The Season Fair, a free non-profit contemporary art fair, returns second year at The Shepherd in Detroit from Sept. 11-13.

Season Talks at the College for Creative Studies will open the fair with Theo Parrish, Sterling Toles, KESSWA, and more on Sept. 10. It’s free.

Amani Olu is the founder and curatorial director of Season Fair. He reported that Season’s funding comes from ticket sales, sponsorships, and individual donations as they seek to find new ways to pay artists. “A lot of artists are pushing back against the 50-50 split because the galleries are not earning it,” Olu said.

Oshun Williams is a featured fine artist on the Detroit Presents Artist Platform. Though his chosen medium has been acrylic on canvas, Williams also uses newspaper, chenille patches, bows, buttons, and even Michigan mittens for mixed media designs.

His works depicts everyday life with themes that resonate with people across culture and class, especially those who come from families who moved north for better opportunities. “My grandfather just passed away last year, so it was a good way to bring it back to life and pretty much celebrate him,” Williams said.

Olu and Williams joined The Metro not only to discuss the weekend ahead and emphasize the importance of investing in art.

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.

More stories from The Metro

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, fondly remembering the interpretive genius of Cassandra Wilson who passed this week at age 70.

In happier music news, Jazzfest is here, and we’ll play some of our favorite performers in town, including some cool in-studio takes. Also, Sept. 5 is Loudon Wainwright III’s 80th birthday, so a tip of the hat to the tragi-comic troubadour happens this week as well!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for September 5, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “I Can’t Stand The Rain” – Cassandra Wilson ft. Chris Whitley
• “26-2” – Ravi Coltrane
• “After The Love Is Gone” – Kurt Elling (Acoustic Cafe recording)
• “Touchdown” – Bob James
• “Motel Blues” – Loudon Wainwright III (Acoustic Cafe recording)
• “Say That You Love Me” – Loudon Wainwright III (Acoustic Cafe recording)
• “You Can’t Fail Me Now” – Loudon Wainwright III & Lucy Wainwright Roche (Acoustic Cafe recording)
• “There Is Power In A Union” – Billy Bragg (Acoustic Cafe recording, live at Meadowbrook, July 2, 1995)

HOUR TWO:

• “Seven Steps” – Cassandra Wilson
• “I Can’t Get Next To You” – Dee Dee Bridgewater
• “Stepping Out” – Kurt Elling (Acoustic Cafe recording)
• “Meet The Wainwrights” – Loudon Wainwright III & family
• “Road Ode” – Loudon Wainwright III
• “One Man Guy” – Rufus Wainwright
• “Fanfare For Unity” – Joe Lovano
• “Yes We Can” – Catherine Russell
• “Cominando” – Ron Carter & Foursight
• “Harvest Moon” – Cassandra Wilson

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to having fun this Labor Day weekend. Events you’ve waited all year for return, like the world’s largest free jazz festival in Detroit, Royal Oak’s Arts, Beats & Eats, the Michigan State Fair and more. Plus, a toast to sandwich lovers in Detroit.

On Labor Day itself, a union march goes through Corktown, and you can see the results of the first ever Union Hall Arts Residency.

Upcoming events (Sept. 3-10)

Opening Celebration – Detroit Month of Design

Little Village Detroit
Sept. 3
Free

Detroit Month of Design officially starts at this activation hosted by Design Core Detroit and Little Village. From 5-7 p.m., an outdoor activation opens the River Trail with interactive art, architectural installations, food, entertainment and more. After that is a Design Crawl through the corridor, wrapping up with at Father Forgive Me bar.

Michigan State Fair

Vibe Credit Union Showplace
Sept. 3-7
$10

The Michigan State Fair brings classic fair foods, Michigan agriculture, and all the entertainment you can imagine under one roof. There will be magic shows, performances by the Rock-N-Roll K-9’s, pig races, carnival games and more—plus, we can’t forget the Butter Cow on display! Some events, like the Full Throttle Monster Truck Show and carnival rides require additional costs.

Arts, Beats & Eats

 Downtown Royal Oak
Sept. 4-7
$15

Arts, Beats & Eats is back in downtown Royal Oak with over 200 musical acts setting the playlist for your Labor Day weekend. Walk through the Fine Art Fair on Washington Street, hit up 11 stages for music, culinary demonstrations, interactive science experiments and more—and eat well while doing it with more than 65 food vendors on site.

Jazz Fest

 Hart Plaza
Sept. 4-7
Free 

The largest free jazz music festival in the world returns to Detroit this Labor Day weekend, with Artist-in-Residence Joe Lovano threaded into each day of the four day festival. Bounce between four stages to catch your favorites in a jam-packed setlist, including artists like the Ravie Coltrane Quartet, marking 100 years since John Coltrane’s birth; Dee Dee Bridgewater singing alongside pianist Bill Charlap; sisters Tia Fuller and Shamie Fuller-Royston and much, much more.

Art on the Ave

 Livernois Ave
Sept. 5
Free

Immerse yourself in the lively arts community rooted in Detroit’s historic Avenue of Fashion. This event brings together local entrepreneurs, creatives, restaurants and more. Art galleries will be ready to welcome visitors, including Jo’s Gallery, Sherwood Forest Art, Art in Motion and others along the corridor. This family-friendly event is a part of Detroit Month of Design.

Hamtramck Labor Day Festival

 Joseph Campau
Sept. 5-7
Free

Fill your Labor Day with fun at Hamtramck’s Labor Day Festival! Get swept up in the parade, jam at two stages of live music, ride some thrilling carnival rides, and cheer while watching the staple yacht race. The festival is held all weekend and Monday from noon to 11 p.m. each day. 

Detroit Sandwich Party

Eastern Market Shed 5
Sept. 6
Free

There’s truly a sandwich for everyone, and you’d be sure to find several to suit your taste at this all-day event dedicated to the culinary art of putting stuff between slices of bread. Accompanying beverages will be available for sale alongside small-format sandwiches. Swing by and party with the best Detroit sandwichmakers around from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Labor Day Union March | Union Hall Arts Residency Showcase

Corktown
Sept. 7
Free

Take part in the true spirit of the holiday at this march organized by Michigan’s American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.Staging begins around 7 a.m. on the corner of Trumbull and Michigan Ave in Corktown. The march sets off at 9 a.m. and heads west to Roosevelt Park, where labor leaders and other guests will speak around 10 a.m.

Following the march, the first ever Union Hall Arts Residency showcase opens its doors at Talking Dolls studio. This summer, the pilot residency brought the labor movement and the arts together, helping union members practice their craft. Artists include a novel writing electrician, a hotel housekeeper, who’s doing a large scale painting on canvas, a beat-making plumber, and so many more. Stop by from 1-4 p.m.

The Michigan State Fair comes to the Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi on September 3, 2026.

It’s a smaller event than the original state fair in Detroit, which usually began a week-and-a-half before Labor Day. Billed as one of America’s oldest state fairs, Michigan’s annual tradition drew more than 1 million people at its peak in the 1960s.

By the early 21st century, attendance and revenue had fallen so much that the state couldn’t afford to keep it going. The 2009 fair had 217,000 visitors. Almost two months later, then-Governor Jennifer Granholm vetoed funding for the fair.

A few years later, members of Michigan’s agriculture industry rounded up corporate sponsors and revived the event. They’ve held it in Novi since 2012.

Riley Stechschulte is the manager of volunteers and sponsor relations for Michigan State Fair, LLC. She says their agriculture and livestock teams are the heart of the event.

“They had the heart to bring it back so that future generations would have the fair,” she says. “It’s turned into something that families love to attend every single year.”

The tradition lives

Stechschulte says the fair draws an average of 200, 000 visitors over 5 days. It covers a smaller area than the old Detroit fairgrounds, much of which has been redeveloped.

But she says it has something for everyone to enjoy.

“We’ve had a circus in the past, we’ve had BMX bikes in the past, and this year we’re going to have monster trucks,” she says. “It’s a good mix of the old and new.”

The “old” elements refer to traditional features such as animal and plant exhibits showcasing the agriculture industry. One of the highlights is a cow sculpted from Michigan butter. Stechschulte says first-time fairgoers are surprised to learn how much farming matters to the state.

“Agriculture is the second largest industry in Michigan,” she says. “People who live in southeast Michigan don’t see just how much of the state is cornfields and livestock farms.”

Besides sweet corn, Michigan is a major producer of apples, cherries, grapes, peaches, berries, and asparagus.

The next generation of farmers isn’t necessarily rural

The fair gives children living on Michigan farms a chance to show what they’ve learned. But Stechschulte says city kids get involved, too.

“We have an urban scholarship program as well as a livestock and agriculture scholarship for youth involved in the fair,” she says. “Our goal is to get those kids together from rural areas and urban areas and have them teach other about the things that they do.”

The Michigan State Fair runs Sept. 3-7. Admission is $10.

Animation fans have long awaited the release of “Coyote vs Acme.”

The Looney Tunes film blends live-acting and animation into a movie that sees the character, Wile E Coyote, in a legal battle with Acme after the Acme products the Coyote uses to catch Roadrunner keep failing.

The project was finished, but it was shelved by Warner Brothers in 2023 for a tax write off. After fans pushed for the release, “Coyote vs. Acme” is now in theaters.

And the film has some local ties.

Detroiter Bennie Taylor plays a character role in “Coyote Vs Acme.” Since 2020, he’s played various character roles and continues to see his screentime grow.

In 2026, Taylor was featured in the film “Buddy,” starring Keegan-Michael Key, a Michigan native, Patton Oswalt and Delaney Quinn.

Taylor spoke with The Metro’s Tia Graham about his career, Detroit and the future.

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.

More stories from The Metro

Today kicks off the 16th annual Detroit Month of Design. 

Kiana Wenzell is the co-executive director of Design Core Detroit and the director of Detroit Month of Design.  She explains this year’s theme, “Design Moves the Future.”

“Whether you’re moving forward, moving backwards, or just dancing and moving your body and getting the energy moving, let’s put our ideas into motion if we want to move this city in this region forward,” she says. 

The event will feature contemporary designers, from 250 applications, and 100 events over 30 days.

“When you go to an exhibition, whether it’s an exhibition at Scarab Club or an exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts, it’s gonna be the work of practitioners that are doing things in our city today,” says Wenzell.

Wenzell says others can learn from Detroit’s progress. “As you face different social and economic ups and downs, what can you lean on that’s inherently within you, and what’s within your community, and I think Detroit’s always been great about that, even when the storylines weren’t saying that.”

Wenzell adds that the event works to build community and is always evolving.

“So even though this is our 16th year, the festival’s never the same because we’re not the same from year to year. The festival also helps to showcase the changing tapestry of our city. Detroit is is changing fast, not only downtown, but the commercial corridors,” she says.

In 2015, Detroit received the City of Design designation from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for creating art, which improves the quality of people’s lives. 

Detroit is the only City of Design to receive this designation in the U.S.    

What’s behind Majesty Hope Blands’ woven purpose?

A native Detroiter, Bland is a seamstress, tailor and fiber artist. As an alum of the College for Creative Studies and ISAIC, Bland has taken what she’s learned and tested its limits.

Bland creates one-of-one pieces that invite people to reconsider their relationship with their clothes.

Working with upcycled materials and whatever is around her at the moment, Bland sees resourcefulness not as a gimmick, but as a way of life.

In this episode, we learn a little more about Majesty Hope Bland.

CONTAINER On The Metro is a WDET produced storytelling series that brings Detroit’s creative heartbeat to the airwaves. 

CONTAINER is a program created by The Love Building. Its goal is to showcase Detroit’s creative talent across music, fashion, fine arts and food. Done in collaboration with WDET Public Radio with major support from the Gilbert Family Foundation.

Subscribe to Container on The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, fondly remembering Dolly Parton through her own music and interpretations, as well as covers by others.

We also say a fond farewell to the great Tim Curry, and introduce you to some new music from Wyclef Jean, The Womack Sisters, Detroit’s latest newcomer Ayla Ottenbreit and more.

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for August 29, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “French Quarter” – Wyclef Jean
• “Soul Bossa Nova” – Quincy Jones
• “Candy Apple” – Ayla Ottenbreit
• “I Wonder” – Prince
• “I Will Always Love You” – Dolly Parton
• “Two Doors Down” – Meshell Ndegeocello
• “Seven Bridges Road” – Dolly Parton
• “California Sober” – Iron & Wine
• “Talk It Over” – Leon Bridges
• “Love Me Not” – Grace Potter (Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “I Do The Rock” – Tim Curry (RIP)

HOUR TWO:

• “Rocinha” – Wyclef Jean
• “Rocket Man” – Bob James
• “Human (Sad Gay Version)” – Brandi Carlile
• “Little Sparrow” – Dolly Parton
• “9 To 5” – Alison Krauss
• “World On Fire” – Dolly Parton
• “Don’t Look Any Further” – Meshell Ndegeocello & Liana La Havas
• “Laughter And Tears” – The Womack Sisters
• “How Love’s Supposed To Go” – Alabama Shakes
• “I Am Ready” – Dolly Parton

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

Art opens a window into policy, comedy brightens the end of summer and a pop-up vintage and craft market sweeps through the Majestic Theatre.

Jump into beauty and take part in community this week in Metro Detroit. 

Upcoming events (Aug. 27 to Sept. 3)

What’s So Funny About Detroit?

The Old Miami
Aug. 27
$35 / $30 in advance for WDET members

WDET invites you to have the last laugh of the summer at the Old Miami. Thursday is the final What’s So Funny About Detroit Comedy Showcase, and this 21+ performance is headlined by T. Barb, one of the best comedians to come out of Detroit. Other performers include Andy Peters, Brianna Blackburn, Nicole Melnyk and Jeffrey Ford. The doors open at 6 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. Tito’s Handmade Vodka will be offering signature cocktails on-site.

In Her Honor

Various locations in Detroit
Aug 26-28
?

“In Her Honor” is an art series honoring women of color who passed due to maternal health complications. The events around the art, displayed at Mothering Justice’s office in Eastern Market on Friday, aim to uplift information on maternal health and connect participants with solutions to a devastating crisis in maternal health.

Dream Pop-Up: Voting Rights Community Art Project

 Affirmations in Ferndale
Aug. 28
Free

Make a small artpiece in support of voting rights with Stand with Trans and Indivisble Metro Detroit at Affirmations in Ferndale. This event is the second in a program series designed to give young adults from 16-24 a creative outlet while engaging them in community. Art made at this event will be displayed at Art Prize in Grand Rapids. Come join the event from 5-7 p.m. Art supplies will be provided.

Northwoods Improvisers

 Detroit Institute of Arts
Aug. 28
Free with cost of admission

Enjoy live music in the DIA’s Rivera Court. The Northwoods Improvisers have been playing for 50 years, and have had Detroit saxophonist Tony Holland from Griot Galaxy in the lineup for the past year. Let the Improvisers surprise you with their unique performance style starting at 7 p.m.

Fleatroit

Majestic Theatre
Aug. 30
Free

Vintage and craft vendors take over the Majestic Theatre as a part of the “Zania Mania” celebration marking 80 years of the Zania family owning The Garden Bowl. Shop your heart out from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and enjoy some pizza, bowling, and a live DJ set while you’re at it. 

Jazz at the Dossin

 Dossin Great Lakes Museum
Aug. 30
$5

Come out for the last show of the summer concert series Jazz at the Dossin! The afternoon show features the Stephen Grady Jr. Quartet, as Grady honors jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s birthday.

Art in the Elements

Meadow Brook Hall 
Sept. 2-3
$25 

Meander through the grounds and interior of Meadow Brook Hall historic mansion and immerse yourself in elaborate floral art inspired by the cosmos. Admission includes a self-guided tour and admission to Dan’s Cabin and Knole Cottage. Join the premiere and evening tour from 6-9 p.m., with final admission at 8 p.m.

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, a couple tracks from Martha Reeves’ first album in 22 years. At age 85, she’s delivered a really cool album! Also a couple from the new Michigander (Jason Singer) album.

We also say a fond farewell to Frank Beard, founding member and drummer in the trio ZZ Top, who passed this week at age 77.

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for August 22, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “Taxix” – Michigander
• “Freedom Bus” – Sheryl Crow ft. Jesse Welles
• “All Around” – The Womack Sisters
• “Across 110th Street” – Bobby Womack
• “I Got It Bad” – Martha Reeves
• “Disappearing Act” – Beck
• “Watch You Dance” – Leon Bridges
• “Sunshine” – Jungle
• “How Many People” – Ziggy Marley ft. Nikka Costa
• “Punish My Mind” – @
• “Shake Shake Dance For Me” – Jon Muq
• “One Man’s Trash…” – Eli Paperboy Reed
• “Lonely USA” – MEELS
• “Ten Dollar Man” – ZZ Top (RIP Frank Beard, 8/17/26)

HOUR TWO:

• “Oh Good” – Michigander
• “One Of Us” – Brandon Flowers
• “Sage” – Joy Oladokun
• “Radio Up” – Ayla Ottenbreit
• “To Know You Is To Love You” – Martha Reeves
• “Lost Boys” – Phoebe Bridgers
• “Memories” – beabadoobee
• “You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore” – The War & Treaty
• “Move” – Mac Saturn
• “Oh No Now My” – This Is Lorelei
• “Ahead By A Century (live)” – The Tragically Hip
• “Human” – Brandi Carlile
• “Cheap Sunglasses” – ZZ Top (RIP Frank Beard, 8/17/26)

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

It feels so good to go to an art show you can actually touch.

At this mini-show for textile artist Katrina Santa Ana Jose’s “The Room Breathes In,” you can actually sit down on one of her pieces. 

It’s a small foam cushion called “Soft Landing” (a steal at $250!) sewn with competing flannel-esque textiles on the outside. It’s warm and inviting with at least one patron sprawling out on “Soft Landing” to take a photo.

You know how good it feels to go to a show that’s actually functional? 

When I say “mini-show,” it’s not a comment on the substance of the show. It’s the fact that it’s actually quite small. Not just the collection itself (six pieces total), but the space it’s in.

Grüna Gallery is basically a makeshift hallway separating the facade and the artist studio of Louise Jones, who operates Grüna and is hosting “The Room Breathes In.” The location blends in with the rest of the brick-and-mortar retail on this block in Grosse Pointe Park.

It’s a bite-sized model I’d love to see more artists’ consider using their own space for.

Outside of the use of space and location, the show itself is a lovely one that likely wouldn’t feel as welcoming and comforting in a larger space, or if it was stuffed in as part of a group show. 

Like the natural fibers she’s using, Santa Ana Jose’s textile creations breathe. Aside from the cushion, the rest are hanging pieces — perhaps as standalone art but here mainly envisioned as curtains allowing light to pour into the mini-gallery. As guests walk by, they grab the fabrics and stretch them out to see the details and let go to watch the fabric waft back into its hanging position. It’s a simple yet utterly satisfying part of “The Room Breathes In.” It’s material you’re used to, but presented as art, which you’re never able to play with like this (gently, of course).

For this show, they are made from a bunch of leftover aprons and other oddities from a former butcher shop in Mount Clemens that she stumbled upon during an estate sale. You can see some of the original logos and uses for these materials still on her creations.

That’s the beating heart of her practice — breathing new life into old fabrics or, as it’s described in a release about the show, the “process of grief becoming material reconstruction.” Because the fabrics she’s using are natural fibers (for this show, mainly cotton and linen), they can “ultimately return to the earth, completing a cycle of reuse and regeneration.”

“Upcycling” is the common term thrown around, but that feels cheap and a bit overused for something like this exhibition, which feels elegantly simplistic and light and fresh. 

That’s likely because it’s got an actual ethos behind its creation that goes far beyond a buzzy term.

Katrina Santa Ana Jose’s “The Room Breathes In” is located at
Grüna Gallery, 15304 Kercheval Ave. in Grosse Pointe Park.

This story was originally published on Midbrow. 

The Paint the Park Mural and Art Festival returns to Allen Park, in partnership with the Downtown Development Authority and The Mural People. It’s free and open to the public Aug. 22-23.

This year’s event has grown with more activities for the entire family. Guests can grab an Allen Park watercolor kit, or watch live demonstrations of glass art, woodworking ceramics and more.

Eight muralists will create large-scale public artworks throughout the city, showcasing the vibrancy of the community. There will also be more than 50 artist and maker booths. 

Bike lovers are also encouraged to come out and ready to roll. This year Slow Roll Detroit will complete its first Downriver ride and mural tour led by founder Jason Hall on Saturday.

Jason Hall and Dan Armand, co-founder and co-owner of The Mural People, joined me to talk more about the festival and the Downriver communities.

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.

More stories from The Metro

The American Human Rights Council and the Dearborn Police Department are urging the public not to engage with outside groups expected to attend Dearborn’s city council meeting on Aug.18. Far-right influencer and activist Jake Lang may attend the meeting.

Chief of Police Issa Shahin says outside groups have come to the city to seek attention and provoke confrontations in the past. Shahin says the most powerful thing the community can do is refuse to give them an audience.

Tuesday’s council meeting is the first since Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic nomination for Senate. 

Additional headlines for Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026

Attorney General Nessel warns about scammers

Michigan’s attorney general says scammers posing as banks or credit unions are targeting customers.

Dana Nessel says they use spoofing technology to make their caller ID look legitimate. When the target answers the phone, the scammer claims there’s an issue with the consumer’s account and offers to resolve it in exchange for personal information they can use to steal their money.

Nessel says people who get a call they’re not expecting should hang up and call their financial institution directly.  

Healthy Homes Resource event

The Wayne County Treasurer’s Office and the City of Detroit are holding a Healthy Homes Resource and Foreclosure Prevention Event this Saturday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents can receive assistance with their homeowner’s property exemption application, meet with representatives from the assessor’s office, water department, and more.

Attendees will also have a chance to win a flat screen TV, gift cards and more.

Those who need a ride can call 866-313-2520 to schedule a ride with the Lyft rideshare service. The event will be held at Joesph Walker Williams Center at 8431 Rosa Parks Boulevard.  

Veterans meeting

Detroit’s Civil Rights, Inclusion, and Opportunity Department (CRIO) is hosting a Veteran’s Task Force meeting next Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 2:30-4 p.m. over Zoom.

The meeting is an opportunity for veterans to have their voices heard, share input, and tell city officials about their needs. The event is in partnership with Council member Mary Waters and the Office of Veteran Affairs.

Grant for experimental artists

The non-profit arts organization Culture Source is announcing the Flourish Fund in partnership with the Andy Worhol Foundation.

The grant supports experimental artist-organized projects in Southeast Michigan. The Fund offers six $10,000 grants toward innovative, public-facing projects across the seven counties of Southeast Michigan. 

Applications close Sept. 11.

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

The United Farm Workers Foundation, which advocates for farm workers and immigrants in the U.S., recently released a survey finding most farmworkers are worried about detention and deportation because of the Trump administrations latest immigration crackdown. 

Anna Hill Galendez is the managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. She leads the team providing legal services to farmworkers throughout Michigan.

“So while we haven’t seen large-scale raids at agricultural sites in Michigan during this administration, the constant threat or potential threat of that enforcement has really created a chilling effect and climate of fear for farmworkers in Michigan,” says Galendez.

The UFW Foundation surveyed over 2,200 farm workers in 12 states including Michigan.  The survey found that beyond deportation, people are afraid of seeking medical help, shopping or using social media.   Many have been working in the U.S. for more than 10 years.  

Additional headlines for Monday, Aug. 10, 2026

ProsperUs Plan to Profit

The nonprofit ProsperUs Detroit is hosting a Financial Readiness Accelerator program. The free 3-week program is for entrepreneurs who face financial barriers or have limited access to resources. The courses will cover how to build credit, manage debt and prepare for future funding. 
 
The cohort will be held Sept. 9 through Sept. 23 on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The courses will be held at the JHub at 950 Selden Street. 
 
People have until Aug. 16 to apply at prosperusdetroit.org.

El-Sayed talks with Obama

Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed says he spoke with former President Barack Obama and hopes Obama will campaign with him and other Michigan Democrats. El-Sayed told NBC’s Meet the Press the conversation was warm and inspiring.

Obama did not endorse anyone in the state’s primary election. El-Sayed’s main Democratic rival, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, campaigned on her ties to the Obama administration, where she worked on reviving the auto industry. El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers in November. 
 
-Reporting by Pat Batcheller

Work summit for refugees, immigrants

Registration is open for a workforce summit which aims to create networking opportunities for refugees and new immigrants.

The Southeast Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Collaborative is hosting the 2026 Opportunity Workforce Summit to introduce refugee and immigrant job seekers to employers, workforce organizations and educational institutions.

The event takes place Sept. 22 from 10  a.m to 3 p.m. at the Schoolcraft College, mVistaTech Center in Livonia, Michigan.

Wellness summit

A global movement is bringing a wellness summit to Detroit in October. The Hearth Summit Detroit is focused on communal wellbeing through art and reflection.

Event organizers hope to attract 200 changemakers from Detroit and Wayne County to discuss art, philanthropy and mental health. The organization says they want educators, entrepreneurs, artists and mental health practitioners to work toward a more just and equitable society. 
 
As of last year, there have been 27 regional summits hosted in 18 countries. The event in Detroit will take place Oct. 8-10 at the Kintsugi Village in Corktown. People can sign up at hearthsummitdetroit.com. 

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

Kiara Williams is a dedicated movie lover. Some of her earliest and fondest childhood memories involve watching movies at her grandmother’s apartment and going to the theater with her friends as a teenager.

Last year, while watching the film “Sinners” at the theater, Williams realized it took her over 20 minutes to get there, and it would take her over 20 minutes to get back. The New York native thought it was ridiculous to need a vehicle and a hefty commute to see a movie. 

So, she decided to start her own theater, Treuse Cinema, in the heart of Detroit. 

Williams says movies bring hope—something the city deserves. 

“Movies give us the ability to dream,” Williams says. “One of the elders here that I’ve connected with in Detroit, his name is Maurice, he told me that when movie theaters stopped existing in Detroit, they took away the ability for Detroiters to dream.” 

Williams believes that Detroit should have access to quality films just like any other city.

 She hopes to build that access from the ground up.  

“Detroit has always been a city of stories, and I believe that the lack of a cinematic infrastructure for that medium to be shown, for those stories to be told, is devastating,” Williams said. 

More than just a movie theater

Williams is currently building community support for her project, Treuse Cinema, an expansive tri-use space. 

“This space exists in many different contexts,” she explains. “It’s for filmmakers to come and get inspired, for people to have a good movie-going experience, for the broader film industry to connect with the Detroit talent that’s already been here.”

Right now, Treuse Cinema is just an idea. Williams is searching for a permanent location in the city. Meanwhile, she and her partners have hosted various events to get Detroiters engaged with the concept.

Filmmakers Influx: Detroit

Williams hosted “Filmmakers Influx: Detroit” at The Shepard Art Gallery in July.

The event was designed to connect creatives and encourage collaboration ‘to have an energy of people connecting, stories overlapping that people would have never thought would overlap.’

The event had music, food and a panel of three Detroit-based filmmakers, who spoke about their experiences.

Filmmaker Paisley Sutton sees the need for film spaces in the city. “Detroit has such an amazing art scene, we’ve set the tone for so much culture around the world,” Sutton said. “So, I think it’s only right that we have strong communities, especially film communities here in Detroit.” 

Another panelist, Liv Morris, says that with so many big corporations coming into Detroit, communities like the one Williams is creating are extremely important. “There are a lot of institutions and big corporations coming in, in order to make something of Detroit, versus people who are actually trying to connect with artistic communities—and I think Kiara is one of those people,” Morris said. 

Community is one of the most important aspects of the project for Kiara Williams. She says she wants to create a space where movie-going can become a local, people-focused event. 

“I believe in people power,” Williams said. “I no longer see the power in corporatism, I know they have power with money, but we can access that, we can get the money, and I don’t need to waiver on my dream. I don’t need to waiver on what I believe and if there’s not alignment, then they’re not a part of the dream.” 

Above all else, Williams wants her future movie theater to be a place where Detroiters can connect with each other and with their dreams. 

Williams plans to continue organizing pop-up events until Treuse Cinema finds its forever home. 

Fantastico: Wild and Winsome Posters from Mexico’s Golden Age, 1936-1960 will open to the public for free on the evening of Thursday, August 6 at Galerie Camille in the Cass Corridor.

There will be posters and lobby cards that feature genres such as Mexican film noir and rumberas movies, or cabaret melodramas made famous from their dance numbers.

Dalia Reyes, an interdisciplinary artist and arts administrator from Southwest Detroit, co-curated the exhibition. “There’s something about being able to compare what we see here in the US and then what Mexico was doing during that time,” Reyes says.

Reyes joined The Metro to discuss the art, culture, and innovation behind the timeless items of Mexican cinema. “You can expect a variety of categories anywhere from crime, drama, musicals, noir, and then some of those major Hollywood movies,” Reyes says.

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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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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Documentary photographer Syed Yaqeen is the founder of the American Muslim Experience documentary project. He created the project to preserve the stories of American Muslims through visual storytelling and conversations. 

“It’s just everyday lives of folks going through their struggles, kids going to school, people going to their work, and all of that is what the one thing that connects. And they happen to be Muslims,” he says.

Yaqeen began American Muslim Experience as a passion project around 2017. The multimedia platform became a nonprofit in December 2025.

Coming to Michigan

This week, the Pennsylvania-based photographer is visiting Hamtramck, Detroit, and Dearborn to gather pictures of people. 

“Michigan is so interesting because you can go in a half-mile drive radius and have every different ethnic background Muslims and their specific areas where there are specific people from parts of the world, but also in between you have the local and long term Black Muslim community, which are such a historic community, ” he shares.

Yaqeen says he was inspired to begin this project after noticing that American Muslims are portrayed negatively in the public eye. 

“When you think of a Muslim in America or a Muslim, who that person can be, and you might not imagine the person you’re seeing right now as what you think a Muslim is,” he says.

A diverse religious community 

He says American Muslims are among the most diverse Muslim communities in the world. 

Yaqeen, who has two sons, says he also wanted to create positive representation of everyday Muslims for his kids, and others.

“It’s definitely a learning process for myself, and I want to share that with the rest of the community, with everyone,” he says.

Yaqeen says the American Muslim Experience project is a way for Americans to learn about Muslims, but also for Muslims to see themselves in the public. 

“Even inside the Muslim community, it’s such a needed visual representation,” he says.

Yaqeen previously worked on the Muslims for American Progress by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), which featured Muslims from all walks of life. He says he got a taste of what this work could look like long-term.

“A lot of this misunderstanding comes from a point of where whoever has that negative idea so often, if not almost always, has never actually met someone who’s Muslim or don’t know anyone who is Muslim,” he explains.

“They just have this stereotypical idea in their head, and they go with it. So all of this work, I think ISPU’s work, and what I’m trying to do, comes back to that point that… get to know the folks.”

Contemporary archive in the making

American Muslim Experience is now a nonprofit. Yaqeen says the work will expand to include educational programming and community conversations.

“We’re hoping for it to be a place where a lot of different storytelling and… community events and all that stuff is housed in one place, so it’s easy to access,” he says. 

Yaqeen says this work is important for years to come.

“Not just a Muslim community, because you hear such negative talks most of the time. But then, when you’re on the ground with the people, you realize there is so much going on. They’re doing amazing work. They’re building community,” he elaborates.

He says American Muslims have played an important role in the country.

“We’re very much part of the history of this country, but also we plan to be part of this country going forward. So to you know have that documented, recorded, and preserved going forward, I think will be very important,” he says.

Yaqeen is collecting photographs and interviews this week. You can find him on Instagram @americanmuslimexperience to schedule a session.