouge, temporarily embodying its spirit, wearing a mask to conceal identity. As Le Nain Rouge, this person accepts responsibility for leading people through the streets of Detroit to La Marche’s final destination.
Read on for more including pictures and definitely head over to Absolute Michigan to learn much more about one of Michigan’s spookiest stories, Nain Rouge: The Red Dwarf of Detroit.
Billy took this in March of 2011 at the 300th anniversary of La Marche. See it bigger and see more in his La Marche du Nain Rouge slideshow and also check out billyvoo.com.
More portraits on Michigan in Pictures.
Flying High at Suicide Hill
February 11, 2013
126 Suicide Jumps, photo by PhotoYoop
Cory writes that he attended the 126th annual ski jumping tournament Friday night at Suicide Bowl in Ishpeming, where skiers have been jumping annually since 1887! It’s run by the Ishpeming Ski Club. You can get more photos on their Facebook where I also found a video by Under the Radar Michigan.
Here’s a feature by Bob Garrett of Seeking Michigan about the history of Ishpeming’s Suicide Hill from a couple of years ago on Michigan in Pictures.
Check his shot out bigger and see more in his ski slideshow. Be sure to follow him on Facebook too!
More skis and skiing on Michigan in Pictures.
Ice Climbing in Munising
January 25, 2013
HMR Ice in Pictured Rocks, photo by Luke Tikkanen
The abundant waterfalls that make the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore such a treat in summertime turn it into an amazing mecca for ice climbing every winter. Since 1983, Down Wind Sports has organized and promoted the Michigan Ice Festival in Munising. The event brings some of the top ice climbers in the world and features product demos, presentations, intro to climbing and plenty of climbing socials. 2013 dates are January 31 – February 3, so consider a trip north next weekend!
Today’s photo is the cover of the forthcoming edition of An Ice Climbers Guide To Munising Michigan by Jon Jugenheimer and Bill Thompson. There will be a release party for the book next Thursday (Jan 31) at Sydney’s in Munising. They explain:
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has been called one of the premier ice climbing areas in the country. Nestled on the southern shore of Lake Superior, it is renowned for its beautiful setting and phenomenal ice routes. This edition An Ice Climbers Guide To Munising Michigan offers the most thorough and up-to-date information, maps, and descriptions of the major ice climbing formations.
Click through for more about the book including some more great photos. This climb is known as HMR, out by Grand Portal Point in the Pictured Rocks. Here’s a panoramic photo of the climb in relation to the Portal.
NAIAS: 2013 Detroit Auto Show roars into town
January 16, 2013
LFA by JSFauxtaugraphy, photo by JSFauxtaugraphy
Snapshots from the 2013 North American International Auto Show aka NAIAS 2013 aka the Detroit Auto Show started yesterday for media & industry. The public show runs Saturday, January 19 through Saturday, January 26. Here are a few quick hits:
- At $12 per person and $6 for seniors and youth, the tickets seem like a pretty great deal.
- It’s once again at the Cobo Center after a number of years at the Renaissance Center. Detroit Auto Show, 1960 is stunning shot at Cobo from Michigan in Pictures that captures the glamor the show once had. I’d be interested in what anyone who has attended in the 60s and recently has to say about the feel of the show.
- They have a Facebook page, but then again is there anyone or anything at this point that doesn’t? They are giving away tickets and posting some nice photos like this birds-eye view of the show floor.
- Concepts? They have concepts, though Jason from Jalopnik says that the Tesla Model X is the only car that really feels like it’s from the future. (I think it’s the doors)
- There’s plenty of green machines at NAIAS 2013, but the International Business times wonders why there’s just one using hydrogen fuel cell technology. Unlike batteries, fuel cells take minutes to recharge and offer greater range.
- Being an off-election year, there are not many politicians to be found, unlike years ago. Danny Glover however, is in Detroit talking about unions.
- Much more coverage of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show at mLive, the Detroit News and the Freep.
Check this out background bigtacular and see more in Joseph’s NAIAS 2012 slideshow.
More NAIAS on Michigan in Pictures.
Happy Halloween from Michigan in Pictures!
October 31, 2012
Halloween Spectacle, photo by Kim Nixon
The Halloween Spectacle is an annual event that took place last Saturday in Marquette. Here’s hoping you can get out and make a spooky spectacle of yourself tonight!
Check this out bigger on Facebook and see her slideshow from the Halloween Spectacle on Flickr. More work from Kim at Create with Kim.
…and more Halloween from Michigan in Pictures and Absolute Michigan!
Lights in the Night over Grand Rapids
September 29, 2012
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 30, 2012: This entry was in the ArtPrize Top Ten entries announced today.
Lights in the Night, photo by Robby Ryke
Last night the skies of Grand Rapids lit up with 20,000 fire lanterns for the Lights the Night entry in ArtPrize 2012 (ArtPrize and Facebook pages). From everything I can find, it looks to have been an incredible spectacle.
View this on black and definitely (definitely) check out Robby’s HD video from Light the Night which is really tempting me to lift my “no videos” policy on Michigan in Pictures.
You can also see a video from high above of the fire lantern launch at mLive. See more photos from Stacy, BetsyLouWho, Jack, Lisa, Debbie, flickaway, and Kevin and please add links to ones you took or found in the comments!
September’s Full Moon … and lighting the Grand Rapids sky
September 24, 2012
Downtown Grand Rapids, photo by NightFox Photography
The autumnal equinox happened on Saturday, making the full moon that will rise this Sunday, September 30th the Harvest Moon. It’s also known as the Wine Moon, the Singing Moon (Celtic), Barley Moon (Old English) and the Elk Call Moon.
This weekend the skies of Grand Rapids will host another interesting phenomenon, Lights in the Night. On Friday (Sept 28) this ArtPrize entry will seek to launch thousands of fire lanterns downtown. Get all the details at www.lightsinthenight.org.
Check this out on black and see more in Cory’s Grand Rapids slideshow.
ArtPrize 2012
September 20, 2012
ARTPRIZE 2011-5780, photo by RichardDemingPhotography
ArtPrize opened yesterday in Grand Rapids and runs through October 7th. Now in its 4th year, ArtPrize is the largest art competition in the world, awarding over a half million in prizes. $360,000 of this is awarded by public vote. If you’ve never experienced a city turned upside down by art, it might be a good idea to plan a trip to Grand Rapids.
This year in an effort to become a more sustainable effort, ArtPrize has added various levels of membership that include perks like priority seating and tickets & receptions to events during ArtPrize and year round.
Check it out bigger and see more in Richard’s massive ArtPrize 2011 slideshow.
Also see past ArtPrize photos on Michigan in Pictures and at absolutemichigan.com/artprize. mLive’s ArtPrize section is a great resource as well.
Take a friend to the National Cherry Festival
July 7, 2012
The National Cherry Festival (July 7-14) kicks off today in Traverse City. From Black Diamond jets screaming across the skies to Cherry Queen candidates parading across the stage to all manner of parades, tasting events, concerts and games for all ages, this is the biggest party anywhere in celebration of Michigan’s mighty cherry!
One downside is that Michigan’s cherry crop was devastated by our wacky spring, but hopefully we’ll be back at the top of cherry production in 2013. Also see more about the Cherry Festival from Michigan in Pictures.
Check it out bigger and in Anna Lysa’s CWD slideshow.
