July 19, 2019 

Storm: A Maritime Visual Concert Experience 

7:00pm 

State Theatre

913 Washington Avenue, Bay City 

General Admission:  $10.00/person

It's fair to say that most of the stories of shipwrecks on the Great Lakes have been lost to the ages. Thousands of ships--from sailing schooners to steel freighters--have vanished from these inland seas. The causes of these accidents varies, from collisions to fire and strandings. But November gales are the most notorious, appearing with little notice during the month when shipping companies are scrambling to get their final loads across the lakes before the freeze-up.

Storm remembers these terrifying gales and the survivals of sailors who were caught in the tempests. Combining actual eyewitness interviews with spellbinding underwater video, the presentation fuses contemporary music to create a history lesson that cannot be forgotten. 

Ric Mixter hosts Storm, transporting the audience back to the age of sail and steam. Dan Hall provides the melody, with lyrics derived from historical accounts of survivors. Dan's songs are as powerful as the massive modern freighters he heralds in "Thousand Foot Keel," and his amazing voice provides requiem to those lost to the lakes.

For more information and tickets visit the State Theatre website. 

 

July 27, 2019

 "Hell's Half Mile" Walking Tour

with Sam Fitzpatrick

 

Tour #1:     1:00-2:00pm

                        Tour #2:     3:00-4:00pm                        

Cost:  $10/adult   $5/children 12 and under 

 

  In the late 1800s at the end of the lumbering season, as many as 5000 lumberjacks ("shanty boys") would collect their hard-earned pay and head for a six-block strip along Bay City's waterfront called "Hell's Half Mile." There they would find a variety of gambling houses, theaters, raucous saloon and brothels, as well as tunnels and catacombs under the city streets--perfect for passage, brawls or maybe even to drag a body out for disposal.

  Join Sam Fitzpatrick for a walking tour down Water Street and the surrounding area, as he shares the history of this notorious district and stories of persons who gave Hell's Half Mile its fame.

 NOTE: The tours will include historical references containing graphic violence and adult subject matter. Discretion is recommended for those taking part in the tour, particularly if children are to be present. Parking is available in the lot behind the Museum on Saginaw Street.