HAPPY NEW YEAR! Here is to 2009 and the change that it will bring. As the holiday season comes to an end, treat yourself and your family or friends to a "Fun Thing to Do in Ann Arbor". Below, find highlights for a few of the events that I found interesting for the month of January. Try something new and exciting, then let me know how it was!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1/4/2009 (The Ark) NEIL WOODWARD Neil Woodward has performed his Warm Winter Night concerts at the Ark for most of the past 30 seasons, presenting his original compositions and evocative antiquities from Great Lakes and North American folklore.
The Ark 316 South Main St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Map/Driving Directions Phone: (734)761-1451 For more information, click here

Hours: 7:30pm Cost: $15

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1/10/2009 OUTRAGEOUS MARKETING AUCTION: KICK START YOUR BUSINESS This event promises to have dozens of auction items to boost your business in a tough economy. Auction items include internet marketing and free publicity strategy tools, coaching, and personal development to catapult your business.

Holiday Inn 3600 Plymouth Rd Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Map/Driving Directions Phone: 248-476-2134 E-mail: info@nsamichigan.org

Hours: 9am-2pm Cost: $45-$65

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1/10/2009 RUBBERBANDANCE GROUP - SPECIAL FAMILY PERFORMANCE Fusing the urban energy of break dance with the fluid elegance and technique of ballet, Monteal's Rubberbandance Group has exploded onto the international dance scene. Their UMS debut appearance features Elastic Perspective, a suite of dances that are audacious settings of hip-hop to mostly classical music. It's a joy to watch.

Power Center 121 Fletcher St. Ann Arbor, MI Map/Driving Directions Phone: (734) 764-2538 For more information, click here

Hours: 1pm Cost: TBA

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1/13/2009 A TOUR OF THE MENLO SOFTWARE FACTORY Imagine an enviornment without cubes, walls, doors or offices in a one hundred year old brick Kerrytown loft in Ann Arbor. One big room full of just the right size teams working on six to ten software projects at a time. It's noisy, a bit messy, and no one has they're own private space. This is the Melo Software Factory, and they are opening their doors to the public for a tour of their unique workspace.

Menlo Innovations 410 N. Fourth Ave, 3rd Floor Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1104 Map/Driving Directions Phone: (734)665-1847

Hours: 5:00 pm Cost: FREE

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1/16/2009 2009 MLK SYMPOSIUM STUDENT EVENT Janelle Monae will be performing "Girl From Another Planet."

Michigan Theater 603 East Liberty Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Map/Driving Directions

Hours: 8pm Cost: $12-$15

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1/16/2009 THE FUTURE OF NASA William R Farrand Annual Public Lecture will be focused on the future of NASA.

Rackham Amphitheatre 915 E Washinton Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Map/Driving Directions

Hours: 7:30pm Cost: FREE

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1/18/2009 (The Ark) JUSTIN ROBERTS & THE NOT READY FOR NAPTIME PLAYERS Justin Roberts and his band, the Not Ready for Naptime Players, dish out intelligent and whimsically rocking music for kids and their parents. Roberts started out in the Minneapolis indie rock band Pimentos for Gus.

The Ark 316 South Main St. A, MI 48104 Map/Driving Directions Phone: (734)761-1451 For more information, click here

Hours: 11:00am Cost: $12.50

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1/21/2009 STAR GAZING: FIELD ASTRONOMY It's been 400 years since Galileo first used a telescope to gaze upon the stars. This winter we want to bring the stars to you. Advanced registration required.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens 1800 N. Dixboro Rd Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Map/Driving Directions Phone: 734-647-7600

Hours: 7-8:30pm Cost: $2 per child, $5 per adult

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1/21/2009 STAR GAZING: FIELD ASTRONOMY It's been 400 years since Galileo first used a telescope to gaze upon the stars. This winter we want to bring the stars to you. Advanced registration required.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens 1800 N. Dixboro Rd Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Map/Driving Directions Phone: 734-647-7600

Hours: 7-8:30pm Cost: $2 per child, $5 per adult

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1/25/2009 LECTURE: THE SHOW OFF Character driven comedy at its finest. Dept. of Theatre & Drama's Leigh Woods, Professor of Theatre Studies, speaks out about American Playwright and director George Kelley, one of the famed Philadelphia Kelley's and his comic masterpeice "The Show-Off."

AA Lbirary 343 S. fifth Ave Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Map/Driving Directions

Hours: 2pm Cost: FREE

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1/9/2009 - 1/10/2009 RUBBERBANDANCE GROUP Fusing the urban energy of break dance with the fluid elegance and technique of ballet, Montreal's Rubberbandance Group has exploded onto the international dance scene since its founding in 2002. Choreographer Victor Quijada is a total original - started out as a B-boy in Los Angeles's underground hip-hop circle before working with Twyla Tharp and Eliot Field. This UMS debut appearance features two different full-evening works: Elastic Perspective (2003, performed on Friday) and Redux Phase II (2008, performed on Saturday). Elastic Perspective is a suite of six dances that are audacious settings of hip-hop to mostly classical music. Redux Phase II explores the loss of time and self in our "virtual" universe.
Power Center 121 Fletcher St. Ann Arbor, MI Map/Driving Directions Phone: (734) 764-2538 For more information, click here

Hours: 8pm Cost: TBA

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1/30/2009 - 1/31/2009 32CD ANN ARBOR FOLK FESTIVAL The 32cd annual Ann Arbor Folk Festival returns with an outstanding lineup of traditional and contemporary artists. Friday's headliner is Jeff Tweedy with Old Crow Medicine Show and many more.

Hill Auditorium 825 N. University Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Map/Driving Directions Phone: (734)761-1800 For more information, click here

Hours: ? Cost: $30-$45

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1/14/2009 - 1/28/2009 WINTER WEDNESDAY-MORNING HIKE Join renowned botanist and author Ellen Elliot Weatherbee on invigorating forays interwoven with plants, habitats, and the effects of cold on natural enviornments. Dress for winter weather.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens 1800 N. Dixboro Rd Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Map/Driving Directions Phone: (734)647-7600

Hours: 9:00am-12:00pm Cost: $76-$95

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Above was a sampling of the activities occurring in our community during the month of January.  There were almost 60 different things to do in the Ann Arbor area this month.  There are many events for adults and children alike, please be sure to check out one of the many shows at The Arc this month, there are some that sound really amazing.  Have a great New Year!

To view the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, click here and choose your own criteria and dates. Search all listings in Michigan with pictures and tours...Free! Kathy Toth & Team: Ann Arbor Area Real Estate Experts www.KathyToth.com Keller Williams Realty