This weekend in metro Detroit is a musical takeover on many fronts, from the eagerly anticipated (and WDET supported) Hamtramck Blowout to celebrating musical legends like The Beatles and The Spinners.

Also, a family-friendly parade of devilry is overtaking the Cass Corridor to welcome spring alongside a Detroit cryptid. Read on for more.

Hamtramck Blowout

For three days (March 20-22) over 25 venues will be showcasing hundreds of local bands and performers across Hamtramck. Check out the show schedule and purchase a wristband online in advance for $35 or at the venue for $40. WDET is also an official media partner of this year’s event. Visit wdet.org/events for more information.

A rooftop festival of colors

Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, is underway. Take your celebration of color, love, and spring to new heights at the Holi Color Fest at the Exodus Rooftop this Saturday March 22. Tickets are for entry only and start at $25.

Blasts from the past

Great music has longevity, and that can be seen in two special performances happening this weekend. The touring show “Rain: A Beatles Tribute” will be making its Detroit stop at the Fox Theatre this Friday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available and start at $25.

The second big-time musical group being showcased is a Motown favorite: The Spinners. The renowned group will be performing at the Andiamo Celebrity Showroom this Saturday, March 22.

Marche into spring

The Marche du Nain Rouge takes a little red creature of mishap prominent in Detroit’s local legend and makes him a focal point for a spring celebration of mischief and revelry.

This year’s Marche du Nain Rogue is on Sunday, March 23. The celebration will kickoff with musical performances at the intersection of Canfield and Second. Once the infamous Nain appears, he’ll lead crowds in a procession down to the Masonic Temple, which will host an afterparty from around 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Organizers encourage all attendees to show up loud and Detroit-proud in costumes, prepared to participate in a parade with good humor and high energy. Read more about the event and parking at the Marche Du Nain Rouge website. 

As WDET celebrated the end of its 75th year last Thursday, News Director Jerome Vaughn unveiled an audio history project that commemorates the station’s history and longstanding dedication to public news that serves Detroit.

“Having worked at WDET for more than half my life, I thought it was an amazing opportunity to dig into the history of the station and tell the rest of the world about how this amazing radio station got started,” said Vaughn, who narrates the audio history.

WDET was first created to share news and updates on the labor movement as one of several broadcasting stations managed by the United Auto Workers union. It aired its first broadcast on Feb. 13, 1949. The station strived to diversify its programming from the start, covering news relevant to working people, sharing music, and even broadcasting in other languages to better serve various populations in the area.

But running a nonprofit station demanded more resources than the UAW saw fit to spend. In 1952, the UAW transferred ownership of the station to Wayne State University, with the condition that the station would continue to use its broadcasting license to serve the public.

Watch the presentation below and take a journey through the first years of WDET’s existence, featuring historical photographs, logos, and newspaper clippings provided by Walter P. Reuther Library Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs.

Special thanks to the Walter and May Reuther Memorial Fund for funding this project.