Think there's nothing to do? Think again! Here are just a few:

Transport into the 16th century at the Michigan Renaissance Festival! From kings and queens to jesters and troubadours, the Festival brings to life the romance of an epic age. Celebrating its 31st season entertaining patrons in the village of Hollygrove, the Festival is open for 7 enjoyable weekends, August 21 through October 3 (and Labor Day Monday), that you won't soon forget.

Discounted, overnight packages are available to the 2010 Michigan Renaissance Festivals. Visit "Overnight Pure FunPaks" for discounted admission tickets and overnight accommodations.

Spend a fun-filled day at Flint's Sloan Museum and Buick Gallery and Research Center
Enjoy award-winning traveling exhibits, an interactive Discovery Center and diverse educational activities all year long. Experience the dynamic changes that helped shape the city of Flint during the last century.

Visit Sloan now through September 6 and experience "From Here to There." Trains, planes, boats, automobiles and many other modes of tansportation were designed over the ages to convey travelers ever more rapidly from point "A" to point "B". Explore the science behind different methods of locomotion. Lift, launch and levitate as you experiment with hands-on exhibits that make learning about gravity, friction and the laws of motion fun. Visitors can turn up the heat to launch a colorful hot air balloon and adjust wind speed to form fabric into an airfoil.

While visiting the Sloan Museum, be sure to take the time to walk through Sloan's Buick Gallery and Research Center featuring over 25 classic and concept Buicks, Chevrolets and other locally built automobiles including a 1951 XP-300, a 1954 Wildcat II, a 1977 Phantom (concept cars) and a Hellcat Tank Destroyer built by Buick during World War II.
Visitors can also relax with an old glass bottle of Coke at the 1940s Soda Fountain of Mackenzie's Drug Store, pose for a photograph behind the wheel of the Center's climb-on car, and observe the staff and volunteers as they work on the Center's automotive collection in their new vehicle observation and restoration shop.

After visiting the Sloan Museum and Buick Gallery and Research Center, stroll across the street to the Flint Institute of Arts, one of Michigan’s largest and most enduring fine arts museums. Now through September 26, visit the Flint Institute of Arts and view their own personal exhibit "Recent Acquisitions to the FIA's Permanent Collection." Many are not aware, but the FIA relies on gifts of artwork to form much of their permanent collections. Over the past three years, the FIA has acquired many works of art on paper, which makes up this colorful, unique exhibit.

FIA also has two other exciting exhibits on display through August 22. "Tiffany Lamps: Articles of Utility, Objects of Art", celebrates Louis Comfort Tiffany's revolutionary contributions to modern decorative lighting. Over 40 stunning objects in an array of colors, sizes and decorative styles are featured in five sections exploring the themes of fabrication, design inspiration and changing lighting technologies. The show also includes tools, materials and period photographs to enhance the viewer's appreciation of the objects by demonstrating how they were made and what influenced the designs.

Also on display is "Lino Tagliapietra in Retrospect: A Modern Renaissance in Italian Glass." This exhibition is the first comprehensive retrospective of Tagliapietra's art and career. It represents not only the pivotal and renowned series of artistic work, but also designs made for industry and private objects that have never been exhibited. The exhibit includes 165 objects acquired from the artist's own collection and collections from around the world.

Discounted, overnight packages are available to the Sloan Museum, Buick Gallery and the Flint Institute of Arts. Visit "Overnight Pure FunPaks" for discounted admission tickets and overnight accommodations.

For questions, feel free to contact our Tourism Department for assistance at 1-877-FLINT-MI or locally at (810) 232-3261.

Enjoy a romantic weekend at one of our area bed & breakfasts or hotels!
"Enjoy a Victorian Experience" at Avon House Bed & Breakfast conveniently located near the Flint Cultural Center. Historic Fenton is home to the Wolcott House Bed & Breakfast, within walking distance to downtown Fenton shops and restaurants.

Genesee County is also home to many excellent hotels and motels, for you and that special someone to escape to for a weekend of relaxation. Romance packages are also available through our discounted, "Overnight Pure FunPaks" web site.

There's more great stuff to do...

Visit the Flint Children's Museum for some icky, sticky, slimy, grimy gross stuff during "OH YUCK!"
For the entire month of July, experience gross science experiments, messy art projects and more!

Also, be sure to make a Splash at the Museum's Discovery zone exhibit "INTO THE DEEP."Through September 4, children can dive into fun with plenty of sea themed, hands-on activities.
Sink into the sea in the Museum's custom built, walk-in, 15 foot Yellow Submarine! Listen to the sonar sounds and peer into the depths of the "Ocean" through periscopes and portholes. Children will learn all about diving and SCUBA gear, the difference between freshwater and saltwater habitats, sea life, aquatic food chains, ocean light zones and much more. Their Sea-k-and-Find Mural will have visitors scouting schools of fish and exotic sea life. There will also be special "Into the Deep" activities throughout the run of the exhibit. So, check the Museum's web site calendar for specific dates and times.

And while at the Museum, take some time to enjoy their summer outdoor natural learning environment "Sproutside", which features traditional and non-traditional outdoor activities including a large run and play area, a sand pit, outdoor toy box, rock garden, picnic area, two play gardens and more.

The Flint Children's Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Sundays, Mondays and major holidays.

Pack the blankets and pillows in the car, gather up the family and head to US-23 Drive-In Theater for an old-fashioned evening. Located on Fenton Road in Flint and known to be one of the last outdoor drive-in theaters in the country, US-23 Drive-In is open nightly, during the summer months, showing double-feature first run films on 3 giant screens. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. with movies starting around dusk. The Drive-In offers a full service concession stand and nightly activities for the entire family. Visit www.us23driveintheater.com for a complete list of shows now playing and coming soon.

Looking for other family activites? Spend a fun-filled day, or two, discovering our county parks, the largest county park system in the state of Michigan:
Genesee County Parks - Enjoy 383 acres of wildlife and 7 miles of hiking trails, along with jogging and biking areas, a picnic area and scheduled activities for all ages at For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum in Burton. Linden and Flushing County Parks offer ball diamonds, playgrounds, tennis courts and picnic areas. For those hot summer day cool downs, go swimming at Linden County Park or Bluebell Beach, where you can also play in their Splash Pad Spray Ground; or swim and stay the night at Wolverine Campground and Buttercup Beach in Columbiaville. Go on a family canoe trip with launching areas at Richfield and Linden County Parks, Bluegill Boat Launch and Holloway Dam. A waterfall in Flint?? Yes, we have one. Enjoy a late afternoon picnic while watching water change colors at Stepping Stone Falls and Picnic Area. Looking for the "biggest catch of the day", boat launches are available at Bluegill Boat Launch, Buell Lake County Park, Walleye Pike Boat Launch and Wolverine Campground.


There's more great Stuff for Families!!

Special Flint Events
The Flint Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is a proud partner of:
"Back to the Bricks Cruise and Car Show"
August 17-21, 2010 - Come back to downtown Flint for one of the biggest car events featuring a rolling cruise, kick-off party, live entertainment, automotive displays, vendors, food, antique fire trucks and dragster exhibits, contests, a Women's Marketplace and a car show that will amaze you with over 20,000 participants and 150,000 spectators.

Discounted, overnight packages to the 2010 "Back to the Bricks" event are available for purchase and offers a FREE collectors t-shirt. Visit "Overnight Pure FunPaks" or contact our Tourism Department for assistance at 1-877-FLINT-MI or locally at (810) 232-3261.

For patron parking during the 2010 "Back to the Bricks" please visit abc12 news web site.

"Bikes on the Bricks Motorcycle Show and Police Competition"
September 24 & 25, 2010 - Join two-days of fun in downtown Flint totally dedicated to motorcycles. Events include a law enforcement rodeo competition, a motorcycle show with prizes, contests, vendor and sponsor displays, motorcycle exhibit, fashion show, food, music, "After Party" sites and much more!!