Locals Detroiters are annually programmed with a schedule of all the upcoming downtown festivals. Everyone knows Cobo Hall has the International Auto Show the beginning of each year and the Winter Blast downtown at Campus Martius is held early in February. To the west in Plymouth, the annual Ice Sculpture Festival draws crowds to see the live carvings in late-January. Travel a little north to the Houghton Lake Tip-up Town to enjoy a weekend of music, snowmobiling and other winter activities. Sometimes lost in the mix are the smaller events and the local hotspots that offer great food, family entertainment and great music.
- Saturdays spent at Eastern Market in downtown Detroit has become a family tradition for many locals and suburbanites over the past 100 years. Nearly 45,000 people visit this landmark each Saturday, filling baskets with everything from flowers to specialty products to great food. Oh, the food! Not only can you get tasty fruit and vegetables, but also fresh fish, seafood, beef, lamb, chicken and pork. Vendors offer lunches to sit down with or freshly made snackable items you can eat while walking and just people watching. The market is open six days a week sans Sundays and is just a great way to spend some time with family and fill your bellies.
- April has been claimed as Michigan Wine Month and local vineyards have your best interest in mind. Well, your palettes at least. Southeast Michigan along the coast of lake Michigan has their infamous wine trails which boast numerous vineyards creating wonderful bouquets and fine vintages. Match up your next barbecue with a local vineyards offering and enjoy another fine taste of Michigan. In Novi, the International Wine Expo is held each April at the Suburban Collection and offers tasting events and expert seminars for the average sommelier.
- Detroiters know that Hart Plaza on the riverfront hosts events all summer long such as the Country Hoedown and the annual Fourth of July Detroit-Windsor International Freedom Festival Fireworks display. The Ribs and R&B Jazz Festival in early August is an event nobody should miss and better yet is the Taste of Detroit which is usually the following weekend. All of these feature great food, great music and wonderful family fun right downtown.
- The annual Renaissance Festival in Holly, Michigan runs from mid August through September and offers high-spirited amounts of fun for the family. Jousting, comedy stage skits, era shopping, blacksmithing, glassblowing and a full area dedicated to the kids. There is a parade of royalty that flows through the fairgrounds and everyone is costumed to the hilt. The best part though is definitely the food. Smoked turkey drumsticks the size of Pterodactyl legs and covered in sauce, large homemade bread bowls filled with righteous chili or clam chowder, and something called a Dragon Egg. These all can be chased down with a cold dark beer from one of the numerous beverage stands or pubs. Additionally, this event is usually teamed up with a local charity including greyhound rescue organizations and/or food bank donation centers.
- Arts, Beats and Eats held in Royal Oak each September offers the best of all three from Metro Detroit and beyond. Artwork from local and national artists don the downtown streets in efficiently placed tents. Live music is played from the many wonderfully positioned stages throughout Royal Oak and can be heard all weekend long. And lets not forget the food. Glorious food! The aromas can range from Southern Ribs to Middle Eastern cuisine from vegetarian dishes to things on sticks. With nearly 70 restaurants being represented, this festival has grown into one of the largest in the country.
- And for even more of a local flavor, the Garden City Chili Cookoff has captured the hearts of residents and is growing larger each and every year. Cooks chop, sauté and heat up their family recipes and sell tickets to taste. October brings the heat each year and local charities get to benefit from you tempting your taste buds. Stop by and grab a spicy bowl and know you are helping one of the many small communities around Metro Detroit. Visit www.downtowngardencity.org/ for more details as the event draws near.
Communities large and small benefit immensely when you spend your money on local businesses and festivals. Help support your local farmers, your local markets and your local musicians by attending one or all of these events. Keep informed by reading a local paper or attending a local committee meeting. Keeping it local in the upcoming year will make next year that much better.
Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em and don’t forget your bib.
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