Events
January
Mid-January for a week
Detroit Auto Show:
An annual event since 1907. Held at the COBO Convention Center:
1 Washington Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48226
313-877-8777
January
Late January
Motown Winter Blast
Snow Maze, ice skating, music
stages, food, warming tents, and more. (313) 833-7900.
March
Early March
Detroit Autorama
Held at the COBO Convention
Center: A premier auto show.
1 Washington Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48226
313-877-8777
May
Annual Movement Festival
313-567-0080
Held at Hart Plaza
The annual Detroit
Electronic Music Festival has changed names and stewardship with techno pioneer
Derrick May. In the past, the fest has drawn an impressive 1.5 million fans who
adore the blips and bass of electronic music. The biggest attractions perform in
Hart Plaza, and the stage is brought down off the top of the amphitheatre to
bring the DJs and bands closer to the people.
Late May
Budweiser Detroit
Downtown Hoedown
Annual country music fest
includes established & new artists and is considered by many to be the largest
Country Music show of its kind in the world.
June
Mid-June
Detroit Festival of the
Arts
Set in a 20-block area of Midtown Detroit's
University Cultural District, The Detroit Festival of the Arts continues to
present outstanding visual and performing artists from around the world, while
showcasing the city's premier arts and cultural institutions Since it began in
1987, the Detroit Festival of the Arts has delighted more than 4 million
visitors from all over Southeastern Michigan.
Late June
Cruisin Downriver
Annual car cruise starting
in southeast metro Detroit attracts hundreds of thousands of ardent auto fans.
July
Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival
The weeklong event
celebrates Canada Day (July 1) and American Independence Day, ending with
fireworks over the Ambassador Bridge.
Early July
Coamerica Taste Fest
An annual celebration that
combines some of the area's most popular restaurants with local and national
musicians, artists and other entertainers, this event truly speaks to what a
summer festival ought to be. More than 40 restaurateurs will participate in this
year's festival, offering samplings of their specialties to the throngs of
visitors. Meanwhile bands of every flavor perform on four stages positioned
throughout the New Center area. 313-872-0188
Mid-July:
Annual Gold Cup Race
Unlimited hydroplane racing
on the Detroit River.
Mid-August
African World Festival
features music, art, food,
and cultural programs.
Mid-August
Michigan State Fair
Held in Detroit since 1905
at Michigan State Fairgrounds & Exposition Center
1120 W. State Fair Avenue
Detroit, MI 48203
Mid-August- Late September
Michigan Renaissance Festival
In nearby Holly, Michigan
The Holly fairgrounds are
redesigned as a late 16th century English village. Elizabethan costumes,
Shakespearean drama and heart-pounding jousts on horseback. Each weekend has a
theme, so get ready to experience "High Seas Adventure," "Highland Fling" and
"Wonders of the World," to name a few. Guides are Shakespeare-quoting thespians
who work year-round in Metro Detroit theaters. 800-601-4848
September
Early September
Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival
Held on the Riverfront.
North America's largest
free jazz event
November
America's Thanksgiving Parade
America's Thanksgiving Parade has been sailing down
Woodward for nearly 80 years, and is a popular event.
December
Motor City Bowl
NCAA Football
248-645-6666
The annual Motor City
Bowl has featured some spirited contests in recent memory. The Fox Town area has
undergone a dramatic rebirth in recent years, with nightclubs, upscale eateries
and pubs springing up in the shadow of Ford Field and Comerica Park. Detroit's
newest cultural and sports entertainment district, also home to the Fox Theatre,
State Theatre and the Second City, will be booming as college football fans
converge on the favorite pre- and post-game haunts of Lions, Tigers and Red
Wings fans.
Arts and Entertainment
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Hall
3663 Woodward Ave.,
Detroit, MI, USA
313/576-5100
Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall
hosts the Chamber Music Society of Detroit and the Detroit Symphony. A $60
million expansion of Orchestra Hall has created the Max M. Fisher Music Center
with new meeting facilities and educational space.
Detroit Repertory Theater
13103 Woodrow Wilson
Ave., Detroit, MI, USA
313/868-1347
The Detroit Repertory Theater
is one of the city's oldest resident theater companies.
Fisher Theater
3011 W. Grand Blvd.,
Detroit, MI, USA
313/872-1000
Touring Broadway shows and
nationally known entertainers appear at the Fisher Theater
Gem Theatre
333 Madison Ave.,
Detroit, MI, USA
Phone: 313/963-9800
Across the street is the
relocated Gem Theatre, which used to stand across from the Fox but was moved to
a new site near the Opera House to make way for the new Detroit Tigers ball
park.
