Updated 12:00 p.m. ET, Friday, October 3, 2025.

Funding for arts and culture grants in Michigan is preserved in the state budget for fiscal year 2026.

Last week, Governor Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and House Speaker Matt Hall announced they had agreed on a framework for the state budget and it would be passed before October 1. The state budget was passed early Friday morning, with state funding for arts and culture grants preserved.

Last month’s budget proposal passed by the Republican-led State House eliminated all funding for arts and culture grants from the state.

The entity that administers arts and culture grants for the state is the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC). In 2025, MACC grants awarded totaled over $10.5 million.

The council distributes grant funds to arts and culture programs throughout the state, providing funding for things like K-12 arts programs, cultural festivals and museums.

To better understand what arts and culture grants from the state fund, Cary Junior II spoke with Lauren Ward, director of the Cultural Advocacy Network of Michigan. They spoke on Thursday, before the final state budget had been passed for fiscal year 2026.

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This week, we’ve got tons of ways to engage with art in metro Detroit, from interactive sculptures to intimate concerts. Plus, fall favorites, small business experiences and season premieres. Read on to learn more.

Upcoming events

Season Fair

  Michigan Central in Detroit

  Thursday, Sep. 25 through Sunday, Sep. 28

  $30–$100

Detroit’s first contemporary art fair dedicated to bringing local and international galleries together. Visitors can browse featured artwork, shop for new pieces and attend panel discussions. The fair is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Single day entry is $40 for general admission or $30 for seniors and students with valid ID. VIP tickets are available for $100 and include multi-day entry and access to exclusive events.

Rooftop Rendezvous feat. Kasan Belgrave

  Arab American National Museum in Dearborn

  Friday, Sep. 26

  Free with RSVP

A free outdoor concert featuring saxophonist Kasan Belgrave and his band. Belgrave is a woodwind specialist, recording artist and jazz composer, and he’s the son of legendary Detroit trumpet player Marcus Belgrave. The concert goes from 6–8 p.m.

Hay Ride Central

  Heritage Park in Farmington Hills

  Every Friday, Sep. 26–Oct. 31

  $5–$6

Family hayrides through the trails of Heritage Park in Farmington Hills. Admission is $5, and participants can get cider and a s’more at the end of the ride for an extra $1. Kids under 2 years old ride for free. Rides leave every half hour from 5:30–7 p.m.

Shop Downtown Detroit

  Various locations in Detroit

  Saturday, Sep. 27

  Free

A one-day event promoting downtown businesses, featuring exclusive deals, limited-edition products and interactive experiences. Promotions go from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at participating vendors.

13th Annual Ofrendas: Celebrating el Día de Muertos

  Detroit Institute of Arts

  Saturday, Sep. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 2

  Free with museum admission (free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties)

The 13th installment of the DIA’s Día de Muertos celebration, developed in partnership with the Consulate of Mexico in Detroit, the Southwest Detroit Business Association and Mexicantown CDC. The exhibition features ofrendas by local artists and community members, and is designed to familiarize visitors with the Mexican traditions of the Day of the Dead.

Public Opening Celebration for Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation

  Detroit Institute of Arts

  Sunday, Sep. 28

  Free with museum admission (free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties)

A day of creative and cultural activities to mark the opening of the DIA’s newest exhibit highlighting contemporary Anishinaabe art. There will be a sculpture dedication ceremony, drop-in art making activities, live musical performances and storytelling. All ages are welcome.

10 Years Back, 10 Years Forward: Black Bottom Archives

  Detroit Historical Museum

  Ongoing through Sunday, Sep. 28

  $15

A 10th anniversary exhibit celebrating the Black Bottom Archives, featuring zines, podcasts, photos and interactive displays about the historic Detroit neighborhood.

Here There Are Blueberries

  Detroit Public Theatre

  Wednesday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 2

  $5–$100

A play based on true events that follows a mysterious album of never-before-seen World War II-era photographs and a shocking truth behind the images inside. This is the first production in DPT’s 11th season. General admission is $52–$100 and select dates feature pick-your-price tickets starting at $5.

Shape Your World Interactive Experience feat. Optik Installation

  Beacon Park in Detroit

  Ongoing through Friday, Oct. 3

  Free

An outdoor installation featuring interactive gyroscopic structures that create unique light displays and abstract sounds depending on the position of the sun. The venue also offers music and curated beverages by Lumen Detroit. The installation is open to the public daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For the first time in 30 years, a major exhibition featuring contemporary Native American art from the Great Lakes region will be on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). “Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation” opens Sunday, September 28, 2025 and runs through April 5, 2026.

While the DIA has an extensive Indigenous Americas collection with artifacts from South, Central and North America, this exhibition stands out as one consisting entirely of contemporary art from Anishinaabe artists.

The exhibition features 60 artists and over 90 works in mediums from textiles to film, all of which were created by Anishinaabe artists and curated with guidance from a council of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi artists.

Curator Dr. Denene De Quintal and museum director Salvador Salort-Pons joined The Metro to discuss the exhibition.

The exhibition is free with general admission to the DIA, which is always free for Tri-County residents. It is also free for visitors and accompanying children with a tribal ID.

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This week, we’ve got a global spread of celebrations, from Afrobeats to K-Pop. Plus, bringing it back home to the Motor City with the Woodward Dream Cruise and more. Read on for details.

Upcoming events

Techno In The Parks

  Riverside Park in Detroit

  Friday, Aug. 15

  Free

An outdoor concert celebrating techno music, featuring DJ Deep Sequence with special guests Hazmat Live and Room 131. There will also be food trucks, face painting, games and inflatables. The concert goes from 5–8 p.m.

K-Pop Culture Experience — Dance, Games and Flavors

  The Detroit Institute of Arts

  Saturday, Aug. 16

  Free with museum admission

An immersive celebration of Korean culture, featuring a dance performance by PRISM Cru, games with prizes, food samples, and a tour of the DIA’s Korean Gallery. Registration starts at 10:30 a.m. and activities go through 2:30 p.m. Museum admission is free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

AfroFuture Detroit

  Bedrock’s Douglass Site in Detroit

  Saturday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Aug. 17

  $95–$327

The U.S. debut of a globally-successful two-day music festival showcasing African and diasporic talent. Headliners include Afrobeats superstars Asake and Davido, genre-defying Kaytranada, Brazil’s Ludmilla and Detroit’s own Tee Grizzley. Doors open at 2 p.m. each day.

R&Beach

  The Beach at Campus Martius Park in Detroit

  Saturday, Aug. 16

  Free with RSVP

An downtown beach party featuring R&B music, tequila samples, vinyl record decorating and concert ticket giveaways. The party goes from 6–10 p.m.

Fraser Lions Club Carnival

  Steffens Park in Fraser

  Thursday, Aug. 21 through Sunday, Aug. 24

  Free

An annual fundraiser for the Fraser Lions Club, a local nonprofit that supports blind community members by providing resources like leader dogs. The four-day event features family-friendly activities like carnival rides, games, live music, a petting zoo, fireworks and more. Festivities start at 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and at noon on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free, parking is $10 and ride wristbands are $30.

In this episode of The Detroit Evening Report, we cover an upcoming exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts centered around Indigenous artists. Plus, where to hear jazz in the Avenue of Fashion this weekend.

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DIA announces Native American exhibit

The Detroit Institute of Arts has just announced that it’s hosting a Native American exhibit in September. According to the museum’s website, “The Contemporary Anishinaabe Art: A Continuation” exhibit will feature 60 U.S.-based Anishinaabe artists in the first major exhibition on Native Americans at the museum in 30 years.

The artwork will feature jewelry, basketry and painting. Additionally, there will be pottery and woodworking displays.

The exhibition has been curated with an advisory council of Ojibwe, Ottawa and Potawatomi artists. Gallery text will include Anishnaabemowin, a language of the Indigenous communities in the Great Lakes.

People can see the exhibition Sep. 28, 2025 through April 5, 2026.

Jazz on the Ave returns

Mike’s Fresh Market and the University Commonwealth are hosting a block party this weekend. The 17th Annual Jazz on the Ave festival is a customer appreciation block party on Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion, located on Livernois Avenue.

The event takes place Saturday, Aug. 2 from noon to 8 p.m., featuring live music, free food, bounce houses and a parade at 4 p.m. It will also include a car show by Community Services LLC. Jamal Abro, owner of  Mike’s Fresh Market, says this is a way to thank the community.

Learn how to build a rain garden

The City of Dearborn is partnering with nonprofit Friends of the Rouge to host a rain garden workshop next weekend.

Regina Sistrunk is the Community Development Compliance Officer for the City of Dearborn.  She says in a news release that rain gardens are a holistic way to prevent rainwater from entering the sewer system each year. Participants will learn how rain gardens reduce flooding and support wildlife.

The workshop is funded through Dearborn’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds. The “Rain Gardens 101” class takes place on Saturday, Aug. 9 from 10–11 a.m. at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. To register, visit therouge.org.

COVID vaccines still recommended

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recommends getting the latest COVID-19 shot every year.

Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, says she wants to dispel misconceptions and confusion about the shot, after the CDC stopped recommending it for healthy children and pregnant women.

“Our recommendations at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, after reviewing all of the data and guidance, have not changed. We continue to recommend the COVID vaccine for everyone aged six months and older, including those who are pregnant.”

Dr. Bagdasarian says the state’s recommendations align with national medical groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org. 

Two groundbreaking leaders of Detroit’s arts and culture scene will be honored at the GhostLight Arts Initiative’s inaugural GhostLight Gala, taking place this Sunday at the Garden Theater.

Honoree Njia Kai is a celebrated cultural curator, producer and community visionary. Through her company NKSK Events + Production, the lifelong Detroiter has curated some of Detroit’s most iconic cultural celebrations— from the Charles H. Wright Museum’s African World Festival to the Downtown Detroit Tree Lighting.

Dr. George Shirley, who will also be honored on Sunday, is a man of many firsts.

He was the first Black man to teach music at a Detroit High School; the first Black tenor to perform a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City; and the first Black member of the U.S. Army chorus in Washington D.C. He also received the National Medal of Arts from former President Barack Obama in 2015 for his work mentoring countless Black musicians.

Kai and Shirley both joined The Metro ahead of the gala to discuss their commitment and contributions to Detroit’s art scene.

Proceeds from the event will help support GhostLight programming, including its Obsidian Theatre Festival — which provides a platform for emerging Black voices in theater and film.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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