It's commencement weekend; with Bird scooters gone, Spin moves in; Zingerman's in Chicago?

Graduates pose with the block M on the Diag on April 26, 2018. (Photo: Meredith Bruckner)

Happy Friday!

Aside from Art Fair, it is the busiest weekend of the year here in Ann Arbor. It's University of Michigan's commencement weekend and that means hotel rooms and restaurants are booked and parking will be a whole new level of hard-to-find. 

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Here is a rundown of commencement activities so you'll know where to be if you are a guest of a graduate or if you'd like to know which areas to avoid.

Have a great weekend.

- Meredith (@meredith_A4)

What's been happening:

🎓 Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told us this week that she is excited to deliver the 2019 commencement address at Michigan Stadium on Saturday. (A4)

💔 Local Chabad rabbi Alter Goldstein held a vigil Monday on the Diag to remember the victims of the shooting at his uncle's synagogue outside San Diego last weekend. (A4)

🏙 With building renovations and record-high occupancies, is the south side's office district becoming another downtown? (Concentrate)

🛴 Notice that Bird scooters have flown out of the city? Spin is in. The scooter group, whose parent company is Ford, struck a deal with the city of Ann Arbor and they are now in operation. (Michigan Daily)

🤝 Eberwhite Elementary School has launched a campaign to rebuild its beloved playground with the help of the same people who built it nearly 30 years ago: the local community. (A4)

Fun to know:

🥪 Live in the Chicago area or know someone who does who loves Zingerman's? The famous deli is bringing its sandwiches to Chicago's Ruin Daily for two days and two days only. (Chicago Tribune

🍜 Speaking of food, May 9 is National Foodie Day. We recommend these mouth-watering Ann Arbor eateries to grab a bite and celebrate. (A4)

🥕 Check out all the fun events at Ann Arbor Farmers Market this month. (A4)

🎶 Ann Arbor Summer Festival just announced its musical acts for its free Top of the Park series. Ninety-two artists will perform on two outdoor stages over three weeks. (A4)

Feature interview of the week:

"I tell my U-M students, we’re not in the business of giving or saving or helping. None of those words apply to what we do. We come with humility and an enormous amount of gaps in our knowledge. And the experts are always the people we’re serving: the children and the community members."

- Deborah Gordon-Gurfinkel, founder and director of Telling It

✉️ Have something to share? Write us anytime at allaboutannarbor@wdiv.com.

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