This week, we’ve got local markets for every occasion, from Mother’s Day to Cinco de Mayo. Plus, new art exhibits, live DJ sets from your favorite WDET hosts and an immersive Star Wars cantina experience. Read on to learn more.

Shop around

On Saturday, May 3, Swanky Lady Couture is partnering with Wayne County Community College to present an early Mother’s Day Market. There will be a flower bouquet bar, a permanent jewelry station, professional family portraits and more to inspire Mother’s Day gift ideas. Food trucks will be available on-site. Admission is free and the event goes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit their Eventbrite page.

Also on Saturday, May 3, Batch Brewing is hosting a “Derby de Mayo” celebration featuring a Mexican market, lucha libre wrestling, and themed food and cocktail specials for both Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby. The market will highlight local vendors selling everything from jewelry to juices from noon to 6 p.m., then wrestling is scheduled for 7–9 p.m. Food trucks from Taqueria El Rey and La Sultana will be on-site starting at noon and guests can watch the derby in the taproom. For more information, visit Batch Brewing Company on Facebook.

The 7th Annual Urban Arts & Eatery Expo returns to Eastern Market on Sunday, May 4 from 2–6 p.m. Visitors can enjoy beverages and street food from around the world while exploring over 60 local vendors offering unique and handmade goods. Early bird tickets are $3 online. For more information, visit urbanartsexpo.com.

See a show

On Saturday, May 3, Spot Lite Detroit is throwing a 39th Birthday Bash & Fundraiser for the Heidelberg Project, one of the longest-running outdoor art installations in the city. Starting at 7 p.m., there will be live DJ sets from Kenjiro, Liz Warner (host of Alternate Take Thursdays at 8 p.m. on WDET), Shigeto (host of The New Music Show Saturdays at 8 p.m. on WDET), Turtle Bugg and Waajeed (host of The Boulevard Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on WDET). Tickets are $23 online. For more information, visit ra.co.

From Wednesday, May 7 through Sunday, May 11, the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn is hosting the 18th Annual Arab Film Festival, featuring the best critically-acclaimed and award-winning films of the Arab and Arab American world. Genres include drama, comedy and documentary, in both short-form and feature lengths. Each film is subtitled in English and can be watched either in-person at the museum or virtually. Tickets can be purchased separately for each screening, or passes are available for the full festival. For more information, visit aanmfilmfest25.eventive.org.

Explore an exhibit

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History’s newest exhibition, “Luminosity: A Detroit Arts Gathering,” celebrates 60 years of The Wright with over 60 artworks from present-day Detroit artists, long-departed masters and the museum’s archive. Spanning painting, sculpture, photography and more, “Luminosity” illuminates Detroit’s creative spirit through shared histories, personal reflections and bold artistic exploration. The exhibit is on display now through March 2026. For more information, visit thewright.org.

One of MOCAD’s newest exhibitions, “Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art,” explores the relationship between Black cultural production and the legacy of computation as a mode of creative inspiration. The exhibition builds on an archival timeline of radical visions from Black makers and thinkers and brings together an intergenerational roster of contemporary artists to unpack the correlation between body and machine, informed further by the “age of the internet.” The exhibition opens on Friday, May 2 and will be on display through August 10. For more information, visit mocadetroit.org.

Detroit Historical Museum’s newest exhibition is “Heroes vs. Villains: Detroit’s Comic Book Story.” Opening on Saturday, May 3, the exhibition highlights Detroit’s contributions to the world of comic books and the generations of local creatives and fans that brought the world of comics to a wider audience and created fandom as we know it today. For more information, visit detroithistorical.org.

The DIA is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with special programming throughout the month of May. In collaboration with AAPI community groups and professional artists, the museum will showcase a dynamic mix of traditional and contemporary dance, music, visual art and more. This year’s celebration includes elements from Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Mongolian, Taiwanese and Vietnamese cultures. To see their full list of events and learn more, visit dia.org.

Feel the force

Calling all Star Wars fans! For five days only, Space Dive 313 has transformed Tangent Gallery in Detroit into a fully-immersive intergalactic cantina. Guests are required to arrive in full costume in order to maintain the Detroitooine experience. Tickets are $60 and still available for Friday, May 2, Sunday, May 4 (May the fourth be with you), Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10. The bar is open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. For more information, visit Space Dive on Facebook.

This week, we’ve got excuses to shop local and performances across genres. Plus, some upcoming events you won’t want to miss. Read on to learn more.

Shop local

Saturday, April 12 is Record Store Day, a chance for artists to release limited-edition pressings and for vinyl collectors to show some love to their favorite record stores. You can check out some of our favorite local stores here. To celebrate the incredible independent record stores in and around the Motor City, we’re offering an exclusive Record Store Day member drawing! Anyone who makes a gift to WDET on April 11 or April 12 will be automatically entered into the drawing to receive a swag bag filled with gift certificates from participating record stores, vinyl from Third Man Records and more. To learn more, visit wdet.org/events.

Sunday, April 13 is the 11th Annual All Things Detroit Day at Eastern Market. This unique shopping experience brings 200 small businesses together for your convenience, each offering Detroit-made goods from handcrafted treasures to delicious treats. Doors open at noon and general admission is $7. For more information, visit allthingsticketing.com.

See a show

Wayne State’s Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre & Dance is doing a production of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s captivating play, “Emilia,” at the Hilberry Gateway April 11-19. Set in Elizabethan England, the play follows trailblazing poet Emilia Bassano on her journey from obscurity to empowerment as she navigates a society dominated by men. With a blend of humor, passion and raw emotion, “Emilia” celebrates female resilience and the power of women’s voices throughout history. Tickets are $27 for the general public, $22 for seniors, WSU Alumni, and WSU Employees, and $17 for students. For more information, visit theatreanddance.wayne.edu.

On Saturday, April 12, Miss Eva’s in Detroit is hosting poet, author, educator and Spirit of Detroit Award recipient Joel Fluent Greene for their Saturday Night Unplugged series. Greene will perform some of his raw, soulful poetry while accompanied by musician Al Bettis onstage. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 online or $20 at the door. For more information, visit their Eventnoire page.

On Monday, April 14, Aretha’s Jazz Café is honoring legendary blues singer Bessie Smith with a tribute show as part of their Preservation of Jazz series. This special event features Detroit’s own “Queen of the Blues,” Thornetta Davis, as she performs an evening of classics by the pioneering “Empress of the Blues.” Doors open at 6 p.m., music starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $50. For more information, visit jazzcafedetroit.com.

Mark your calendar

On Saturday, April 19, join us at the historic Garden Theater in Detroit to celebrate the life and legacy of Judy Adams, a remarkable musician, radio host and educator. This free event is open to all, and will feature live music, original artwork and light refreshments. Please RSVP on Facebook if you plan to attend. For more information, visit wdet.org/events.

Then on Sunday, April 20, we’re heading over to Harpos Concert Theatre in Detroit to celebrate Gospel and Blues music as part of the Concert of Colors’ “In the Neighborhood” series. This free event is open to all, and will feature live performances from Thornetta Davis, Rev. Robert Jones and the Jones Family, and Nikki D. and Sisters of Thunder. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and music starts at 6 p.m. For more information, visit wdet.org/events.