Courtesy Photo Alpena Civic Theatre presents Robert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias” opening at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, directed by Bill Powell and Lucas Moquin. In this photo by Bronwyn Woolman, the cast of “Steel Magnolias” is seen at a recent rehearsal. Pictured, from left, are Sara Kwiatek, Jessica Luther, Carol Rundell, Olivia Martin, Isabel Luther, and Katie Hubbard-Haines.

∫ Art in the Loft, on the third floor of the Center Building at 109 N. 2nd Ave. in Alpena, is currently closed to prepare for the upcoming Young Artist exhibit, which opens April 3 and will be on display through April 26. The gallery is normally open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Classes are still offered, and can be viewed online. Visit artintheloft.org, email director@artintheloft.org, or call 989-356-4877.

∫ Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan presents its new “Discover Northeast Michigan History” exhibit. Two local artist exhibits are currently on display: Pam O’Neil and Joe Donna. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, closed Tuesday, and open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, at 491 Johnson St., Alpena. Call 989-356-2202, or visit bessermuseum.org.

∫ Wendy Werth is the March and April Featured Artist at Thunder Bay Arts Gallery in Alpena. Werth’s colorful artwork includes painted gourds, such as giraffes and birds, as well as ornaments and paintings. Thunder Bay Arts Gallery, 127 W. Chisholm St., features more than 20 local artists’ work on display and for sale. TBA Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Visit thunderbayarts.org or call 989-354-2586.

Today, March 11

∫ ALL hosts Mexican Train Express Dominoes from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. each Tuesday at M. Briggs Center 143.

∫ TOPS #1614 Alpena welcomes new members who are looking for support in their weight-loss journey. Meetings are held every Tuesday morning at the First Presbyterian Church at 1600 W. Chisholm St. in Alpena. Weigh-ins start at 9:45 a.m. and meetings start at 10:30 a.m. There is no obligation to join if you attend your first meeting. For more information, call 989-255-4787.

∫ Alpena County Library will host Early Connections, a recurring play and socialization program for children ages 0-5, and their caregivers. This group will meet from 10 to 11 a.m. every Tuesday. This program is free and open to all caregivers with children between the ages of 0 and 5. Caregivers must remain with their child for the duration of the program. No registration necessary.

∫ Potential homeowners can find out the steps they need to take to get closer to homeownership. Stop by the Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan offices at 2630 U.S.-23 South in Alpena from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Tuesday for more information.

∫ Every Tuesday, practice ukulele at 10 a.m. at the Harrisville branch of Alcona County Library, with ukuleles available for checkout, and players of all skill levels invited to join.

∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center offers quilting at 10 a.m. and Spitzer at 12:30 p.m. each Tuesday.

∫ The Alpena Lions Club hosts their weekly meetings at noon on Tuesdays at First Presbyterian Church, Alpena. For more information, visit alpenalionsclub.com or the Alpena Lions Club on Facebook. For detailed membership information, call 989-464-5313.

∫ Resume Help will be available from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at Alpena County Library. Get one-on-one help with making or updating a resume. Bring in a resume on a USB stick or access it via email. Resume help will run at the library computer lab, or more privately with a laptop in the lounge area. Edited/completed resumes will be saved to the participant’s drive or emailed. Physical prints cost 20 cents per page.

∫ Sewing Club meets from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday at the Alpena County Library’s Makerspace. This club is open to all skill levels, ages 10 and up. Bring your sewing machine, supplies (scissors, straight pins), and a project to work on. Space and guidance will be provided. For those without a sewing machine, three machines are on-site for use. Registration is required by calling Barb Brege at 989-255-8969.

∫ ALL will host Finding and Making Rocks Beautiful from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at M. Briggs Center, led by Rob Abram, a master at finding rocks and making beautiful jewelry and other treasures. He will share his rock hunting skills and his talent in bringing out the beauty in the rocks. He will have samples of some of his creations and answer your rock questions as well as questions about his YouTube program.

∫ Alpena County Library hosts Tinker Tuesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Let your curiosity take over and explore! Participants must be age 5 or older.

∫ Bay View Center hosts a diversity support meeting at 4 p.m. each Tuesday, for those in the LGBTQ community, their families, and supporters, at Bay View Center, 710 N. 2nd Ave. If you have questions, call 989-340-0955.

∫ A women’s cancer support group meets from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays inside the Alpena Cancer Center. Your Safe Space welcomes women with a past or present cancer diagnosis. This is a safe, confidential, peer-to-peer support group.

∫ Cub Scouts meet from 6 to 7 p.m., and Boy Scouts meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. each Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 727 S. 2nd Ave., Alpena.

∫ Karaoke Night is from 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Black Sheep Pub in downtown Alpena.

Wednesday, March 12

∫ AARP TAX-AIDE offers free tax prep to senior citizens and also to low-income persons of any age. Membership is not required. Services are provided in Alpena by appointment only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. No walk-ins. AARP TAX-AIDE Volunteers are trained and IRS-certified every year. To make an appointment or if you have questions, please call 989-278-8104.

∫ ALL pickleball plays from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 for details.

∫ Friends of the Library will have a used book store open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Wednesday on the third floor of the Alpena County Library. The public is welcome.

∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center exercise is from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

∫ Guys Like Us is a Wednesday morning coffee crew of men who are coping with cancer, meeting at 10 a.m. at Friends Together and via Zoom. Call 989-356-3231 for the link.

∫ Join the Alpena County Library from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays for Open MakerLab! Staff help is available if needed. Participants ages 5 to 15 will need parental supervision at all times. A signed waiver is required prior to using the MakerLab. If you have questions, call 989-356-6188, ext. 20.

∫ Dr. Tom’s Words and Music lunchtime concert will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday at Alpena County Library. The theme will be “A Tale of 17 Cities.” The piano player and raconteur known as Dr. Tom (Ferguson) will get a jump on spring by visiting 17 songs with a city in the title. Yes, that includes Alpena. Dr. Tom, who claims to hold PhD’s in pianology, entertainology, and saloonology, performs a new lunch-hour show the second Wednesday of every month at ACL. Dr. Tom’s Words and Music at the library is free. All cash dropped into the tip jar goes to the library’s READ adult literacy program. Bring a friend, and bring a lunch if you’d like.

∫ Alpena County Library offers Tech Help from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Get help with your computer, phone, or tablet from ACL’s knowledgeable and patient staff.

∫ ALL pinochle is from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at M. Briggs Center with Julie Byrnes.

∫ S.T.E.A.M., formerly called Homeschoolers at the Library, will meet at 1 p.m. each Wednesday at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. Homeschooled and alternatively schooled youth can participate in a S.T.E.A.M. activity, intended for school-aged youth who are able to read.

∫ Circle of Hope is a women’s only cancer support group that meets from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday at Friends Together. This is a supportive, understanding group of women of all ages, all backgrounds, and all cancers. Unite with others, no matter where you are on your cancer journey. You are not alone. For more info, call 989-356-3231. No pre-registration is required.

∫ Alpena Sportsmen’s Club is a nonprofit at 4260 M-32 West in Alpena, open to members and non-members with an interest in shooting sports. Skeet and sporting clay shooting are offered from 5:45 p.m. until dark on Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more info, text Joel Suszek at 989-255-4928 or Jeff Welch at 989-255-6068.

∫ Friends Together offers a cancer support group at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Alcona Elementary School, 181 N. Barlow Road, Lincoln. This group is for anyone facing cancer, no matter where you are on your journey. You are welcome to bring a support person with you.

∫ A free support group for survivors of suicide loss takes place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month in the Jordan Room of Presque Isle District Library in Rogers City, at 181 E. Erie St. This is a safe space to connect with other survivors, a place to get hope and receive support.

∫ Rich Rider hosts Open Mic Night from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Black Sheep Pub, 113 S. 2nd Ave., downtown Alpena.

Thursday, March 13

∫ Community Walking Club meets at 9 a.m. every Thursday in the parking lot of the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library.

∫ Join the Alpena County Library Youth Services Department at 9:15 a.m. each Thursday for Weekly Storytime.

∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center will host a soup and bread fundraiser on Thursday and Friday, with pickup from 10 a.m. until sold out. Soup choices are cream of broccoli, chicken corn chowder, or chili, for $10 per quart. A loaf of French bread will be $4. Quantities are limited, and there are no pre-orders. All proceeds go toward the Alpena Senior Citizens Center Meal Program. The center is located at 501 River St., Alpena. Call 989-356-3585.

∫ Join the Alpena County Girlfriends at 10 a.m. on Thursdays for coffee and conversation. This is a women-only group whose purpose is to make friends and socialize with women from Alpena County and the surrounding areas. Please contact Betty at 734-693-2869 for weekly location.

∫ ALL Spitzer is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday at M. Briggs Center, with Marilyn Klingshirn.

∫ Zoom Book Club is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Thursday, with Alpena Senior Citizens Center. Call 989-356-3585.

∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents Robert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias” opening at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, directed by Bill Powell and Lucas Moquin. The comedy-drama features an all-female cast and offers a moving, yet humorous glimpse into the lives and friendships of six women, all based in a 1980s beauty shop in a small Louisiana town. The play runs at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, then continues March 20 to 23. The ACT cast includes Katie Hubbard-Haines as Truvy Jones, Isabel Luther as Annelle Depuy-DeSoto, Olivia Martin as Shelby Eatonton-Latcherie, Sara Kwiatek as Ouiser Boudreaux, Carol Rundell as M’Lynn Eatonton, and Jessica Luther as Clairee Belcher. For tickets, call the Alpena Civic Theatre Box Office at 989-354-3624 or visit ACT at 401 River St., Alpena.

∫ Pinochle and bridge are at 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays at Alpena Senior Citizens Center.

∫ Join Harrisville Yoga instructor Liz McNicholas for Stretch and Strengthen, a free series of yoga classes, open to all, at 1 p.m. every Thursday at Alcona County Library in Harrisville.

∫ Zoom meditation is at 2 p.m. Thursdays, with Alpena Senior Citizens Center.

∫ Needles and Threads group is from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Grand Lake branch of Presque Isle District Library, 18132 Lake Esau Highway. Bring your latest knitting, crocheting, sewing, needlepoint, or other crafts. Call 989-734-2477, ext. 2.

∫ A corned-beef dinner will be available for the public to enjoy from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at Spratt United Methodist Church, presented by church members. The cost is $15 per person, at the church, 7440 M-65 South in Lachine (one mile south of Werth Road).

∫ ALL presents the program, “How to Raise a Citizen” on Thursday, led by ACC Political Science and History Instructor Tim Kuehnlein. This event is free and open to the public. The program will feature Kuehnlein’s review and discussion of the Lindsey Cormack book, “How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It’s Up to You to Do It),” from 6 to 8 p.m. in Room 114 of the Center Building at ACC. Cormack’s 2024 book “speaks directly to an America in which civic knowledge is alarmingly sparse and many people dread politics,” a summary from ALL states. “It’s a tool for parents, educators, and anyone eager to fill this gap.” Kuehnlein, a longtime ALL presenter, brings his interest in global politics, community engagement, the arts, and civics engagement, as he shares insights in an effort to foster civil discourse on subjects that impact our lives.

∫ Thursday Eve Serenity Group meets from 7 to 8 p.m. every Thursday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 351 Wilson St., Alpena. If a problem drinker has or is affecting your life, Al-Anon can help you. Meetings are anonymous and confidential. Call 989-354-5476.

Friday, March 14

∫ AARP TAX-AIDE offers free tax prep to senior citizens and also to low-income persons of any age. Membership is not required. Services are provided in Alpena by appointment only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. No walk-ins. AARP TAX-AIDE Volunteers are trained and IRS-certified every year. To make an appointment or if you have questions, please call 989-278-8104.

∫ ALL pickleball plays from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

∫ Exercise is at 10 a.m. at Alpena Senior Citizens Center. Then at noon, Mahjong is played, and pinochle starts at 12:30 p.m.

∫ Presque Isle District Library’s Posen branch offers knitting and crocheting from 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays. All levels are welcome. If you have questions, call 989-734-2477.

∫ On Fridays, Storytime and Craft for Kids meets at 10:30 a.m. at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library.

∫ ALL hosts contract bridge from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Fridays at M. Briggs Center.

∫ The Hillman VFW Post 2356 hosts its Friday Night Fish Fry from 4 to 7 p.m. each Friday, with your choice of fish or shrimp, potato, coleslaw, roll, and drink. The fish fry is open to the public, and the cost is $12 for the fish dinner or $14 for the shrimp dinner.

∫ ALL hosts square dancing from 4 to 6 p.m. For more information, call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 or email all@alpenacc.edu.

∫ Art in the Loft presents Hot Cocoa and Canvas from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, for ages 6 and up, with Alison Rae Campbell. The cost is $35 per participant. Drop your young artist(s) off for a quiet, guilt-free dinner date downtown with your partner or friends, while the kids enjoy creating a mug of hot cocoa with all the fixings, then paint their own masterpiece to take home. All supplies are included. To sign up, or to apply for a scholarship, visit artintheloft.org.

∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents Robert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, directed by Bill Powell and Lucas Moquin. For tickets, call 989-354-3624.

Saturday, March 15

∫ AARP TAX-AIDE offers free tax prep to senior citizens and also to low-income persons of any age. Membership is not required. Services are provided in Alpena by appointment only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. No walk-ins. AARP TAX-AIDE Volunteers are trained and IRS-certified every year. To make an appointment or if you have questions, please call 989-278-8104.

∫ The Alpena Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, 1302 State Ave. in Alpena. Visit the Friends of the Alpena Farmers Market on Facebook.

∫ The Sunrise Side Co-op Market (indoor farmers market) is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, with 40 vendors represented weekly for your bakery, farm products, wellness items and high-end gift needs, located in the blue marina building at 401 E. Chisholm St., Alpena.

∫ A walk/rally in support of Ukraine will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday, starting from the Alpena County Courthouse parking lot. Participants are encouraged to bring signs showing support for Ukraine or Ukraine flags. The group will walk down Chisholm Street to Culligan Plaza and back to the courthouse.

∫ Go Fetch Pet Supply at 2106 Werth Road in Alpena will host a Customer Appreciation St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in-store event from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Bring your furry friends out for fun, laughter, and adorable photo ops. Dress up your pets in their best green attire and take pictures with Go Fetch’s lady leprechaun. Free samples of pet treats will also be available at the event.

∫ Thunder Bay Audubon Society will host a Birding Photo-Share and Stories program from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Alpena County Library, 211 N. 1st Ave., Alpena. Attendees will learn tips and tricks for photographing local birds and get a chance to share their favorite sightings with photos. Attendees can show up to 10 of your favorite birding pictures and the stories behind them. Sharing pictures is not required. Come to watch, listen, and chat with your fellow birders. To share photos, email them to mrjoneshelp@gmail.com, or come to the event a bit early with photos on a USB flash drive to be loaded onto the computer. To make sure everyone has time to share, please only include 10 or fewer pictures. If you have even one picture you’ve taken, please share it with fellow birders.

∫ The Poetics Lab will host an open mic night starting at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at PIF Cider, 205 W. Chisholm St., Alpena. This event is called Beware the Ides of March! Parking is available in the lot behind PIF Cider, and the accessible entrance is in front.

∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents Robert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, directed by Bill Powell and Lucas Moquin. For tickets, call 989-354-3624 or visit ACT at 401 River St.

Sunday, March 16

∫ The Friends of Plaza Pool are hosting a euchre tournament fundraiser on Sunday at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 1960 M-32, Alpena. Doors open at noon, and play starts at 1 p.m. The cost is $20 per person, and you must be 18 or older to play. Cash prizes will be awarded (to be determined by the number of participants). There will be a $1 entry for high game, food, a 50/50 drawing, door prizes, and a cash bar. Proceeds will benefit the Alpena Plaza Pool.

∫ If a problem drinker is affecting your life, Al-Anon can help. Confidential and anonymous meetings are held from 2 to 3 p.m. every Sunday at St. Raphael Church in Mikado.