5 Things You Should Know This Weekend - July 15-17, 2011

We hope you'll spend a lot of time in downtown Farmington this weekend enjoying the Founders Festival. But there are plenty of events around town you can take in as well. Here are five from our calendar:

1. Acoustic music at Mentobe Cafe

This brand new cafe in downtown Farmington has lined up a group of local acoustic artists who'll perform starting at noon today and continuing throughout the weekend. They've put together a great Google calendar that lists all the artists. Mentobe is located between (where they've also got rockin' music this weekend) and the , and has outdoor seating.

2.

The folks at the historic on Farmington Road in Farmington Hills have put together a collection of Michigan businesses to display their produce and wares at this Saturday Friday night event for adults 21 and over. Starting at 7 p.m. party will feature all things Michigan including: beer, wine, produce, appetizers, specialty products and more. The admission price of $13 include a wine tasting, appetizer dinner, and entry to win a Michigan prize basket. You can buy tickets at the door.

3.

If you've ever wanted to help the environment by having your own rain barrel, attend this workshop hosted Saturday by . The cost is just $20, and all supplies are provided - but space is limited. There are two sessions, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Call 248-474-6880.

4. celebration

It's a big weekend for this historic downtown Farmington church. In addition to on Sunday starting at 9:30 a.m., they're hosting their very first on Saturday, from 12 p.m.-5 p.m. with games and fun for children. Stop by, they're located just across from .

5.

Have you gotten your Duck Race tickets yet? This amazing fundraiser for the comes to a close Sunday, with the biggest rubber duck race you've ever seen, at Shiawassee Park in Farmington. The big duck dump into the Rouge River branch that runs through the park starts at 3 p.m., and the grand prize is $50 worth of groceries for a year from Busch's Market. (Here's the full prize list.) Whether you win or lose, it's fun to watch!