Category Archives: Photos

Fairies in the city, in the woods – and in our festival!

A very old fairy house (Photo by Vickie Elmer)

 

We spotted this ancient fairy home in a woodsy garden in Detroit. And we knew we had to share it with you, as a reminder always to  watch carefully for fairies and their hats, homes and treats.

You may know that three sister fairies lives in our cart and create their version of Italian ice. (That’s where we get our Fairy Ice, though they don’t part with it often or easily.) And we’re sure you know they live in a variety of places in Ann Arbor, and in

The second Mity Nice fairy door, made in Ann Arbor

Plymouth, Chelsea, Ypsilanti, andRoyal Oak, too.

But did you know that at least three fairy families were spotted in Palmer Park this spring? And that others settled in Detroit, on Belle Isle and in other woodsy areas, aeons ago?  No wonder then that Mity Nice is seriously considering a second location – in the D. We already buy our Italian ice from a lovely old Detroit company.

Naturally we love Ann Arbor – our home turf and a city that appreciates vegan treats and joyful times.  So we will stay firmly rooted in Kerrytown and on Main Street, and expand from there.

Speaking of expand, our third annual Fairies & Fairy Door Festival will grow this year and will take place in September. A lot of details are still being worked on, but the date is either Saturday, Sept. 21 or Saturday, Sept. 28, in a location not far from our cart and the fairy’s ice shop.

And yes, we have heard some of those Detroit fairies plan to fly in for the Fairies & Fairy Door Festival!

 

 

 

 

We’re open at last! Twice the Mity Nice

The Barringtons savoring the first Mity Nice ice of the season. Photo: Vickie Elmer

We know we’re late getting started, but we have a good excuse – truly.

Mark and Vickie were married barely a month ago, and couldn’t concentrate on the details of Mity Nice until early June.

Vickie and Mark, just wed and already behind! Photo: Patricia Beck

And since we lost our kitchen space when Papa John’s was demolished, we had to shop around for wedding rings and a kitchen partner at the same time.  And then the dog and cat … well enough of that.

Now though we’re open for the summer, and and welcomed our first customers to our tasty made-in-Detroit dairy free fat free treats.

We are thrilled to bring Ann Arbor Italian ices from two sidewalk spaces:

  • Our home base is 303 Detroit Street, right outside the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market. Come to the end of the Market where the office and bathrooms are located and go a little further – and there we are, right on your way to Tea Haus and the People’s Food Co-op. We  set up there Wednesdays and Saturdays, and occasional Sundays.
  • Our Main Street hangout is known as “Under the Clock” – and the clock is really a landmark.  We’re at the corner of Main and Washington in front of the First National Building, one of downtown’s beauties. We’ll be there Friday and Saturday nights, weather permitting and some other times too.
City rules do not allow us to set up during special events by the Main Street Association and during Art Fair so we turn into gypsies and move our wagons elsewhere those times.

So how do you, our dear customers, find out when and where we’ll be?  Our Twitter is easy – and the feed lands right on this website. Or join us on Facebook, and you’ll see some specials and join us for the Friends & Family Free Ice Frenzy, available exclusively to our Facebook friends.

So come out, say hello to the newlyweds and maybe you’ll toast us with our fresh squeezed lemonade – or our newest drink: A Pina Colada (virgin) made with Pineapple ice.

Yes, despite the slow start, it’s going to be a Mity Nice summer.

Almost a circus at the Mity Nice Street Fair

We’re sharing some photos of the fun we had Sunday at the Mity Nice Street Fair:

And we want to give thanks to Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Tea Haus of Ann Arbor and Found Gallery for their support of this event, and to the food carts, the performers and everyone who came to play and juggle with us. It was Mity Mity Nice!

What a parade! What a lot of free ice!

This is our third year in the Jaycees 4th of July Parade in Ann Arbor, and our second year to give away free Italian ice to everyone in it.

This year, we promoted the Mity Nice Street Fair — this Sunday – throughout the parade.

The parade loops around downtown, and it ends on Thompson Street, where Mity Nice surprises and delights everyone with a free little Italian ice in red, white or blue. (Flavors: raspberry, lemon or Go Blue!)  We pre-scoop much of this and serve it in pizza boxes so we can hand it to the groups going by.

Such smiles and delight on their tired hot faces when they see us!

We gave away 863 portions of Italian ice, with Mark scooping as fast as he could and our juggler friend, Dave, helping to pass out the pizza trays full of icy vegan sweetness.

Here’s a few photos from the start of the parade, as Shelley, Mark and Dannie, our brown mascot, were waiting to walk a mile amid politicians, pre-schools and prancing twirlers.

Arts and crafts – puppets and play at Second Sunday

Every month, we organize a Mity Nice Arts & Crafts area as part of our Second Sunday celebrations.

The craft activities usually match the them of the month, so for Dads & Dogs, Eleanor and the children made dog heads and ties, among other things. This Sunday, as part of our performers and street performers theme, we’re making puppets – sock puppets and paper bag puppets.

Here’s a preview that my Mom and I made together:

Two by two: Sandy and Sam and Mabel and Suzie are the first Mity Nice puppets.

We still need a few more socks for the sock puppets – so if you have some, toss them at us as we pass by during the Jaycees 4th of July Parade or else drop them off by Friday at Papa John’s on Division.

And please come this Sunday at the Mity Nice Street Fair. Whether you make a puppet or watch the Detroit Circus or a musician (and tip them for their performance), we’ve got plenty of fun for everyone.

Dads & Dogs – a sweet sweet day!

Sunday was such a special day – our second Second Sunday and a chance to really connect with the community. We spent much of the day with the amazing volunteers from Last Day Dog Rescue , Eleanor and her wonderful children’s art projects and met some the new friends we made near the Mity Nice cart, too.

Our new page highlights our friends and sponsors, including some local businesses that help make us look good.

Meanwhile, enjoy a few photos from our Dads & Dogs: