Fill your calendar with Flint’s fall events

Flint, MI — As the air gets crisper and leaves turn from green to shades of amber and orange, activities in Flint are continuing full speed ahead.

Whether it be catching a show, attending a Halloween craft market or getting in a little bit more outdoor exercise before winter’s the snow and ice return, Flint residents can look forward to a fall full of things to do.

Here’s a roundup of coming events:

For bikers and motorcycle lovers: Bikes on the Bricks returns

Bikes on the Bricks, a motorcycle show along downtown’s Saginaw Street, is set to take place Sept. 8 through Sept. 10. Different activities are scheduled throughout the course of the weekend, including mini-bike races, stunt shows and live music.

For the coffee connoisseur: Good Beans Cafe’s Goodstock Festival

Good Beans Cafe has been in business for a little over two decades, and this year marks the Carriage Town coffeehouse’s 20th Goodstock Festival. The festival, taking place on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. includes a handful of local vendors, food trucks, live musical performances and the beloved coffee concoctions of Good Beans’ owner and propieter Ken Van Wagoner.

Good Beans Cafe is located at 328 N. Grand Traverse St.

For athletes and dog lovers: lace up your sneakers

The Greater Flint Athletic Pub Run takes place at 6 p.m. on Sept. 13. Runners will meet at Tenacity Brewing at 119 N Grand Traverse St., then do a run or walk on the Genesee Valley Trail before meeting back at Tenacity Brewing for drinks and tacos. Although the event is free, attendees do need to RSVP online in advance.

The Flint Superhero Run takes place at 9 a.m. on Sept. 16. Runners can put on their best superhero outfit and head down to Voices for Children at 515 East St. to run or walk a 5k or a 1k. Registration for the 5k costs $35 and registration for the $1k costs $30. All proceeds will go to the Voices for Children Advocacy Center, a center dedicated to helping child victims and families of child abuse in Genesee County.

The German Shepherd Walkers of Genesee County are doing a Downtown Flint Dog Walk from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 24. Attendees and their furry friends can meet at the corner of Harrison St. and 7th. All dog breeds are welcome.

For the automotive enthusiast: make some ‘golden’ memories

The 29th Annual Golden Memories Gathering will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 17 at the Sloan Museum of Discovery. The event is free for attendees, and vehicle registration will take place between 8:30 a.m. and noon.

The event features original or authentically-restored vehicles produced in 1973 or earlier. There will also be drawings of registered vehicle owners every hour for two free hot dogs and an ice cream cone.

According to its online description, the gathering will be “a relaxing day with friends and fellow car enthusiasts who love well-preserved and restored automobiles.

The first 160 vehicles registered will receive dash plaques, and vehicle drivers and one passenger will receive free admission to the Sloan Museum of Discovery, as well as the Flint Institute of Arts.

For artists and makers: attend a craft market or swap

The Flint Farmer’s Market is hosting a variety of craft markets this fall. The craft markets will feature handmade goods such as jewelry, candles, bath and body products, knit and crocheted items, home decor and more. Admission to the following craft markets is free.

• The Flint Handmade Halloween Craft market will take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 30.
• The 16th Annual Holiday Craft Market will take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 25.

There will also be a free craft supply swap from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 4. This event will take place outside of the farmer’s market. There will also be craft supply swaps from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 11 and Oct. 2 at the Carmen/Ainsworth Senior Center.

For the escapist: see a performance

Canadian comedian Eric Johnston will be headlining a comedy show at 8 p.m. on Oct. 7 at Timothy’s Pub at 2890 Robert T Longway Blvd. The show will also feature Kevin Johnson, a Detroit comedian. Attendees of the show must be 21 or older. Tickets cost $23.

The Flint Farmer’s Market is also hosting a comedy show this fall with comedians Brent Terhune, Sal Demilio and Wes Ward. Tickets for the event cost $15. The show will take place 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 24.

The Flint Institute of Music (FIM) and its associated spaces including the Whiting Auditorium, Capitol Theatre and the Flint Repertory Theatre also have packed line-ups for the coming season.

From the Rocky Horror Picture Show to Mean Girls the musical and a childhood classic ballet performance to a world premier play, the are options for a variety of audiences throughout fall.

Flint Local 432, located at 124 W. First St., will also be showing a new musical comedy, “Lovesick: The Cat Allergy Musical,” on Sept. 14 – 16, and Sept. 22 – 24. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or at the door.

The New McCree Theatre, located at 4601 Clio Road, will feature The Legend of Bass Reeves from Sept. 21 through Oct. 7 and The Fantastic Four in Concert on Nov. 11. Tickets prices vary depending on show.

Additionally, the Flint Community Players, located at 2462 S. Ballenger Highway will be offering performances of Pippin from Sept. 14 – 24 and a musical about producing a musical called [title of show] from Nov. 2 – 12. Tickets are $20.

For the spirited: sip on some craft beer

The Flint Institute of Arts (FIA) is hosting its 14th Annual Art on Tap: Beer, Bourbon, BBQ event from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 13. Attendees can enjoy a barbecue buffet, a donut bar, live music, art demonstrations, games, raffle packages and more.

Tickets for the event cost $50 for members, $60 for non-members and $70 at-the-door. Designated driver tickets cost $35.

Proceeds from the event will go toward museum programming and outreach programs for PreK-12 students, according to the FIA’s website.

For the bookish: join a library event

The Gloria Coles Flint Public Library is hosting a Gardening Together Tea Party from 11 a.m. to noon on Oct. 14.

The event is for all ages. Iced tea, lemonade and gardening stories will be shared outdoors and participants can plant bulbs at the library and take home bulbs for their own garden.

Dolls, teddy bears and blankets are encouraged for this event.

The library is also hosting a QR code scavenger hunt on Oct. 21 and Nov. 11.

The scavenger hunt takes place throughout the library is open to anyone throughout both days. Participants can expect to answer riddles, scan hidden QR codes and potentially win a prize.

For the writerly: attend an open mic night

Totem Books in Flint is hosting an open mic night from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 25. The “Poets and Writers” night is available for those who want to come and read their own literature or for those who just want to come listen.

Hand-crafted cafe espresso drinks will be available all night.

For the artistic: visit downtown’s Artwalk, a local museum or gallery

The Flint Institute of Arts has a variety of exhibitions beginning in fall 2023, including Thinking Hurts Too Much, which opened on Sept. 1 and is described as “a slowly scrolling video that incorporates found and manipulated internet footage, creating a panoramic collage of gyrating, pulsing, and writhing characters to expose America’s—and the world’s—desire for the sensational.”

Genesee County residents and children under the age of 12 get into the museum for free. Admission for non-resident adults is $10 and $8 for non-resident students and seniors.

Flint’s Artwalk takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the second Friday of each month across downtown Flint. ArtWalk is free to attend and sees participating businesses open their doors to showcase special exhibitions, live performances and artwork as visitors eat, drink and shop.

During Artwalk on Sept. 8, the Greater Flint Arts Council will be premiering “Experience I.V.A.N.” an immersive visual arts network curated by What’s Up Downtown Project director of placemaking, Jerin Sage.

Buckham Art Gallery‘s summer exhibitions will be wrapping up on Sept. 30 and will be followed by “Among the Folds” by Tai Lipan, Llamáme Por Mi Nombre by Kiara Aileen Machado and selected works by Tom Nuzum. Buckham is located at 121 W. Second St. and gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

The Mott-Warsh Collection, located at 815 S. Saginaw St., will feature “Hand in Hand: Fine Art + Craft,” through Jan. 20, 2024. The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. during Artwalk. Admission to the gallery is free.

For the starry-eyed: learn about astronomy

Flint’s Longway Planetarium is hosting the Space Academy Live Series: Stars at 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 29, 2023.

The series covers the fundamentals of astronomy in a 45-minute presentation.

Taught by planetarium staff, attendees will learn about the birth, life and death of stars, as well as stellar formation, the electromagnetic spectrum, supernovae and star lore.

Tickets cost $4 for an adult and $3 for children who are Genesee County residents, or $8 for an adult and $6 for children who are not residents.

For the competitor: join Flint’s chess club

The What’s Up Downtown Project hosts Flint Chess Club every Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Local Grocer in Flint.

The club is free to join and is run by Bryan Wilson, who is labeled as a “chess master” in the event description.

The club is open to all ages and skill levels, and those who come can learn strategies and tactics, as well as resources for joining local, state or national tournaments.

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Did we miss your autumn event? Let us know and our readers know in the comments.