Street Pianos Return To Downtown TC

Painted pianos and live music will make their return to downtown Traverse this summer.

Two new "street pianos" will be unveiled at a free event July 20 from 5:30 to 7:30pm in downtown TC. Life and Whim, a Traverse City-based lifestyle brand and e-commerce retailer, launched the street piano initiative in 2016, placing a public piano by the Chase building at Park and Front streets. Life and Whim will replace the piano this year with a newly painted successor and also place a second piano downtown next to the Kayak, Bike & Brew building (formerly InsideOut Gallery) at 229 Garland Street in the Warehouse District.

The two new pianos are painted by Interlochen Center for the Arts students and faculty. The July 20 unveiling will include Interlochen performances and several other events. The schedule is as follows:

5:30pm: Interlochen musician unveils new Park and Front Street piano with live performance. Free helium balloons and noisemaker instruments available for kids.
6:00pm: Norte! leads group walk from first piano through downtown to the second piano in Warehouse District.
6:30pm: Interlochen musician unveils new Warehouse District piano with live performance. Kids' crafts and activities will be available.

The event will continus with an after-party at The Workshop Brewing Company. Drink specials will be available to event participants.

The pianos will remain on the streets throughout the summer and fall, weather permitting. Members of the public are invited to play the pianos as well as listen to others play.