Best Folk Venue: The Ark

316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-1451; theark.org

Fifty years is a long time for anything. But to weather the storms of fashion long enough to function and thrive as a folk venue for that long is extraordinary. Richard Thompson, Lisa Loeb, Danny Kroha, and Bela Fleck have all unpacked their banjos and plucked them for admirers at the Ark. Here's to another 50!