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.