Meridian Motown Winter Blast
February 6-8; Detroit; winterblast.com
February is right in the thick of a Michigan winter, so why not embrace it with ice-skating, bonfires, snow slides, and all sorts of other ways to enjoy the cold.
Hamtramck Music Festival
March 5-7; Hamtramck; hamtramckmusicfestival.com
The annual Hamtramck Music Festival is three-day music event in Detroit's beloved enclave of Hamtramck, celebrating local music.
Motor City Tattoo Expo
March 6-8; Detroit; eternaltattoos.com
This event draws tattoo aficionados from all over, with seminars, vendors, live music, and more.
Marche du Nain Rouge
March 22; Detroit; marchedunainrouge.com
For 300 years, on the Sunday after the Vernal Equinox, Detroiters have celebrated liberation from the Nain Rouge, the fiendish embodiment of all that holds us back.
Ann Arbor Film Fest
March 24-29; Ann Arbor; aafilmfest.org
Not quite Sundance, but this film fest is the place to go for independent experimental film.
Ann Arbor Hash Bash
April 4; Ann Arbor; hashbash.com
The annual celebration of all things marijuana-related welcomes its 44th year.
Festifools
April 12; Ann Arbor; festifools.org
The streets of Ann Arbor get invaded with a flashmob army of papier-mâché puppets.
Metro Times Blowout
April 29-May 2; Detroit, Ferndale, Hamtramck; mtblowout.com
What started as the little music festival dreamed up by Metro Times' music editor has now becomes a sprawling event that hosts more than 300 bands across three cities.
East Lansing Art Fest
May 16-17; Downtown East Lansing; elartfest.com
Roughly 70,000 people attend this street fair, and it's nationally ranked as one of the best fine art festivals in the country. It features all kinds of artists, including mixed media, ceramics, photographers, clothing designers, jewelry makers, and leather workers, but there are also live musical acts that perform throughout the festival as well.
Ferndale Pride
May 30; Ferndale; ferndalepride.com
Ferndale Pride strives to recognize, promote, and celebrate pride for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and ally communities.
Downtown Hoedown
May 30-June 1; Detroit; wycd.cbslocal.com
Detroit's not the first place people think of when they think of country, but the Hoedown draws thousands of fans to see acts big and small.
Movement
May 23-25; Detroit; movement.us
Celebrate Detroit's legacy of electronic dance music at an event that draws fans the world over.
Detroit Chevrolet Belle Isle Grand Prix
May 29-31; Detroit; detroitgp.com
Michigan's newest state park is transformed into a Grand Prix racing track.
Motor City Pride
June 6- 7; Detroit; motorcitypride.org
Whether you're L, G, B, T, or an ally, Motor City Pride is the time to join cities all around the world in celebrating gay culture.
Ann Arbor Summer Festival
June 12-July 5; Ann Arbor; a2sf.org
Featuring music, art, film, and more, Ann Arbor's massive festival practically takes up all summer.
Clay, Glass and Metal Show
June 13; Royal Oak; royaloakchamber.com
Celebrate the spirit of creativity, as artists showcase jewelry, sculpture, and more.
Summer Solstice Jazz Fest
June 19-20; Downtown East Lansing; eljazzfest.com
Get 14 hours of free jazz at the East Lansing Summer Solstice Jazz Fest, where the caliber of performer is always top-notch. It's put on by the city of East Lansing, Wharton Center for Performing Arts, and the MSU College of Music, with artistic direction from Rodney Whitaker, so you know it's going to be good.
Stars & Stripes Festival
June 26-29; Sterling Heights; starsandstripesfest.com
This patriotic fest is a sort of pregame for Fourth of July celebrations.
Detroit Electronic Music Festival
July 3-5; Detroit; demf.us
That's right, there are now two electronic music fests in Detroit, as EDM's massive popularity gave festival promoters a good excuse to dust off this old moniker.
