The air is starting to get crisp, and pumpkin spice has made it onto the menus of local cafes and bakeries, so it’s time to pull out your flannel and take in autumn. Find some inner peace at a harvest moon celebration or a new deck of tarot cards at a witches market. Or go full spooky with a cemetery tour (book your tix before they sell out) or a drink at the Nightmare on Bagley pop-up.
Not ready to say goodbye to summer? Check out live mural painting and block parties closing out Detroit Month of Design, an artsy nature walk, a bike ride for bookworms and more.
Here’s your roundup of things to do in Detroit this week. What’s on your fall agenda? Email kate@outliermedia.org and let us know how you’re planning to enjoy the season.
🌕 Celebrate Thursday’s full harvest moon (the last supermoon of the year) on the hill at Milliken State Park with the Outdoor Adventure Center. Learn about the science of the moon and the impact of the lunar phases on the water. Stay for a relaxing sonic meditation led by Afro Moone Wellness. Free.
🎨 Now headquartered at Spot Lite, this year’s Murals in the Market moves from Eastern Market to Islandview. Stop through Murals in Islandview this weekend to catch live mural painting, art and record sales, artist talks and parties, Thursday through Saturday night. Free.
👨🎤 MOCAD opens its fall shows on Friday, with work from Mark Thomas Gibson, Kesswa and Kevin Bernard Moultrie Daye (under the moniker Spirituals) on view through Feb. 4. Satire, digital recreations of Black Bottom homes, Black femme freedom in virtual reality — it’s going to be a good one. The opening party includes artist talks and performances. $10 suggested donation.
🎭 This is the last weekend to catch director Krista Pennington’s production of “Lysistrata” at Planet Ant’s black box theater. With performances from Thursday through Saturday, the play depicts Aristophanes’ classic Greek tale of a woman’s quest to end the Peloponnesian War with a sex strike (and contains adult themes and language). $22+.
🖼️ Get a last dose of Detroit Month of Design on Saturday during the closing reception of Mike Han’s exhibition, “United by Design.” The show at Playground Detroit introduces House of Han, the artist’s sustainable fashion and furniture line, with a virtual reality experience on top. Free.
🚲 Roll with the Writers on Wheels bike ride on Saturday, hosted by KAN Books. Start at MOORE Community Park and stop by places of literary and cultural significance in the historic North End neighborhood. Free.
📖 Continue the North End bookworm fun Saturday evening at Moore Park as the Illuminate Showcase unveils new literary works. Donations welcome.
🥁 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — aka Orange Shirt Day — is on Saturday. The holiday honors the survivors of Canadian residential schools for Native children, and Vibes With The Tribes is hosting a drum welcoming and community feast in Woodbridge. Free.
🪩 It’s Marble Bar’s anniversary, and it’s celebrating the big eight in a very big way. On Saturday, the NW Goldberg club hosts a 12-hour anniversary party that doesn’t end until Sunday morning. Tickets start at $21.70.
🧙♀️ If the Sanderson Sisters were from Detroit, they’d gather at the Boston Tea Room in Ferndale for Saturday’s Witches Market. Local vendors will be selling autumnal and macabre items with a DJ and food trucks in the mix. Free.
🌱 Earlier this month, artist Megan Heeres opened nature-inspired exhibition “Tending Time” at Matéria in Core City. Join her around the gallery on Saturday for a nature and sound walk.
💻 Monday through next Friday, Connect 313 hosts Digital Inclusion Week at different sites around town. Detroiters can dive into STEM activities, panels and programming with events the entire family can enjoy. Free.