Paint the Park and Brighton Art Fair are this weekend, plus Bourbon and Blues Fest brings the groove to Eastern Market and more.

Brighton Art Fair

Main St. in Brighton
Aug. 21-23
 Free

In the heart of Brighton’s downtown, the Brighton Art Fair brings 125 juried artists together. Attendees can shop craft items, make their own goods, and listen to live music—not to mention visiting Brighton’s established shops and restaurants in the area! 

Paint the Park and Downriver bike ride

Downtown Allen Park
Aug 21-22
Free

The Mural People and Allen Park’s Downtown Development Authority host Paint the Park this weekend, alongside Slow Roll Detroit. As eight murals come to life across the city, guests are welcome to watch art demonstrations, shop vendors and get craftkits. Plus, Slow Roll Detroit hosts their first Downriver bike ride on Saturday morning. 

EVE premiere

 Arab American National Museum
Aug. 21-22
$15

The Arab American National Museum hosts the premiere of “Eve”, a retelling of John Milton’s Paradise Lost through the lens of queer Palestinian resistance. The play is a 90 minute live performance written by Arab American National Museum writers-in-residence George Abraham and Fargo Missim Tbakhi.

WIDAFEST

 Windsor, Ontario
Aug. 20-23
Free entry

With vibrant music, cultural performances, and workshops all around, WIDAfest promises to bring carnival energy to Lanspeary Park and offers plenty of delicious food to buy and unique artisan crafts too. This year, the African and Caribbean celebration joins forces with the Toronto Caribbean Festival to bring more fun than ever before.

Outlaw Music Fest

Pine Knob
Aug. 22
$27+

Pine Knob Music Theater in Clarkston hosts iconic artists including Don Was and the Pan Detroit Ensemble, the Avett Brothers, Sierra Hull and more, headlined by Willie Nelson. As it returns for the eleventh year, the eclectic show brings rare talents together across generations for a boot-stomping performance.

Renaissance Festival

 Holly, Mich.
Aug. 22-Oct. 4
$50 in advance, $55 at door

Enter a realm of medieval magic, with trained performers, artisans, pub crawls and more at Michigan’s Renaissance Festival. This weekend marks the opening of the season, with the theme “Pirates and Pups.” 

Detroit Bourbon and Blues Fest

Eastern Market Shed 5
Aug. 23
$25 

For the fourth year running, Detroit Bourbon and Blues brings live music, bourbon and whiskey tasting, and great vibes to the Eastern Market. Stop by to enjoy the songs and drinks anytime from noon to 7 p.m.

This weekend offers a feast of food-based festivals around metro Detroit, including a pierogi fest, a vegan extravaganza, the aptly named Detroit Foodie Fest and a zesty Pickle Festival. In the coming week, it’s time for live music with WDET’s Sounds Like Detroit and more.

Dearborn Homecoming

Ford Field Park
Aug. 7-9
 Free

Dearborn Homecoming is back. Visit a collection of local artists and non profits manning the booths. Meet DCFC players, PAWS the Tigers mascot and more. Activities include crafting, a kid-centered “Baby Bash”, live music with headliners Martina McBride and Chance the Rapper. Plus, we can’t forget the firework show! Check the schedule to see what events are going on, from noon to 10:30 p.m. both days.

CatVideoFest

Detroit Institute of Arts
Aug. 7-9
$11.50

Sit back and enjoy a curated showing of feline films. Handpicked by organizers who receive unique submissions throughout the year, the CatVideoFest is an annual event at the Detroit Film Theater. Tickets cost $11.50 for general admission, with a discount for members, seniors and students. A portion of ticket sales go to supporting pet-centered charities, shelters, and humane societies.

Sweetest Heart of Mary Pierogi Festival

 Sweetest Heart of Mary Church
Aug. 7-9
Free

Starting at noon both days, this festival offers Polish culture on a platter. Enjoy cuisine like the pierogi, live music, a beer tent, a resale shop or take a stroll through the church’s gift store. 

Pickle Fest

 Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill in Armada, Mich.
Aug. 8-9, 15-16
$11.37

Pickle lovers, this one’s for you. Blake’s Pickle Festival gives attendees the chance to get hands-on pickling experience from picking cucumbers to building your own brine, as well as an array of pickled food and drinks. And no festival would be complete without a unique blend of music and market stalls to catch your eyes and ears. There’s also pickle contests to properly celebrate the pros. Stop by between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Detroit Foodie Fair / Detroit Vegan

 Eastern Market Shed 5
Aug. 9
Free

The 7th annual Detroit Foodie Fair is hosted in conjunction with Detroit Vegan to offer a wide spread of delicious bites from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Taste the best food truck court Detroit has to offer and browse stalls selling kitchen wares and goods. Learn more about getting plant-based foods in your diet. You’ll have the chance to vote for Detroit’s Best Foodie Find as well.

Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing

 Cranbrook Institute of Science
Aug. 12
$50 in advance, $55 at door

Stay late at the Cranbrook Institute of Science to catch a meteor shower alight in the night sky. Cranbrook offers a spread of activities to keep guests engaged, including yard games, a dusk nature walk, astronomy lessons and more. The Warren Astronomical Society will be in attendance to speak to the science behind the stars and provide telescope viewings. Get tickets in advance— pre-sale ends on Monday, Aug. 10!

SOUNDS LIKE DETROIT

 Batch Brewing Company
Aug. 13
$30 / $35 

Join WDET at Batch Brewing in Corktown for a Detroit Tiny Desk concert! Selected by listener votes, four local artists will be performing live and on stage, including KTCHN, Aisha Ellis, Jubilee Jackson, and Michelle Held. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show going from 7-10 p.m.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has lifted the precaution to avoid bagged mixed salad mixes. Officials say new cyclosporiasis case reports and emergency department visits are on the decline. Data show most exposures occurred in late June and early July.

Officials are saying the majority of contaminated lettuce is likely no longer available for consumption. The department will continue updating outbreak data every Thursday. Officials continue to recommend avoiding the recalled lettuce. 

 Additional headlines for Aug. 6, 2026

Dearborn Homecoming

The City of Dearborn’s 45th Homecoming Festival starts tomorrow Aug.7. The festival opens at noon at Ford Field Park with an official ribbon cutting will take place under the park’s covered bridge at 12:30 p.m.

The event will feature live music, carnival rides, an arts district, a vendor village and more. Musical headliners include country singer Martina McBride on Saturday and Grammy award winning artist Chance the Rapper on Sunday. Both performances will be followed up by a fireworks show at 10 p.m.

Festival hours are noon to 10:30 p.m. daily. After 4 p.m., children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Admission is free. The festival runs this weekend only.

 Supplemental food program expands income threshhold

More Michigan families may qualify for Woman, Infant, Children (WIC) benefits. The state health department has increased the income threshold for the program, which provides women, infants, and children with supplemental food, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health and social services. A family of four can now qualify with an annual income of up to $61,050.

WIC helps about 187,000Michigan residents every month. 

 DDOT public hearing

The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is hosting a public hearing on August 20 at 4 p.m. to discuss and receive feedback on potential service changes taking effect on Sept. 7. The public hearing will be virtual.

The public can submit feedback through email to ddotcomments@detroitmi.gov  until Friday, Sept. 4.

 Asian American artist showcase

The Asian American based non-profit Rising Voices is announcing their 2026 artist and creative cohort exhibition. Titled “Revolution, Resistance, and Joy”, the exhibition showcases the work of Michigan Asian American artists.

The show starts August 7 with an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. at the Swords into Plowshares Gallery located on 33 East Adams Street in Detroit. The exhibition runs through Aug. 22.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The PBS show ‘Spice Road’ took a trip to the densest city in Michigan to get a taste of the thriving Bengali culture in Hamtramck. Their first stop was Amar Pizza, which was named of the top 22 pizza places in the country by The New York Times.

Rupak Ginn, host of ‘Spice Road,’ says the boldly flavored Naga and Ghost Pepper Pizzas stand out from other fusion-foods he’s tasted on the show. “There were flavors that were similar to home, so I thought that was so innovative.”

Documentary Film Producer Razi Jafri directed and produced the latest episode of Spice Road. He lives in Hamtramck and says with food tourism shows, it’s important to strike a balance between spotlighting a restaurant and upending the charm of a local favorite.

“We want people to know about this cuisine, but we also want to keep it a secret as well,” says Jafri.

Jafri and Ginn joined The Metro to talk about Hamtramck’s one-of-a-kind culture and what the public gets wrong about the city.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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