*June 29 & 30: Buckham Gallery is open this weekend showcasing “Navigational Pull” an exhibition featuring the works of local artists such as DeMarcus Smith, William Stolpin, Jennifer Hatcher, Matthew Muhitch and Marvin Dabideen. Buckham Gallery is open on Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  (810) 239-6233

*June 29 & 30: The Whaley Historic House Museum is open for public guided tours. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Whaley House is filled with hundreds of family and period artifacts that tell the story of the Whaley’s and Victorian Era Flint. Open for tours on Friday at 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Please call ahead for all other tour times. Tours last about an hour and include the 1^st and 2^nd floors of the home.  (810) 471-4714 or visit www.whaleyhouse.com

*June 29 & 30: Fenton Winery & Brewery is open from 3:00 p.m. to midnight offering handcrafted wines and Micro-brewed beers, delicious food and beer and wine samplings. On Saturday, from 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., “Too Much Fun” will take the stage for a night of classic Rock-N-Roll highlighted by two guitars, a harmonica and unique percussion. (810) 373-4194 or visit www.fentonwinery.com

*June 29 & 30: The “Sequoia Lounge” at Redwood Steakhouse presents live music featuring “Jones’n” Friday night and the “Blue Hawaiians” Saturday evening. Music runs from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.  (810) 233-8000 or visit www.theredwoodlodge.com

*June 29 & 30: The Historic Holly Hotel Comedy Club presents professional stand-up comedy featuring “Matt McClowry” with special guest “Ricardo Flanagan.” Shows start at 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.  (248) 634-5208 or visit www.hollyhotel.com

*June 29 & 30: The Machine Shop Concert Lounge, located on Dort Highway, presents live Rock-N-Roll shows. On Friday, “Spineshank” performs with special guests “9 Electric” and “Mureau.” On Saturday, “Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys” take the stage with special guests “Nathan Kalish” and “Wildfire & Wreckless.” Doors open at 7:00 p.m.  (810) 715-2650 or visit www.themachineshop.info

*June 29 & 30: Wild Spurs, part of the Jewel Entertainment Complex in Grand Blanc, features Friday entertainment with a DJ, dancing and Karaoke starting at 10:00 p.m. and live country music on Saturday. Also, come out and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of Paddy McGee’s, the ultimate Irish Pub. Great food and company!  (810) 694-5960

*June 29–July 1: US-23 Drive-In Theater, located on Fenton Road, is now open for the summer season featuring double first run films. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. and movies begin at dusk.  (810) 238-0751 or visit www.us23driveintheater.com

*June 29-July 1: Shop Birch Run Premium Outlets. Find incredible values on all the new season fashions with up to a 65% discount on every day savings. Shop at over 145 well-known brand name stores such as the Pottery Barn Outlet, COACH Factory and Nike Factory Store.  July 4 Summer Sales start June 29. (989) 624-6226 or visit www.premiumoutlets.com for Outlet hours.

*June 29-July 1: The Flint Children’s Museum celebrates “Home Town Heroes.” On Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., children can listen to Mother Goose as she reads “Under the Sea Stories.”  Then on Saturday, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., celebrate “Great American Picnic Day.”  Bring a picnic lunch and join the Museum’s staff on the lawn. Make your own picnic place mat. The Museum is open Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  (Recommended for ages 2 to 10) (810) 767-5437 or visit www.flintchildrensmuseum.org

*June 29-July 1: Grand Blanc Chamber “Family Fun Fest” is happening in downtown Grand Blanc featuring carnival rides, an adult entertainment tent, an expo and activities tent, a beautiful baby contest, classic car show and much more. Hours are Friday 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  (810) 695-4222 or www.grandblancchamber.com

*June 29-July 1: “Flint Township Community Days Carnival” will take place in the Genesee Valley Center’s parking lot, near Macy’s. Hours are Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.  (810) 732-1350 or visit www.geneseemall.com

*June 29-July 1: FLINT CULTURAL CENTER CAMPUS:

SLOAN MUSEUM:  (810) 237-3450 or visit www.sloanlongway.org (Open Friday and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.) Enjoy regional history, historic automobiles and hands-on science activities in the Science Discovery Center, which allows children and adults to explore principles of chemistry and physics through exhibits and staff presentations. Stroll through Sloan’s Automotive Gallery and view major automotive exhibits featuring vehicles from the Sloan fleet of over 80 Flint-built automobiles. 

• “Muscle Cars: The Hustle Behind the Muscle” – From a 1964 Pontiac GTO to a 1987 Buick GNX, this exhibit is sure to appeal to visitors of all ages. Since they cruised on the scene in the mid-sixties, these high-powered machines changed the face of the automotive industry forever. The engineering technologies and marketing techniques developed during their heyday still influence manufacturing today. Learn the stories that shaped each one of these American icons. Follow the inception and evolution of this modern phenomenon.
• “100 Years of Girl Scouting” – What was started by Juliette Gordon Low and 18 young girls on March 12, 1912 has grown into an American institution with over 3.2 million active members. In Girl Scouts, girls discover the fun, friendship and power of girls coming together and how to develop their full individual potential. Take a colorful journey through 100 years of Girl Scouting in America.
• “Flint and The American Dream” – Relive Flint’s dramatic history, as the birthplace of General Motors comes to life with over 600 artifacts and photographs, including rare antique automobiles, colorful neon signs, period clothing, household furnishings, commercial goods and much more. Encounter the ups and downs of General Motors, the birth of the UAW and what life was like in Flint during the 50s, 60s and 70s. 

BUICK GALLERY & RESEARCH CENTER: (810) 237-3440 (Admission included with Sloan with same operating hours) The Gallery displays over 25 classical and concept locally built automobiles featuring five one-of-a-kind concept cars – a 1954 Wildcat II, Centurion, Arrow, Phantom and an XP. Also on display is a Buick Bug, which has undergone an extensive renovation.

• “1956 Centurion” – Buick enthusiasts will recognize the “sweep-spear” chrome on the Centurion as being similar to the 1957 Buicks. They might even recognize the rear fins as being like those on the 1959 models. The rest of the car, however, is one-of-a-kind. The Centurion uses a freestanding speedometer with a fixed indicator and rotation dial. A television camera, mounted just above the tail cone, projects images from the rear mirror. Centurion’s “wings,” tail cone and canopy top reflect the influence that aircraft design had on many of GM’s designers.  

LONGWAY PLANETARIUM: (Laser Hotline (810) 237-3409 or (810) 237-3400) (SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ONLY)

• “Rusty Rocket’s Last Blast” – All Rocket Rookies report to class! Lift off with Rusty Rocket and learn rocket basics, relive great moments in space exploration and discover how far it really is to the moon and planets. This sky show begins at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday, and is recommended for ages 5 and older.
•  “Off the Beaten Orbit” – Throughout our Solar System are many remarkable, fascinating worlds, not just the planets. Scattered among and beyond the planets are asteroids, comets, moons and dwarf planets. Explore the parts of the Solar System usually ignored and learn about these unusual objects in this original production. This sky show begins at 2:00 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday, and is recommended for ages 10 and up.  

THE FLINT INSTITUTE OF ARTS (FIA): (810) 234-1695 (Open Fri 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sat 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sun 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.) Visit the Flint Institute of Arts and browse through their outstanding collections of American, European, Native American, African and Asian art including paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and decorative arts featuring a complete set of 17^th century French tapestries.          

• “Designs from the Past: Ancient Chinese Ceramic Vessels” – (Beginning June 30^th)
  Enjoy this FIA collection of more than 100 Chinese ceramic vessels from the Neolithic period (6,500 – 1,700 BCE), many which were predecessors to the shapes of early Chinese bronze vessels. These ceramic vessels were frequently decorated with elaborate geometric and stylized patterns, often specific to a certain region of Neolithic China featuring a wide variety of spirals, lozenges, checkered patterns, net patterns, curved bands and saw-toothed bands that emphasized the form of the vessel.
• “The Epic and the Intimate: French Drawings from the Snite Museum” – The works on paper in this exhibition illustrate the history of French drawings from before the foundation on the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1648, through the French Revolution of 1789. This exhibit features over 30 works on loan and offers an opportunity to explore the range of media employed including chalk, ink, crayon and more.
• “Viola E. Bray: A Legacy of Giving” – The Year of the Bray (2011-2012) honors the 50^th anniversary of the Mrs. Viola E. Bray’s contribution of Renaissance and Baroque works, along with a unique gallery, to the people of Flint. This exhibit highlights the works that entered the museum’s collections through the generosity of the Bray Charitable Trust.
• “The Golden Age of Painting, 1600-1800, from the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY”
  Tremendous changes swept Europe during the two hundred years in which the art in this exhibition was produced. Advances in the sciences transformed long held views on the way the universe worked and the place of humans within that universe. Technical aspects of art making were honed and codified, as art academies grew in number and power. These exciting times resulted in a golden age of European painting.
• “Abstract Expressionism: Then and Now” – This exhibition surveys the American art movement from its origins in the postwar period to the latest developments in the late twentieth century. Third-wave Abstract Expressionist painters, including Roy Lerner, Stanley Boxer and Joseph Drapell, built on the earlier movement, using paints that they invented through working with Golden Paints, developing new techniques and forms of expression.

*June 29-July 1: IMAX Trillium Theatre in Grand Blanc (NCG Cinemas): For IMAX show times and information on other movies call (810) 695-5000 or visit www.ncgmovies.com/grand-blanc.  

• “Prometheus An IMAX Experience” – (Rated R) Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, returns to the genre he helped define. With Prometheus he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.  

*June 29-July 1: Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad welcomes all to the 19^th Century. There is so much to do in the Village and so many people to talk with. The cider maker is pressing apples while the miller grinds grains into flour at the water-powered grist mill. The blacksmith is hammering hot iron into horseshoes and fireplace tools. Each villager has an important role – from barber to broom maker, doctor to seamstress, homemaker to cleric. Be sure to hop on board the Huckleberry Railroad and enjoy a 40-minute ride through woods, meadows and along the shore of beautiful Mott Lake. Get closer to Mott Lake during a scenic 45-minute cruise on the Genesee Belle, a replica of the paddlewheel riverboats that were popular during Mark Twain’s time. Operating hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (800) 648-PARK or visit www.geneseecountyparks.org

*June 30: The Flint Farmers’ Market, in Downtown Flint, is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (and every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Enjoy shopping for fresh fruit, produce, cheese, meats, Michigan wines, gourmet coffees, desserts, baked goods, flowers, vintage wares, unique crafts, fine arts and more. The Farmers’ Market is located 1/8 mile west of I-475 on Longway Blvd (exit 8A) in downtown Flint.  (810) 232-1399

And while visiting the Market, stop by “d’vine Wines” for unique gadgets and a selection of Michigan wines and brews.  (810) 235-WINE

Also, visit the Market’s 2^nd floor for restaurant service, boutique shopping and a chance to stroll through the “Art at the Market Gallery.” The Gallery offers great gifts of art or just the opportunity to view and enjoy art from over 35 local artists. (810) 238-AATM.

*June 30: Take a ride through For-Mar Nature Preserve during the 2^nd Annual “Mother Goose Hayride” and visit with all-time favorite Mother Goose rhyme and story characters. Hayrides are scheduled for 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.  (810) 789-8567