(June – July) The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is an exciting celebration of performing arts, outdoor entertainment and community spirit. The three-week gathering features some of the best in theater, music, dance, comedy, street arts, and family entertainment. Founded in 1984, the Summer Festival has become one of the leading multi-arts festivals in the country. Today, the festival runs two concurrent event series: one indoor, one outdoor. The indoor series takes place across the University of Michigan campus with music, theater, dance and comedy performances by regional and national performers. The outdoor series, Top of the Park, is held along a beautiful campus green and offers free concerts, open air screenings, and a variety of unique family attractions. The festival attracts over 60,000 attendees annually and has showcased performers including Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Cash, Dave Brubeck, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin and k.d. lang, among many, many others. Tickets are available through the website, as are a number of great package deals for show tickets. (MS)

Ann Arbor Summer Festival Information

• Venues: Earl V. Moore Building (1100 Baits Drive); Hill Auditorium (825 N. University Avenue);
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre (911 N. University Avenue);
Palmer Field (401 Washtenaw Avenue);
Power Center for the Performing Arts (121 Fletcher Street);
Top of the Park (Ingalls Mall, 915 E. Washington Street);
University of Michigan Museum of Art (525 S. State Street)
• Public Transportation: Varies by venue
• Handicapped Accessibility: Excellent. Select wheelchair and companion seating at all indoor venues; handicap parking at multiple locations throughout the site; courtesy wheelchairs at venues, when confirmed in advance; and select interpreted performances and captioned movies screenings
• Performances/Programs: Stage performances (music, dance, comedy, circus, etc); free concerts and movies in the park; educational events, workshops, children’s activities, onsite promotions, and pre-and after-parties; visual art exhibits, theme nights, and various social and fundraising events
• Ticket Prices: Ticket prices vary by performance and venue. Buy 3 shows and save 10%; Buy 4 show and save 15%; buy 5 shows and save 20%
• Group Sales: Groups of 20 or more receive a 20% discount.