Insider Guide: Kristin Knoll

Kristin Knoll attended the University of Michigan where she majored in Communications and Spanish, and after graduating she worked at the Saginaw Community Foundation. “It’s a philanthropic nonprofit,” she explains. “I worked with a lot of wonderful people there and learned a lot about community.” She now works as the PR Specialist for Covenant Health Care in Saginaw handling all of their media relations and internal communications and is currently attending Northwood University for her MBA. She is also part of the Saginaw Valley Young Professionals Network Leadership Team.

Kristin emphasizes that Saginaw County is a big county. “There are lots of little towns within Saginaw County,” she says. “There’s everything from the Birch Run Premium Outlets for some great shopping, to Frankenmuth where you can go for a horse-drawn carriage ride and see Snowfest.” She points out that there are “a ton” of annual festivals that happen all over the county, but in the city of Saginaw itself one of her favorite is “Holidays in the Heart of the City,” which not only includes an enormous holiday lights display and winter wonderland throughout downtown Saginaw but also allows visitors free access to the Japanese Cultural Center and Tea House’s beautiful gardens. (The Center honors Saginaw’s sister city in Japan, Tokushima.)

In the summer, the annual Greek Festival is a huge celebration of Greek culture with food, drink, music and dance. The summertime farmers’ market and the Saginaw Children’s Zoo are also popular attractions. In downtown Saginaw, the recently-renovated Temple Theatre hosts the Riverside Saginaw Film Festival, the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra and the Saginaw Choral Society. Visitors can get lost for a day inside the Saginaw Art Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and the Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum inside Saginaw Valley State University pays tribute to the internationally-renowned sculpture who spent much of his life in Michigan and designed such infamous public works as the Spirit of Detroit.

There are plenty of fitness opportunities in the area, including Zumba classes with well-respected Zumba instructor Sarah Fechter of Sarah Fechter Fitness in Saginaw Township and yoga at Great Lakes Yoga. There is also the recently-renovated Saginaw Athletic Club, the YMCA, and the 9.55 miles of Saginaw Valley Rail Trail for hiking, biking and running.

For food and drink, one of Kristin’s favorites is Fralia’s for lunch hour. “They make really fresh, great sandwiches, salads and soups using fresh mozzarella, Boar’s Head meats and a lot of Italian meats like prosciutto and capicola.” She also recommends Harvey’s Grill and Bar, a locally-owned upscale restaurant chain, for their martinis and wine list. Patty Fleming’s is also very popular and Timbers Bar & Grill is known for hosting a fantastic happy hour. Retro Rocks over in Old Town is a tapas bar known for their martinis and their unabashed ‘80s nostalgia. “The whole wall is decoupaged in ‘80s album covers and they play all ‘80s music.” And for just a quick bite, Pasong’s Café is a family-owned noodle shop that does a variety of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Saginaw also have several locally-owned cool little coffee shops, like Dawn of a New Day Coffee House, Magic Bean Café and Crumbs Gourmet Cookie Café.
 
For more activities, You Do the Dishes offers do-it-yourself pottery, and the Saginaw Spirit Ontario Hockey League offers lots of action in their downtown arena (and many of the players go on to the NHL). Bay City and Midland are also both nearby, which each offer their own unique attractions.

Another aspect of Saginaw that drew Kristin to the city and kept her there is the sheer number of nonprofit organizations and agencies. “There are about 500 in the area,” she says. “There is a really great volunteer base in Saginaw. People really want to give and help their community; there are many volunteer opportunities for those who want to give back to the community.”