Summer festivals

[detmsp]

I'm looking to have some friends come to town for a weekend and I want to pick one with a lot going on around town. Anyone know of any websites that have a comprehensive list of events going on around town? I've tried metromix, but it's so hard to pick out the festivals and big events since their calendar is flooded with crap like karaoke night and ladies night at bars

[Bobl]

Just tried the City Of Detroit Website. They list many of the festivals with a generic description, but no dates.
If the City wishes to promote itself, it should have a useful website!

This site has some regional happenings:
Popular Michigan Festivals Events and Big Metro Detroit Events 2009

[Roq]

MetroTimes lists quite a few events:

http://metrotimes.com/calendar/default.asp

[raptor56]

click on a month in the calender
http://www.visitdetroit.com/index.ph...year=2009&day=


Here's another good list
http://www.experiencedetroit.com/fes...entsannual.htm

[kraig]

I don't know the dates, but the Red Bull Air Race may be a good time to have someone visit. In fact, having someone rent a hotel room on the river with a good view would save you on having to buy tickets. So if they do, make sure they request a room with a view of the river/windsor skyline.

[Bobl]

I don't know the dates, but the Red Bull Air Race may be a good time to have someone visit. In fact, having someone rent a hotel room on the river with a good view would save you on having to buy tickets. So if they do, make sure they request a room with a view of the river/windsor skyline.

June 13-14, 2009 [[sat-sun): Red Bull Air Race above the Detroit River between Detroit & Windsor. Host city is Windsor, Ontario [[Canada). Red Bull Air Race World Series 2009 is in only six cities worldwide. "Using the fastest, most agile and lightweight racing planes, pilots navigate a low-level aerial race track made up of air-filled pylons, reaching speeds of 400 km/h while withstanding forces of up to 10 Gs." www.redbullairrace.com.

[emuaaron]

Cityfest [[formerly Tastefest), Dalley in the Alley, 4th Street Fair, DIY Fest in Ferndale. Are you looking for music, food, art, sports, other? There's always tons of stuff going on, depending on what you like.

Metrotimes.com is a good source. if you like music, www.eatthiscity.com is good.

[Hamtragedy]

City Fest- 4th of July Weekend [[New Center)
4th Street-33rd Sat in July [[Best block party in the midwest)
Dalley in the Alley- Saturday after Labor Day
DIA Festival-tentatively cancelled [[usually in June these days)
Concert of Colors - Uusally same weekend as 4th Street, which would be 10 times more fun if it was back on the River.
Movement [[Electronic Music Fest) Memorial Day Weekend [[tix cheaper in advance) @ Hart Plaza

[raptor56]

http://www.experiencedetroit.com/fes...entsannual.htm

June

Detroit Festival of the Arts
Outstanding visual and performing artists from around the world performing in Detroit's Cultural Center.

Komen Detroit Race for the Cure
Thousands of Detroiters doing their part in the search for the cure.

Art in the Park [[Taylor)
Over 100 artists, an entertainment series, food and
more in HeritagePark.

Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival
World-class musicians performing classic and
contemporary chamber music in beautiful venues.

Belleville National Strawberry Festival
Over 200,000 people visit for the free entertainment,
attractions, and every type of strawberry treat imaginable.

Cruisin' Gratiot
Celebration of cruising along one of Detroit's primary boulevards.

Dearborn Arab International Festival
Carnival, arts, crafts, entertainment, and food in one of the largest Arab neighborhoods outside of the Middle East.

Jazzin' on Jefferson
Celebrate the jazz and blues heritage of East Jefferson.

Michigan Challenge BalloonFest
State Championship hot air balloon competition and
festival.

Cruisin' Downriver
More than 500,000 car buffs and enthusiasts enjoy the
sights and sounds along Fort Street.

International Freedom Festival & Fireworks
Celebration of the Detroit / Windsor friendship headlined
by an awe-inspiring fireworks display.

Comerica Tastefest
Sample dishes from dozens of Detroit Restaurants in
the architecturally significant New Center area.


July

Art in the Park [[Plymouth)
Over 400 artists and some of the finest contemporary art
and crafts available in the United States.

Michigan Elvisfest
That's right, Elvis is alive and well in Ypsilanti.

Meijer All-American Jam at the Taylor Summer Festival
Great music, a carnival, fireworks, and fun for the entire family.

Common Ground Music Festival
Top-shelf, national musicians performing Country, Classic
Rock, New Rock, and R&B in the state capitol.

Chrysler-Jeep Detroit APBA Gold Cup
Experience the thunder of hydroplane racing on the Detroit
Riverfront.

Michigan Jazz Festival
A variety of free day-long jazz performances.

Ann Arbor Street Art Fair
Recently named the number one art fair in the country
by an AmericanStyle magazine readers' survey.

Farmington Area Founders Festival
Great artwork, food, and music are staples of this festival
originally created to recognize the state's first Quaker
settlement.

Quake on the Lake
Hear the roar of the inboard hydroplanes on Sylvan Lake.

Bayview Mackinac Race
One of the greatest freshwater long distance yacht races in the world.

Telegraph Tomorrow Classic Car Cruise
Another major Detroit cruisin' boulevard celebrates its heritage.


August

Great Lakes Folk Festival
Unique fusion of arts fair, music festival, county fair, and
multi-ethnic festival.

Michigan State Fair
Century-old fair featuring tried and true agricultural and
livestock attractions, great music, food, theater, and
amusement rides.

Michigan Renaissance Festival
Step back in time to a medieval world complete with
full-contact armored jousting.

Woodward Dream Cruise
The coup-de-grace of Detroit's cruise festivals. Over a
million participants and spectators annually celebrate
along legendary Woodward Avenue.

Fash Bash
Fundraiser that includes a strolling supper, live auction, fashion show extravaganza, entertainment and afterglow parties.

[texorama]

I think Detroit Festival of the Arts is at least temporarily kaput, no? It's too bad--whoever was booking their music never failed to introduce me to some interesting new stuff, and I follow folk and roots music pretty closely.

[Melody]

Tomorrow's Detroit News' pull out entertainment section, GO!, will have a complete festival list for the summer. Pick one up tomorrow and use it all summer long.

[Bearinabox]

Is Fourth Street Fair happening again this summer? Didn't they have some sort of run-in with the city last year? I guess a lot has changed in city government since then.

[screamingfit]

I believe Fourth Street didn't go down last year due to the City requiring permits. Memory ain't what it used to be.

Hanging out with 20 people last year at the impromptu fair, while nice in its own way, was nowhere near what Fourth Street should be and has been.

[Bearinabox]

I believe Fourth Street didn't go down last year due to the City requiring permits. Memory ain't what it used to be.

Hanging out with 20 people last year at the impromptu fair, while nice in its own way, was nowhere near what Fourth Street should be and has been.

So is it back on again this year, or is the city still requiring permits?

[msamslex]

The Detroit Festival of the Arts is on hiatus this year due to construction in the area. Returns in 2010. This was the explanation in the Metro Parent magazine's Going Places Spring/ Summer supplement that lists all fairs, attractions etc.

Also listed though not in Detroit: Bath City Festival, Mt. Clemens usually held in August merged into the Stars and Stripes Festival, June.

Howell Melon Festival, August, scaled down, due to change in management; returns in 2010

[DocTerry]

To [[sort of) "replace" the Festival of the Arts this year, there will be a series of free "arts" programs at different venues throughout Midtown on Thrusdays, Fridays and Saturdays during June. Website isn't quite ready yet, but here it is: www.midsummernightsinmidtown.com
June 4, for instance, will bring Malcolm-Jamal Warner and his band to N'Namdi Arts Center . . . Not a great "replacement" event in my mind, but an effort, at least.

[screamingfit]

So is it back on again this year, or is the city still requiring permits?

Not sure - probably won't hear anything until July and even then, it probably won't be definitive until a day or so before the fair. That's just how this thing rolls...

[professorscott]

Let's not forget the Marine City "Maritime Days", Memorial Day weekend.

[iheartbooks]

The Parade Co. is still putting on River Days without GM's financial support. It will be smaller, but still fun. June 19-21 on the Riverwalk.