4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS SUMMER FUN A summer special at CupsnChai FELICIA WILBERT Groundcover vendor No. 234 One of Ann Arbor’s finest family cafes is CupsnChai, a South Asian Cafe located at 214 S. 4th Ave. between Liberty and Washington Streets. Did you know CupsnChai offers a $2 dollar savings for Groundcover readers on their refreshing one-of-a-kind lemonade this summer? CupsnChai was born in 2023 in Canton and arrived in 2024 in Ann Arbor. I was honored to be invited to a taste of chai with Noman Husain, the founder. He said, "CHAI HO JAYE!” which means "let’s have tea." I asked him what inspired him to create a flavorful healthy chai tea. Noman’s story begins in the early 90s when he arrived in the United States, holding onto a small handwritten recipe book from his mother. Noman, a U.S. citizen, said he held tight to an embedded family lineage of cooking. Noman stated that “Chai should always be made from scratch.” With the help of family and close friends, during the solitude of the Covid19 pandemic, they discovered a unique opportunity to introduce authentic South Asian chai and street food to North Americans. He took a hobby, transformed it into a celebrated talent and realized it in a family cafe. I asked Noman, "What is chai?" He explained it was originally a traditional herbal spiced drink used for healing as far back as 3000 BCE, and how the British introduced the tea as a social drink throughout the Indian subcontinent in the 1830s. During the 1900s Masala chai became popular with milk, spices and sugar. Now in the 2000s, chai has become a global standard as a healthy drink in winter or summer. He stated, “This is a family tradition that must be passed onto all generations to come.” I was served samples of several drinks — hot chai, cold chai and mango lemonade. Experiencing chai for the first time was great! Cold or hot, chai is a flavor only your palate can enjoy experiencing. They can prepare it with almond milk or oat milk for those who are lactose intolerant. The lemonade was an experience of surprise and pleasure. It is the tastiest, most refreshing lemonade that I have ever had in all my travels. It cools the body naturally from the basil bubbles, while pleasing the palate. What an ingenious creation that tastes incredible! The food I sampled was the Dynamite Chicken, BBQ Chicken and the Lahari Chicken — they are all Melts (sandwiches) made with different sauces. They are all tasty, featuring vegetables such community EVENTS RALLY AGAINST DATA CENTERS Saturday, July 25, 2:30 p.m. Almendinger Park, 655 Pauline Blvd., Ann Arbor. Parks are for the people! (A data center is proposed to be at South Hydro Park in Ypsi Township.) Come raise your voice. Childcare provided. Food at 2:30 p.m. Rally at 3 p.m. FULL MOON CAMPFIRE Saturday, July 25, 8-11 p.m. LeFurge Woods, 2452 N Prospect, Superior Township. All invited to enjoy a family-oriented campfire (the final one of the season) in one of the largest conservancy-owned nature preserves in Southeast Michigan. Bring blankets, chair, and campfire refreshments; locally cut firewood appreciated. No pets. STAYING POWER BOOK RELEASE Sunday, July 26, 2-4 p.m. Dzanc House, 402 S. Huron St. Ypsilanti. Celebrate a long awaited book project from the Ypsilanti teens and staff of Staying Power. "Spoke from the Soil: When Love is a Thing Called Home." Entry: free. Book: $15. JOHN E. LAWRENCE SUMMER JAZZ SERIES Fridays, July 31-August 28, 7-9 p.m. Ford Lake Park, 9075 S. Huron River Drive, Ypsilanti. Free smooth jazz concerts; bring your own lawn chairs, blankets and coolers and head on down. Free entry, $20 parking fee. July 31: Ben Tankard. August 7: Pieces Of A Dream. CLUSTER FILM SERIES: HAPTIC VISIONS (SHORTS) Friday, July 31, 7:30-9 p.m. Dzanc House, 402 S. Huron St. Curated by Jon Moodie. Experimental in nature, the films are all stop motion animation based in unusual materials: textiles, paper (cut-outs and folding), letterpress and hand printing, and simple freehand line drawings. Notable animators include Jodie Mack, Isolda Milenkovic, Yanqi Liang and Lysander Wong, among others. All ages welcome, suggested donation as tomatoes, JULY 24, 2026 Left to right: Noman Husain, founder of CupsnChai, Felicia Wilbert and Ikram Nawabi at the 4th Avenue location of CupsnChai. cucumber, cilantro and purple onions with provolone cheese. The sauce varies from a green pesto to a special BBQ sauce. You can have it your way, with or without sauce or vegetables. They also offer Kati Wraps, flatbreads and snacks like sweets and pastries. The drink options include espresso, matcha latte and chai latte. They are all delicious. However, I recommend you try the cold chai with a melt for a light lunch or dinner, or the incredible one of a kind mango, peach or strawberry lemonade. A hot chai with the inviting $5-10. Free popcorn! ANN ARBOR PRIDE Saturday, August 1, 12-9p.m. Main Street, downtown Ann Arbor. Weekend festival in Ann Arbor, celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer identities, community, and allyship hosted by the Jim Toy Community Center. Ann Arbor Pride brings entertainment, community, vendors, fun and most importantly, Pride. FIRST FRIDAYS YPSI Friday, August 7, 5-11p.m. Downtown, Depot Town, and in the West Cross Street districts of Ypsilanti. A self guided art and culture walk around the city of Ypsilanti! Art, shopping, food, music and fun! August theme: Food Fest. SUMMER WELLNESS IN MOTION Ann Arbor's free summer wellness series of pilates and yoga designed to introduce the community to the park through accessible, outdoor wellness experiences in Broadway Park West. coffee cake or even with Ras Maia Cake will infuse with their “savory and delicious flavors.” Today, CupsnChai offers a cultural hub, realizing their dream of creating a welcoming space and the spirit of chai culture. Each visit offers a connection, fostering a sense of community and cultural fusion — one cup at a time! They welcome all, “CHAI HO JAYE!” Next time you go to CupsnChai, save $2 on lemonade with the coupon on the back page of this edition! Pilates in the Park Presented by Core Collective Saturdays | 8–9 a.m. June 13–August 29 Open Air Yoga Presented by Eclipse Yoga Select Sundays | 9–10 a.m. June 14–August 16 Classes are free and open to all experience levels. Participants are encouraged to bring a yoga mat, water, sunscreen and anything needed to enjoy a morning outdoors. Broadway Park West is currently accessible by foot and bicycle only while surrounding construction continues. The park can be accessed through the tunnel off Depot Street or via the new Broadway Bridge, which connects to the Border to Border (B2B) Trail. Visitors are encouraged to use public parking spaces surrounding the development and enter the park through one of these entry points. Submit an event to be featured in the next edition: submissions@groundcovernews. com
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