July marks the midpoint of summer and AnnArbor.com’s events calendar is full of activities across the region - and not just involving the Fourth of July holiday. These events are great community connections, but they also serve a business purpose: They generate economic activity, too. Here are some of our favorite events from the July calendar:

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1. Ann Arbor’s Art Fairs: This is so obvious a benefit to downtown Ann Arbor that it could spawn a list all of its own. Some merchants consider it bigger than Christmas; others are just thankful that it continues to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city. This year it’s July 21-24.

2. Ann Arbor Summer Fest: Just when you think it will last all summer, it ends. But for several weeks every summer, Ann Arborites get a nightly destination in downtown Ann Arbor with quality entertainment programming, both free and paid. This year’s final night is July 11.

3. Michigan ElvisFest 2010: Ypsilanti’s Depot Town celebrates everything Elvis, attracting national performers and visitors from across the state to this event on July 9 and 10 in Riverside Park.

4. Manchester Chicken Broil: One of Washtenaw County’s smallest communities gets big recognition from this annual event. Founded in 1954, the event also has raised hundreds of thousands for community projects. This year the chicken broil is July 15.

5. Saline Celtic Fest: Just like Ypsilanti’s ElvisFest, Saline found a unique summer event hook and ran with it, turning the city’s ties to Brecon, Wales, into a destination festival.