KindleFest & Midnight Madness Return This Friday

Morning, Ann Arbor! And welcome to December! If you’re free, try to head downtown this Friday night - Ann Arbor will transform into a winter wonderland as three downtown districts stay open late and turn on their holiday charm. It’s my favorite Ann Arbor night of the year.

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🌲 KindleFest:

What is it: A holiday market with local vendors and live music
Where is it: Farmer’s Market (315 Detroit Street) in Kerrytown
When is it: Friday from 5 - 10 PM
Show me pictures from last year: Scroll down this page
Will Santa be there?: Of course, he’ll arrive at 5:00

🎁 Midnight Madness:

What is it: Late-night shopping, discounted eating and drinking, and sidewalk entertainment.
Where is it: Basically anywhere downtown around Main Street and State Street. Here’s a list of participating businesses.
When is it: Friday night from 5 - midnight
Show me a festive hype video: Ask and you shall receive
Why are people trying to sell me colorful tags: It’s for charity. Galens Tag Days is a volunteer organization led by U of M medical students that collects donations (in exchange for tags) during Midnight Madness. 100% of donations are given to local children’s organizations. Some downtown businesses will give you a discount if you’re wearing a tag. Here’s a helpful 4-minute explainer video.

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🏈 High School Football: Michigan’s eight high school football state title games were held this weekend, marking the end of the 2025 season. Under the MHSAA system, football divisions are determined by school size: Division 1 includes the state’s largest programs, and Division 8 includes the smallest. Enrollment figures are reviewed annually to assign divisions, and playoff brackets are formed from the top 32 teams in each division. Here’s who won:

Division 1 (more than 1,411 students): Detroit Catholic Central
Division 2 (1,410 - 1,055 students): Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Division 3 (1,054 - 788 students): DeWitt
Division 4 (787 - 590 students): Dearborn Divine Child
Division 5 (589 - 438 students): Grand Rapids West Catholic
Division 6 (437 - 342 students): Jackson Lumen Christi
Division 7 (341 - 251 students): Menominee
Division 8 (less than 250 students): Harbor Beach

And here’s a list of high schools in the state ranked by enrollment.

The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance

🎉 Collage Concert 2026: Don’t miss the one-of-a-kind Collage Concert on Saturday, January 17th, 8:00 PM at Hill Auditorium. Collage features over 30 different amazing numbers – music of all kinds, opera, musical theatre, dance, theatre – performed one after another without pause. Fun for all ages! You won’t want to miss it.

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🧑‍🌾 Farmland Values: According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Michigan farmland increased in value more than any other state last year, rising 7.8% compared to the national average of 4.8%. The primary driver of this growth is new development pressure on agricultural land. While Michigan farmland averages $6,800 per acre, parcels targeted for development can sell for over $30,000 per acre. State legislature is watching sales closely after a report emerged this summer stating the Government of Singapore owns 5% of the U.P.

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🏈 Michigan Football Tracker: Week 14

Current Record: 9-3
Current Rank: #18 in the country
Last Saturday: Michigan lost 9-27 to #1 Ohio State.
Next Game: Michigan’s regular season has come to an end. The Wolverine’s will now wait to see what bowl game they play in.