Your Guide To Summer Events In Dearborn

DEARBORN, MI — Summertime in Dearborn is heating up and there’s a slew of free and family-friendly activities happening around town. From the traditional Farmers Market, to film festivals and cooking demos, there’s something for everyone in Dearborn.

The West and East Dearborn Downtown Development Authorities, City of Dearborn and Dearborn Chamber of Commerce have organized the summer events and hope to make Dearborn a destination for fun, family and cultural events.

Schedule of Events

June

Dearborn Farmers & Artisans Market

• June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn

• 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• The Dearborn Farmers & Artisans Market is back for the 2018 season. Starting June 1, and every Friday through Sept. 28, carefully selected vendors who sell only seasonal, local, Michigan-produced farm products and goods will set up in a new location, West Village Commons Plaza off Michigan Avenue in Downtown West Dearborn, between Howard and Tenny Streets, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.The Market will feature a wide variety of vendors including fresh flowers & produce, artisan baked goods, cheeses and meats, soaps, woodworking, pottery and much more. The Dearborn Farmers & Artisans Market is produced by Downtown Dearborn and the West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority, and sponsored by Beaumont, Henry Ford College, Kiwanis Club, Dearborn Heights Rotary, Glass Academy, City of Dearborn, Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce and EssentialIT.

Arab Film Festival @Cinetopia

• June 1-10
• Arab American National Museum, Downtown East Dearborn

• Various Start Times
• The Arab Film Festival (AFF) is one of the longest running programs at the Arab American National Museum, which began during its inception and continues to bring the best of the best films from the Arab World and Arab American community to the doorstep of Metro Detroit as part of the Cinetopia Film Festival.This year’s AFF focuses on marginalized communities and voices, with films focusing on gender, sexuality, identity, social justice, activism and community building. AFF aims to bring the perspective of marginalized voices to the forefront. Every festival film is subtitled in English. Tickets are available at the door and online. The 2018 schedule is available here.

Movies on the Commons

• June 8
• West Village Commons, Downtown West Dearborn
• 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Cooking Demos - Chef David McGregor, The Henry Ford

• June 15
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn
• 11 a.m. to noon

Taste of Dearborn

• June 20
• Starts at Bryant Branch Library, Downtown West Dearborn
• 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Guests can hop aboard a shuttle to various restaurants and cafes throughout Dearborn to sample Dearborn’s finest culinary delights as Jim Thorpe Ameriprise Financial presents Taste of Dearborn. Attendees will get wristbands as their “ticket” into the restaurants from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wristbands and menus will be available on event day from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at check-in, located at the Bryant Branch Library (22100 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn).

Friday Nites Music & Foodie Rallies

• June 22
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn
• 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Presented by Downtown Dearborn and the West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority, Friday Nites Music & Foodie Rallies return for 2018 on the fourth Fridays of June, July and August from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. with great local bands, including The Seatbelts, June 22; The Wrenfields, July 27; and The Beat Club, Aug. 24. The festivities are located at West Village Commons Plaza, off Michigan Avenue in Downtown West Dearborn, between Howard and Tenny Streets. Guests can enjoy the cuisine of local restaurants and food trucks, a beer garden, corn hole games, kids’ activities and more each Friday Nite. The event is open to the public, and free parking is available in public lots and decks. Sponsored in part by Bar Louie Dearborn and KLA.

July

Concert of Colors

• July 11-15
• Arab American National Museum, Downtown East Dearborn
• Various times
• The Concert of Colors is a free annual diversity-themed music festival. It is produced by the Arab American National Museum with partners Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, ACCESS and University of Michigan – Detroit Center. The goal of the five-day event is to unite diverse communities and ethnic groups by presenting musical acts from around the world.

Jazz on the Ave

• July 11, 18, 25
• Old City Hall Park, Downtown East Dearborn
• For six weeks, rain or shine, Jazz on the Ave guests can bring a chair or picnic blanket to relax in Old City Hall Park on Michigan Avenue in Downtown East Dearborn and listen to free jazz concerts Wednesday evenings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The line-up includes: Alexander Zonjic & Friends (July 11); Beth Griffith-Manley (July 18); 496 West (July 25); Jackiem Joyner (Aug. 1); Detroit Jazz All-Stars featuring Al McKenzie, Penny Wells, Darrell (Peanut) Smith, Jeff Canady and more (Aug. 8); and Alexander Zonjic & Friends featuring Jazz Vocalist Selina Albright (Aug. 15).

• 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Tunes @ Noon

• July 12, 19, 26
• Old City Hall Park, Downtown East Dearborn
• Noon to 1 p.m.
• Downtown Dearborn and The East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority presents free lunch-time concerts, Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. in Old City Hall Park off Michigan Avenue in Downtown East Dearborn. Guests can bring their lunch or carry-out to listen to a wide selection of acoustic performers at no charge. This year’s lineup includes: Dearborn School of Music (July 12), Justin Walter (July 19), Lac La Belle (July 26), Tonotrope (Aug. 2), Victor Ghannam (Aug. 9), and Howard Glazer and Harmonica Shaw (Aug. 16).

Kids Day on the Commons

• July 13
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn
• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• On select Friday’s during the summer, Downtown Dearborn from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be a kids’ zone, filled with family-friendly activities, including: family friendly music, an inflatable obstacle course and bounce house, balloon sculptures, face painting or airbrush tattoos, comedy, magicians, jugglers, clowns and more. Brought to kids by Downtown Dearborn, The West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority and Kenwal Steel Corporation.

Dearborn Farmers & Artisans Market

• July 13, 20, 27
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn
• 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Movies on the Commons

• July 13
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn
• 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Cooking Demos - Chef Laura Romito, High % Salts

• July 20
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn
• 11 a.m. to noon

Friday Nites Music & Foodie Rallies

• July 27
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn
• 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

August

Jazz on the Ave

• Aug. 1, 8, 15
• Old City Hall Park,
• Downtown East Dearborn
• 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Tunes @ Noon

• Aug. 2, 9, 16
• Old City Hall Park,
• Downtown East Dearborn
• Noon to 1 p.m.

Dearborn Homecoming

• Aug. 3-5
• Ford Field Park
• The City of Dearborn's 39th annual Homecoming festival is held at Ford Field Park, a block off Downtown West Dearborn, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. In addition to three days of live music, the festival features great food, free and affordable family activities, a car cruise, high school reunions, a carnival and spectacular fireworks displays Saturday and Sunday nights. This year, the event will incorporate activities inspired by the Healthy Dearborn Coalition, including a Family 5K and Fun Run.Dearborn Homecoming is an event organized by the City of Dearborn and the nonprofit Dearborn Community Fund. Presenting sponsor is Beaumont Health. The festival allows more than 30 Dearborn-based nonprofit groups to raise money for good causes that support the community.

Dearborn Farmers & Artisans Market

• Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
• West Village Commons, Downtown West Dearborn
• 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Chef Demos – Chef Will Coleman

• Aug. 7
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn
• 11 a.m. to noon

Kids Day on The Commons

• Aug. 10
• West Village Commons, Downtown West Dearborn
• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Movies in the Park

• Aug. 11, 25
• Old City Hall Park, Downtown East Dearborn

• Movie begins at dusk

Friday Nites on the Commons: Ice Cream Social

• Aug. 17
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn
• 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday Nites Music & Foodie Rallies

• Aug. 24
• West Village Commons Plaza, Downtown West Dearborn
• 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

To discover and navigate Downtown Dearborn’s activities, attractions, businesses and organizations visitwww.downtowndearborn.org and Facebook.com/DowntownDearborn.

Image via City of Dearborn

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