Midnight Madness in Ann Arbor: A Night Of Discounted Holiday Shopping, Ice Sculptures, Live Music, And Hot Cocoa Bars

Morning, Ann Arbor! Michigan beat Ohio State. That’s the intro. Short and sweet.

F.Y.I. there are a few long lists in this morning’s newsletter. Be prepared to scroll.

Read Time: 3 minutes

Reader Count: 1,503 townies

Percent of Ann Arbor Reading: 1.25%

ANN ARBORITES SHOULD KNOW

❄️ City-Wide, Late-Night Festivities: This Friday night, Ann Arbor will transform into a winter wonderland as three downtown districts stay open late and turn on their holiday charm.

• Midnight Madness

  • What: Late-night shopping, discounted eating and drinking, and sidewalk entertainment.

  • Where: Up and down Mainstreet

  • When: Friday until 12 AM (but most stores close at 10 or 11 PM)

• KindleFest

  • What: A holiday market with local vendors and live music

  • Where: Farmer’s Market (315 Detroit Street) in Kerrytown

  • When: Friday from 5 - 10 PM

• Moonlight Madness

  • What: Late-night discounted shopping, live ice sculpture carvings, live music, hot cocoa, and hot cider bars.

  • Where: Up and down State Street

  • When: Friday from 6 PM - 12 AM

And with the May Mobility app, holiday shoppers can get free shuttle rides around town from 2 PM - 8 PM.

🏓 Wolverine Pickleball: After outgrowing its current eight-court location (119 Jackson Industrial Drive), Wolverine Pickleball is set to open a new west-side facility (235 Metty Drive) this Friday. The new $7.1 million building has 12 courts, a lounge area, and a gear shop.

🍂 Leaf Blower Ban: Due to environmental and health concerns, three city council members have proposed a 2028 ban on gas-powered leaf blowers. Additionally, the proposed ordinance would restrict Ann Arborites from using leaf blowers outside of the hours of 8 am to 6 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 5 pm on weekends.

🏈 Michigan Football Tracker: Big Ten Championship Week

• Current Record: 12-0

• Current Rank: #3 in the country (Michigan should rise when the new rankings come out tomorrow night)

• Last Saturday: Michigan beat #2 Ohio State 30-24.

• This Saturday: Michigan plays #17 Iowa (10-2) in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship. The Wolverines are 23-point favorites.

MICHIGANDERS SHOULD KNOW

🚲 Outdoor Industry: With 11.8% growth in 2022, Michigan’s outdoor recreation industry continues to surge after its pandemic-induced bump. Specifically, snow-related activities have experienced an 88% growth in the past 3 years. As Michigan is 49th in the country in population growth, the state has leaned on its strong outdoor industry as a marketing tool to lure nature lovers to the mitten.

🏈 New MSU Head Coach: Michigan State University has appointed Jonathan Smith, the former Oregon State head coach and 2022 Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year, as their 26th head football coach. Smith joins MSU in the wake of the school’s dismissal of coach Mel Tucker.

📊 Michigan Stock Watch: Since the start of 2023, only 9 of Michigan’s 35 publically traded companies have outperformed the stock market (+18% year to date). You didn’t ask, but here’s a long list of how Michigan’s publically traded companies have performed this year, ranked by their market value (*companies beat the market):

1. Stryker: $109.48 B | +12.5%

2. *Stellantis NV: $63.52 B | +30.9%

3. Ford: $41.35 B | -18.4%

4. General Motors: $39.11 B | -21.9%

5. Dow: $36.31 B | -6%

6. DTE Energy: $21.32B | -13.3%

7. *Rocket Companies: $17.81 B | +20.6%

8. CMS Energy: $16.67 B | -10.9%

9. Sun Communities REIT: $15.99 B | -14.5%

10. *Masco: $13.44 B | +21%

11. Domino’s: $12.92 B | +8.7%

12. Nexteer Automotive: $12.8 B | -9.7%

13. *Penske Automotive: $10.26 B | +30.9%

14. Ally Financial: $8.32 B | +5.5%

15. BorgWarner: $8.15 B | -9.4%

16. Lear: $7.81 B | +2.4%

17. Gentex: $7.21 B | +7.4%

18. *UFP Industries: $6.83 B | +34.1%

19. Whirlpool: $6.14 B | -25.7%

20. Perrigo: $4.12 B | -16.7%

21. *Jackson Financial: $3.64 B | +28.8%

22. Neogen: $3.5 B | -1.3%

23. Visteon: $3.32 B | -14.6%

24. Hagerty: $2.93 B | -3.3%

25. MillerKnoll: $1.85 B | +15.3%

26. Gentherm: $1.55 B | -32.5%

27. *Steelcase: $1.39 B | +60.4%

28. *La-Z-Boy: $1.36 B | +28.8%

29. Phinia: $1.21 B | -22.2%

30. Kellogg Co: $991 M | +11.2%

31. American Axle: $845 M | -17.7%

32. SpartanNash: $759 M | -30.7%

33. *Kelly Services: $735 | +19.3%

34. Wolverine World Wide: $679 M | -20.9%

35. The Shyft Group: $396 M | -59%

36. Alta Equipment Group: $333 M | -22.5%

ON THE MARKET

1 Bed | 1 Bath | 596 Sqft | $259,000

3 Bed | 4 Bath | 2,692 Sqft | $549,900

5 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,350 Sqft | $575,000

ADOPTABLE HUMANE SOCIETY PETS

Ghost | 3 years | Rottweiler Mix

Wingston | 2 years | Rooster

That's all for now! Have a great week in Tree Town!

- Andrew

P. P. S. - Bin and Pallet Co. has rebranded to Graham’s Upscale Liquidation Store.

P. P. P. S - Ann Arbor’s Fire Department rescued officers of Ann Arbor’s Police Department from a broken elevator.