2024 Royal Oak Outdoor Art Fair applications open
ROYAL OAK — Dec. 4 was the first day for artists to register for the the annual Royal Oak Outdoor Art Fair.
The fair is made possible by the Royal Oak Recreation Department and community volunteers.
2024 will be the 53rd year of the fair. The event will be held July 6-7 at Memorial Park. Proceeds will provide scholarships for local youth and grants for local art-related organizations.
For the 2024 art fair applications, participants must be 18 years of age or older. This year, Artists are only required to pay the jury fee at the time of registration, but they have the option to pay both the jury and booth fees at that time.
If the artist is not selected and provided full payment at the time of registration, they will be refunded the booth fee of $275. If the participant chooses to withdraw, the deadline is June 14, 2024 and they will receive a refund of the booth fee.
The fair will include over 100 local, regional and nationally known artists specializing in all mediums of art. For more information on the fair and application, visit royaloakarts.com/2023-royal-oak-outdoor-art-fair.
Jolly Days comes to an end
ROYAL OAK— As Christmas approaches, Jolly Days will come to an end in Royal Oak.
The last official day of Jolly Days is Dec. 22. Jolly Days has included a few different activities over the course of December. Every Friday, people were invited to experience a horse-drawn carriage ride around downtown Royal Oak.
Carriage rides last from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and depart from the community holiday tree, located adjacent to the 44th District Court building, 400 E. 11 Mile Road. The rides are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Along with the carriage rides, Santa has been in town every Friday of December during the same time. Santa’s mini house is located on the closed portion of West Fifth Avenue. For more information on Jolly Days, visit romi.gov/1809/Jolly-Days.
Clawson Public Schools 2023 bond update
CLAWSON — Clawson Public Schools have been at work converting what was previously the middle school to Clawson Elementary School.
The 2021 and 2023 bond project construction company, Christman Construction, has currently been working on installing ducts, installing drywall and constructing masonry walls for the elementary school as well as the front office addition.
The new elementary school will combine the district’s two current elementary schools, Schalm and Kenwood, into one building.
The construction will continue featuring glass framing installation at the front office, overhead piping installations, along with block fill and painting.
Clawson High School has also been getting renovations. The district’s central administration will be moving to its new office space in the northeast corner of the high school.
The high school also will be going through equipment commissioning. This process will consist of checking and ensuring that the systems and components of the building are designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained according to the district’s requirements.
For more information, visit clawsonschools.org.
Become a Piston!
METRO DETROIT — Children have the opportunity become a Detroit Piston for a day through a sweepstakes from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Michigan kids ages 7-12 are able to enter the fifth annual #MIKidsCan Detroit Pistons Kids Day Sweepstakes, where the winner will be able to go behind the scenes of a Pistons game day.
“The sweepstakes, hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Detroit Pistons, offers kids an opportunity to get an in-depth look into various front office roles and responsibilities, and experience working with a staff member for the day. Twenty-five Michigan kids will be selected for Kids Day at the Jan. 20, 2024, Pistons game against the Milwaukee Bucks,” a press release states.
Parents can enter their children through Jan. 5 at nba.com/pistons/pistons-kids-day. Each winner will receive a Kids Day T-shirt, participate in a pregame event at Little Caesars Arena with lunch, have a meet-and-greet with mascot Hooper and receive four game tickets for their family. Various kids activities and giveaways will take place throughout the day and during the game as well.
“Blue Cross is committed to engaging children and families in unique ways to build healthy habits into our kids’ daily lifestyles — including choosing healthy foods and being active for at least 60 minutes a day,” Andrew Hetzel, vice president of corporate communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, said in a prepared statement. “We also know that having fun and creating memorable experiences are keys to learning — and this program with the Detroit Pistons really delivers on that. This truly is a one-of-a-kind experience and we’re eager to continue this tradition for a fifth year along with 25 lucky Michigan kids and their families.”
For more information, visit AHealthierMichigan.org/MIKidsCan.