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Communities Come Alive at Parks in Summer

Amy Malmer

Amy Malmer

Amy has been with SEMCOG for over 25 years. Much of that time has been spent working the member relations beat. More recently she has added another role, becoming Vice President of SEMCOG’s partner organization the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC). Amy has a Master's degree in Public Administration from Eastern Michigan.

Like many families throughout the region, mine enjoys evening walks with our dog (Luna) during the summer. We are fortunate to live right around the corner from Recreation Park in Ypsilanti. As noted in SEMCOG’s ParkFinder®, Recreation Park features a ton of amenities, including a well-used path for walking, running, biking, and even cross-country skiing in winter.

Summertime always brings lots of activity to the park. A recent weekend was exceptional as my neighborhood park was one of several parks and neighborhoods in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti that hosted free pop-up concerts sponsored by the Ann Arbor Summer Festival and the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce.

Amy's family and dog sitting in the park

Taking in a concert at Fireman’s Park

The Live Here Now series, first launched in 2021, brought a variety of live music to six different parks. In addition to the concert at Recreation Park (featuring a folk singer), we visited Fireman’s Park in neighboring Superior Township to hear a brass band. What a great way to celebrate our diverse neighborhood parks and showcase some of the music offered during the Summer Festival!

There is no shortage of summer celebrations and festivals throughout Southeast Michigan, many of which are easily accessible at our local or regional parks. These events help to create the fabric of community and enable us to make memories that last a lifetime. Summer won’t last forever, so be sure to get out and enjoy it while you can!

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