As August winds down, it's easy to feel a sense of regret that these dog days of summer passed so quickly. With the worst of the heat behind us, it's time to celebrate Oakland County's outstanding artistic contributions. With four outdoor end-of-summer festivals to choose from, there's plenty more than good eats to satisfy every appetite -- cultural, musical, physical and historical. Read on to find out about the new and exciting offerings from this year's Arts Beats & Eats, Arts & Apples, Dragon on the Lake and Michigan Renaissance Festivals. 

Tom Nahas knew where he wanted to shoot the majority of scenes for his first film: Oakland County, Michigan. As an Oakland County IT employee, he knew all the locations he needed were within an easy drive of his home base in Macomb. Over the course of the last six months, the 42 minute film, 'Amendment,' was shot in Rochester and Holly, as well as in the Macomb County communities of Richmond, Clinton Township, Macomb and Mt. Clemens.