Things to do in Detroit this week: Hot DAM! Show, African World Festival and Kite Festival

How’s it going, Detroit? Hopefully, you caught us at Coffee Thursday at the Detroit Brew-ti-ful Coffee House. It’s always “brew-ti-ful” to see our readers! If you didn’t, fret not: Catch us at our next Coffee Thursday in August .

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the incredible energy and community spirit that makes Detroit so special. Whether it’s dancing at the DIA, networking on the Dequindre Cut or celebrating African culture at Hart Plaza, every event is an opportunity to connect, create and thrive together. This week’s going to be lit!

Let’s get busy. <3

Thursday

🌊 Join an exciting movement and sound journey with Detroit Disability Power at Embark! DanceAbility at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Bring your dancing experience (or lack thereof) and dance your way through an exploration of the museum’s indoor and outdoor spaces. Oh, and wear blue if you’ve got it to match the water theme! Open to dancers with and without disabilities. Registration required. Free.

🚲 Speaking of groovin’, cruise by the Dequindre Cut to join Design Core Detroit for Drinks x Design: Equitable Mobility at the Freight Yard. Chat up local organizations focused on equitable mobility, including the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy and the League of Michigan Bicyclists, while you bob your head to music picked by Problematic Black Hottie . Free.

This weekend

🎨 Explore art from multimedia creatives on Friday at the opening night of Hot DAM! The Detroit Artists Market Annual . Juried by Katie Pfohl and featuring artist Tsiuri Chachua , more than 50 artists will be featured in the show, which runs through Aug. 10. Maybe you’ll find a piece to add to your home collection! Free.

🌍 Celebrate the strength, beauty and creativity of the African diaspora at the Charles H. Wright Museum’s African World Festival , all weekend in Hart Plaza. Jam out to artists like Thandiswa Mazwai , Urban Art Orchestra with De’Sean Jones , and Third World , then immerse yourself in the roving performers, book talks and marketplace. There’s a little something-something for the kids too: Ballet Folklorico of Detroit , Detroit Youth Choir , TeMaTe African Drum & Dance , Fyütch and Mosaic Youth Theater are particularly delightful. Free for museum members and kids 13 and under. $15 non-member adults, $10 for adults over 65.

👻 Embrace your own weirdness at the Oddities & Curiosities Expo in Novi at Suburban Collection Showplace on Saturday and Sunday. Peruse antique and handcrafted goods from a curated set of vendors, including taxidermy, skulls and bones, funeral collectibles and even medical devices from a bygone era. You might also catch a cool, quirky show here and there as you mingle with other weirdos (kidding!). $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Free for kids 12 and under.

🎻 Bless your ears with an afternoon of music at the Chandler Park Community Arts and Music Festival on Saturday. This day of fun featuring Detroit Symphony Orchestra players, kid-friendly art-making and games will take place by the park’s old tennis courts on the streets of Frankfort and Gray. Free.

♀️ Commune with others and your fabulous feminine side on Saturday at the Sheometry Music & Arts Festival at Spot Lite. Hosted by DJ Stacey Hotwaxx Hale , listen to some fabulous poetry, let the kids boogie at a kiddie rave and sweat out your stress with a workout and yoga session led by Giustina Easton . Then send the kids home for back-to-back beats late into the night. 21+ after 5 p.m. Free for all ages from noon to 5 p.m. $15-20.

🛍️ Shop until you drop on Sunday as Shed 5 at Eastern Market transforms into the Shed 5 Flea , an open-air market with vintage clothing, antiques, architectural salvage, jewelry and other handmade treasures. If you get a little peckish, grab some delicious eats at Supino’s or Beyond Juice, two nearby shops we’re excited to see open after last year’s tragic fire . Free.

🪁 Let’s go fly a kite (literally) on Sunday at the Detroit Kite Festival on Belle Isle. Stop by Cricket Field near the James Scott Memorial Fountain to create magic in the air with beautiful, colorful kites of all sizes. In addition to making the best of all the Instagram-worthy, kite-dotted photo ops, fill your belly with delicious food from food trucks and groove to live music. A state recreation passport is required to enter Belle Isle by car, but entry is free for everyone else. The festival is free.

🍦 Cool off from the heat with delicious ice cream on Sunday at Chrome and Cones , a car show and ice cream social hosted by the North Rosedale Park Civic Association. Head to the newly improved Community House at 18445 Scarsdale St. for your cold treat, then check out some fancy cars. Free.

Next week

🧘🏾‍♀ Take time out this week by going within during Mindful Mondays series at Gabriel Richard Park on the Detroit riverfront. This week’s workshop is Intro to Mindfulness which will focus on what mindfulness is and why it matters. Mindful Mondays will continue through August, so if you like it, catch the next one! Bring your own water, journal and yoga mat. Free.

🏃 If you’re a runner looking to go to the next level, check out Track Workout Tuesdays at Wayne State University. Join Stef Heyser and Justin Craig , both coaches certified by the Road Runners Club of America, for free weekly workouts on the Wayne State University track through Oct. 8. Workouts will start with a mobility warmup and running drills. Then, the coaches will help you build speed for your fall races, culminating in the Detroit Free Press Marathon! Ready to go the distance? Make sure to complete the emergency contact form before attending your first workout, and don’t forget your water! Free.

🎼 Party all week long at Detroit’s annual Concert of Colors Festival , which officially kicks off Wednesday. The festival takes place across multiple venues in the Cultural Center, throughout the city and in Dearborn, but get in on the action on Wednesday by heading to the Scarab Club to check out improvisational group Silver Chord . Check out the full festival lineup — Transglobal Underground , Don Was and The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra are our top picks to check out. Free.

🍗 There’s no better duo in Detroit than poetry and parks … except maybe wine and chicken wings. If you agree, head to Poetry in the Park/Whine and Wangz at The Avalon Village in Highland Park on Wednesday for an evening of spoken word, food and drinks. Some things are just better in pairs. 🤝🏾 $15.

Things to do in Detroit this week: Hot DAM! Show, African World Festival and Kite Festival · Outlier Media