Ypsi high school’s fast-growing Arts, Beats, and Eats event highlights student accomplishments

On the Ground Ypsilanti is an “embedded journalism” program covering the city and township of Ypsilanti. It is supported by Ann Arbor SPARK, the Center for Health and Research Transformation, Destination Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University, Engage @ EMU, Washtenaw Community College, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, and Washtenaw ISD.

On Dec. 11 Ypsilanti Community High School (YCHS) welcomed families and community members to the third annual “Arts, Beats, and Eats,” an event designed to celebrate student accomplishments while highlighting the school’s expanding arts and career and technical education (CTE) programming.

The festival-style event combined hands-on CTE opportunities with programs like botany science, culinary arts, and podcasting; live performances by the YCHS choir, band, and drama club; visual art displays; and a holiday market with local craft vendors. According to YCHS Assistant Principal Raymond Alvarado, the event was intentionally created to move beyond traditional school concerts and similar events, bringing numerous school showcases together in one immersive experience.

“When we started this event, we wanted to do something out of the box and exciting,” Alvarado says. “Instead of separate band and choir concerts, we combine them for the ‘beats,’ have our art students display their work, and highlight our CTE programs so people can see what students are learning and creating for their future careers.”

Alvarado says Arts, Beats, and Eats has grown alongside YCHS’ CTE offerings, which will continue to expand in 2026 with classes in topics such as drone and aviation studies and video game development. The event itself has also grown in scale, featuring 30 community vendors alongside student vendors. That’s three times more than were featured in the event’s first year.

“It’s grown into a true community event rather than something people just come in and out of,” Alvarado says. “Parents can walk around, see craft vendors, experience hands-on CTE exhibits, and then stay for the performances.” 

Alvarado says the school’s CTE programming wouldn’t be possible without Washtenaw County voters’ support of the recently passed Career Technical Education millage. He says the event’s goal is to show gratitude to the student community as well as the broader community YCHS serves, just in time for the winter holiday season. 

“This is a way to thank our community and show them what we’re doing with the support they give us,” Alvarado says. “We always invite the community to stay for the whole event, do some holiday shopping, and show off the work students have done over the semester while highlighting the many pathways available to them.” 

As Arts, Beats, and Eats continues to grow, Alvarado hopes it becomes a tradition families look forward to each year. 

“It’s the same kinds of performances and projects you might remember from high school, but done in a new, creative way,” Alvarado says. “At the end of the day, it’s about celebrating our students, giving them pride in their work, and bringing the whole community together around that.”