Hamtramck Blowout, Michigan Mysteries and wine tasting: What to do this week around Detroit

Happy Leap Year, Detroit! And a special happy birthday to all the “leaplings” in the city! Don’t you just love a good bonus day? The end of February means spring is (hopefully) fast approaching, and with it Women’s History Month.

There are plenty of things to do to celebrate. Our favorite? BasBlue’s Women’s History Month mixer this week; more about it later. Other offerings this week include exploring Michigan’s mysteries, viewing films from the Golden Era and rubbing elbows with art gallery and literary denizens alike. Read on for all the juicy details.

Let’s get busy! <3

Thursday

🌍 Learn about environmental racism at Chroma Detroit in Milwaukee Junction for Environmental Justice Movie Night , hosted by For Our Future Michigan, where many local organizations will share information on getting involved in the fight. A meet-and-greet will be followed by a screening of “The Smell of Money” directed by Shawn Bannon . Free.

🤘 Roll over to “Hamtransylvania” for the Hamtramck Blowout , a festival featuring about 150 music acts, including Suede Brain Band , Kennedy Greenrod and the Detroit Party Marching Band . Jam out at 16 places across Hamtramck like Sanctuary, Whiskey in the Jar, and The Painted Lady from Thursday to Saturday. $20 for the entire weekend. 21+.

This weekend

🫐 Stop by BasBlue in the Cultural Center, a society for female and nonbinary individuals, for its Women’s History Month Mixer on Friday . What a way to start the month! Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Free. Registration required.

🏳️‍🌈 If you want to venture Downriver, enjoy your Saturday “ Out in Nature ” at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge visitor center with special activities to welcome LGBTQ+ people and allies. Art-making will be the focus, and as part of the nature theme, you’ll learn to create fish prints and casts of animal tracks. Please report back to us! We’re curious! Free.

📖 Support local bookshops and visit Next Chapter Books in Detroit’s East English Village for a public reading by Jean Alicia Elster , honoree of the Kresge Artist Fellowship in Literary Arts. She will read from her historical fiction books for middle-school students on Saturday. After the reading, the author will host a Q&A and sign copies of her books. Be sure to also check out Next Chapter’s book club . It meets the first Wednesday of each month. Both free.

📽️ Feeling glamorous, darling? Join the Detroit Area Art Deco Society at the Redford Theater for its Art Deco Extravaganza . It culminates in a screening of “Gold Diggers of 1933,” a flick about show-gals during the Great Depression, so don’t forget to don your Deco finery! $35 gets you bubbles, bites, a tour of the theater and the picture show; $12 if you want to only see the movie.

🎹 For a modern-day art experience, gaze at art at Wasserman Projects in Eastern Market for an experimental mixed media show entitled “Anything Rather Than the Burning Brightness of Unmitigated Reality” (taken from Aldous Huxley’s “The Doors of Perception”). Featuring pianist Justin Snyder, the show responds to two ongoing exhibitions at the Wasserman: Ken Aptekar’s humorous (and perhaps relatable) “ Twenty-Two Carrots ” and the group show “Contemporary Allegory.” $20, 21+, registration required.

🎭 Attend the world premiere of acclaimed dramatist James Anthony Tyler’s “Debating Destiny” at the Senate Theater in Southwest Detroit. Showing on Friday and Saturday, the play presented by Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit will explore the journey of adolescence through protagonist Udonis Sparks and the art of debate. $25 for adults, $15 for adults 65 and up, and $10 for children 18 and under. Only advanced tickets available.

📚 Still have some pep in your step after all that arts-ing around this weekend? Wander into the Galleria at Detroit Public Library Main Branch on Sunday and join author and shipwreck expert Ross Richardson for an exploration of Michigan mysteries , based on his novels. Free.

Next week

🍷 Get your wining and dining on at three metro Detroit locations with Shady Lane Cellars’ wine dinner series Tuesday through Thursday. Takoi in Corktown, The Royce downtown and Coeur in Ferndale are the hotspots for this boozy event. Expect vibrant energy, French-inspired dishes and excellent wine pairings from winemaker Kasey Wierzba . $115-$125. 21+ (duh). Registration required.

💛 You’re invited to learn more about who we are and what we do here at Outlier Media on Wednesday evening. Come to our home base at TechTown or join us online for our Outlier Media Annual Meeting , hosted by Executive Director Candice Fortman . We’ll unveil our annual report and welcome you to mix and mingle with the community and our staff. We can’t wait to see you! Free.

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