Vintage pop-ups, Nain Rouge and more Detroit events March 21-27

Hey Detroit!

This week we’re immersing ourselves in the urban legends of the 313. Paraders will (fictionally) banish the evil spirit of the Nain Rouge (French for “red dwarf”) from the city with costumes, music and revelry, thereby saving Detroit from harm for another year. More on that later. Plus, hear tales of Michigan’s haunted bars and pubs. Feel those goosebumps? We sure do!

Focused more on the land of the living? We got you! Read on for putt-putt and vintage pop-ups, Purim parties, and ways to stay fit and healthy here in the D!

P.S. We usually like to focus on things to do for the week ahead, but we’re so excited about this one, we couldn’t wait to share! Join us for our second Outlier Collective volunteering event with Keep Growing Detroit in April! Let’s get some spring planting done (and wear something you don’t mind getting a tad bit dirty). See you there!

Let’s get busy! <3

Thursday

📖 Honor Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and world-renowned writer Ernest J. Gaines at Detroit Public Library’s Lincoln Branch in celebration of National Reading Month . Both of these writers gave voice to important narratives that have shaped our society in meaningful ways. Free.

💯 Learn and pay tribute to women’s history through some fun and interactive trivia rounds at the library’s Main Branch. Topics will range from past to present. Feel free to come solo or with a posse to show off your inner know-it-all. Registration required. Free.

This weekend

⚡ Get that heart pumping on Saturday morning at Family Zumba at the Community Health and Social Services Center in Southwest Detroit. The moves and the grooves will be high energy! Ages 5 and up with parents present. Face mask required. Free.

🌳 Help reforest the city by planting some trees Saturday morning at Optimist-Park Grove Park near East 7 Mile Road at East Outer Drive. You’ll help build up Detroit’s green canopy with Greening of Detroit, which has planted more than 147,000 trees in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck. Impressive! Training and tools will be available onsite. Free.

✡️ Party with Detroit Jews for Justice at Marble Bar in honor of Purim, a Jewish holiday beginning at sundown on Saturday. The night’s many offerings include a theatrical rendition of the Purim story, an exploration of housing justice in Detroit and a discussion about this pivotal moment in Israel’s ongoing military operations in Palestine. Registration required. Pay what you can, $0-$36.

🍪 Find out all about mudpuppies, a salamander native to the Detroit River, at the Belle Isle Nature Center’s Mudpuppypalooza on Sunday. Make some masks, decorate some mudpuppy cookies and craft models of mudpuppies. Whew, try saying that three times fast. Free.

❤️ Dress up in your funnest finery on Sunday and head to Second Avenue at West Canfield Street for the Marche du Nain Rouge . At this event, you are the parade: Join art cars, Mardi Gras-style floats, artists and musicians for a procession to Cass Park. You can get to end the afternoon with an after-party at the Masonic Temple. Free.

🛍️ Peruse vintage finds and crafts from more than 40 vendors at Fleatroit Junk City , a pop-up vintage flea market , in The Majestic Theatre on Sunday afternoon. Dance to some DJ sets and enjoy a cash bar and pizza available for purchase. Stay afterward to bowl and hear live performances from Zem and Menage Detroit at the Garden Bowl next door. Free.

🥬 Support Black farmers at Detroit Soup, hosted by the National Black Food & Justice Alliance at Mama Akua Community House in the NW Goldberg neighborhood. On Sunday evening, four local farmers will pitch their ideas for their 2024 goals. One lucky winner will receive all the ticket sales 💰. Bring a dessert, and you’ll get one minute on the mic. $10 includes refreshments and ballot.

Next week

🥗 Show your body and mind some love Monday evening at Make Every Body More Healthy! at Detroit Public Library’s Lincoln Branch. Part of Michigan State University’s extension classes, this workshop will give you great ideas for eating well and keeping your body healthy. Registration required. Free.

🎶 Celebrate the life and legacy of Aretha Franklin at a tribute concert Monday at One Mike Detroit . No one can replace the Queen of Soul, but with singer Alise King and host Coco on the lineup, it’s sure to be a fun time! $25.

🏗️ Get the inside scoop on the new renovations at the Michigan Central Book Depository Building in Corktown with a walking tour hosted by the American Institute of Architects Detroit Chapter Tuesday afternoon. Originally built in the 1930s, this Albert Kahn -designed building now houses a mobility tech space and Newlab. Registration required. $25-$40.

👻 Feel like it’s Halloween all over again this week with the sudden chill? Take a deep dive into the haunted bars and pubs of Michigan Tuesday night with self-professed paranormal expert Nicole Beauchamp at Detroit Public Library’s Main Branch. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, you’re likely to enjoy Beauchamp’s colorful storytelling about her many “encounters.” Registration required. Free.

Correction: This story was updated. The Detroit Jews for Justice Purim party is for all ages.

The post Vintage pop-ups, Nain Rouge and more Detroit events March 21-27 appeared first on Outlier Media .