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Festival of Chariots to return to Novi
The 38th annual Festival of Chariots, a free Indian spiritual and cultural festival, will return to Novi July 23. The festival features a parade including a four-story chariot, and speeches by Mayor Bob Gatt and other dignitaries. The parade will start at 11 a.m. at the Novi Civic Center, 45175 10 Mile Road, and will make its way onto 10 Mile Road and head west toward Taft Road. Heading south on Taft Road, the procession will approach Nine Mile Road before returning to Fuerst Park, located at the corner of 10 Mile Road and Taft, next to the Novi Public Library.
The festival will continue 1-6 p.m. at Fuerst Park with live music, dancing, food vendors, cooking demonstrations and more.
Eastbound I-96 ramp to Novi Road closed until Late August
The eastbound Interstate 96 ramp to Novi Road closed July 8 to be rebuilt as part of the ongoing I-96 Flex Route construction project. The new ramp is expected to open in late August, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of Transportation.
In order to get to Novi Road, eastbound I-96 traffic should exit at Beck Road and then take eastbound Grand River Avenue to Novi Road. For up-to-date information on the I-96 Flex Route Project, visit DrivingOakland.org.
Novi commissioner reelected to SEMCOG Executive Committee
Oakland County Commissioner Gwen Markham, D-Novi, was reelected to serve as the vice chairperson of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments Executive Committee during the organization’s annual meeting June 22.
As vice chairperson, Markham will collaborate with other leaders and officers on regional issues.
“It is an honor to have been nominated to serve as an officer of SEMCOG and I look forward to continuing to serve Oakland County residents at this level,” Markham said in a press release.
Oddities & Curiosities Expo happening this Saturday
The Oddities and Curiosities Expo, with over 150 oddity vendors and artists, will return 10 a.m-6 p.m. July 15 at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave. in Novi.
The expo draws people of all ages who enjoy all things strange and unusual. The show features a vast array of vendors specializing in things such as taxidermy, preserved animal specimens, original horror and Halloween-inspired artwork, antiques, handcrafted oddities, skulls, bones and funeral collectibles.
Along with the vendors, the show will also feature photo opportunities, tarot reading, sideshow performers and concessions.
Featured attractions include the Oddities Museum with “The Cryptic Collection of a Mad Clown.” According to a press release, the museum is a 1,600-square-foot carnival sideshow reminiscent of big top attractions of the early 1900s. The museum will cost an additional $7 per person, or $5 if purchased in advance.
Event attendees can elect to participate in a taxidermy class to learn the basics of taxidermy and to make their own full-sized rabbit mount. The class will be hosted by Heather Clark, of Sleeping Sirens Art and Oddities, based in Cocoa, Florida, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. It is offered to those ages 16 and up for $235 per person, including admission to the expo.
Tickets for the expo cost $10 in advance or $15 at the door, and children 12 and under will be admitted for free. For additional information, go to odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com.
Oakland County wants feedback for hazard mitigation
OAKLAND COUNTY — Oakland County is looking to get feedback from residents, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other agencies and organizations to help develop its next hazard mitigation plan.
According to a press release, the county is encouraging people who live or work in Oakland County to share their experiences and concerns about local hazards in the survey, which can be found at oakland.prepare2023.alchemer.com/s3.
“The Hazard Mitigation Plan is one of our largest collaborative community efforts,” Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said in a prepared statement. “We appreciate the opportunity to team up with our partners to update this important plan.”
The press release states that information provided will inform strategies and actions to reduce future risk of death, injuries and property damage from hazards. “Oakland County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan will address a range of natural hazards from flooding and severe weather to active assailants to infrastructure failures. It will also identify sustainable actions to reduce or eliminate long-term risks to people and property from future disasters,” the release states.
The public also is invited to attend a hazard mitigation plan public meeting 6-7 p.m. July 19 at the Waterford Oaks Activity Center, 800 Watkins Lake Road, in Waterford Township, to provide input.
