Photo courtesy Detroit Abloom

We’re already rounding the corner into October, which means event season is just picking up. This week there are lots of opportunities to enjoy cocktails, live music, comedy and of course, PRIDE! Of course, there is still time to enjoy the outdoors and Biketober gives you a great excuse to get those legs moving. October is also Adopt a Dog month and we just heard that Detroit Animal Care has waived adoption fees all month long (it’s a sign). 

Wednesday

🎶 There is still time to snag tickets to see Arlo Parks, British singer songwriter and poet, at El Club Wednesday night. Her debut album “Collapsed in Sun Beams” is as cool and euphonic as her voice and vibe. Check it out on Spotify and buy her a drink for me if you see her at the show (she just turned 21!). Sept. 29, $22+,​​ info.

🍸 Switch up Wednesday night happy hour at the “Taste of Black Spirits” event celebrating Black-owned spirit and beer brands, curated by Lazar Favors with lead mixologist Jennifer Peeples. A ticket to the event at the Garden Theater gets you free drinks, swag and the personal stories from leaders in the Black spirit world. Sept. 29, $25+, info.

💱 We can’t encourage you to invest in NFTs, but we can recommend looking into what all the fuss is about at a pop-up gallery show with Detroit artists and musicians. Hosted by AmplifyX at the David Whitney Building downtown, the show features Tiny Jag, Rocky Badd, Jay Vinchi and more. Sept. 29, free, info. 

Thursday

👨‍🎤  A live-band drag extravaganza premieres this Thursday at Hamtramck comedy joint and event space, Ant Hall. “Looking Back through Stained Glass” will be showing for two weekends, and features Nancy Nogood, Rose Ritz and Derrick Finlay. Sept. 30-Oct. 2 / Oct. 7-9, $26, ​​info. 

This weekend!

🕺 Celebrate peace, love and soul this weekend at the 50th Anniversary of Soul Train. The event will feature a huge outdoor dance floor, bar, food trucks and a Soul Train highlight reel all night long. Come on out to the new Music Hall Amphitheater downtown and get your groove on! Oct. 1, $20, info.

🏳️‍🌈 It’s the return of Ferndale Pride! It is the annual event’s second time trying to celebrate its 10th year, which usually takes place in June. This year the event will hold 187 booths of vendors, nonprofits and sponsors showcasing the LGBTQ community. There also will be two outdoor stages for musical acts, and one of the stages will hold weddings downtown beginning at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 1-3, free, info.

🥃 TGIF, it’s cocktail time. The Detroit Cocktail Classic is back at Eastern Market this Friday and features some of Detroit’s most beloved drinking establishments, spirits and brands. Tickets will get you access to premium cocktails all night long. Let’s drink up! Oct. 1, $50+, info. 

🚲 The Detroit Bike Challenge started back in May, and is wrapping up at the end of October, a.k.a. Biketober! Bike for points — and get your coworkers or friends to take the challenge for even more points — for this friendly competition launched by the City of Detroit’s Office of Mobility Innovation. While the weather is still great, get on your bike and get moving… and yes, there are prizes. Oct. 1-31, free, info.

Need ideas of where to ride?​​ Check out a city bike and trail map!  

🚧 University of Michigan’s “Real World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions” virtual lecture series is going strong, with Professor Jeremy Levine speaking this Friday about constructing community and the complexities of involving residents in neighborhood redevelopment. Oct. 1, free, info. 

🌸 We can’t forget to mention our first-ever Detour DoGooder event, coming up this Saturday! We will be supporting local nonprofit Detroit Abloom, giving back to our community, getting to know each other AND having a great time doing it, with tunes from stphn-b and eats from Khana Detroit. We will spend some time restoring and rebuilding flower beds followed by lunch in the garden, cocktails and live music. Oct. 2, free for members, info.

🍻 Let’s raise our glasses to Belle Isle’s iconic Boathouse, going strong since 1902! Experience an afternoon of sipping craft brews (there will be more than 100 to try) while enjoying the riverfront and live music under the historic Band Shell at the Boathouse Beer Fest. Oct. 2, $41, info.

🎸 Detroit’s Woodbridge neighborhood is home to many talented artists and creatives, and this Saturday, the neighborhood is showing off and celebrating. There will be various musicians and artists performing on the front porch and steps of Woodbridge homes from noon to 6 p.m. Take a stroll or bike ride down Merrick for a taste of what community building, placemaking and supporting the arts is all about! Oct. 2, free, info.

🇵🇱 If you’re hungry and on the east side this weekend, check out the Banana Festival at St. Hyacinth Church in Poletown. We’re not quite sure what bananas have to do with delicious traditional Polish food, music and festivities…. But count us in for the golabki. Oct. 2-3, free, info.

Next week

🎭 Planet Ant Monday night improv is back! Every Monday at Ant Hall in Hamtramck the Home Team performs against other local comedians and brave souls. Enjoy some laughs and a cold beer from the attached bar Ghostlight. And maybe if you’re feeling brave you can participate in the community freestyle at the end 😉 Oct. 4 and every Monday, $5, info.

🎲 Another fun Monday night activity is Big Time Bingo at the Garden Bowl in Midtown! Hosted by Mayor Darlington, it’s free and there are amazing vintage prizes for the winning. So enjoy a slice of Sgt. Pepperoni’s pizza, grab a cold one and make your grandma proud with some Bingo wins every Monday! Oct. 4 and every Monday, free, info.

🌐 All week long we’re celebrating Detroit Digital Inclusion Week in person and online. DDIW aims to showcase the Connect 313 ecosystem and its accomplishments, and raise awareness of solutions addressing the digital divide. Tune in for workshops, conversations, and networking. Oct. 4-7, free, info. 

🎞️  Cinema Lamont is a nonprofit that fosters cross-cultural understanding through the power of world cinema. Join them at different Hamtramck and Detroit locations for two weeks of their FilmFest Detroit, featuring eight global films — and, with a couple screenings, Pakistani nachos and a tapas tasting. Oct. 7-21, $12+, info.

📰  ProPublica is hosting “The View From Here: Reimagining Local News in Detroit,” a virtual conversation about indie media in the city’s evolving news landscape. Nina Ignaczak will be speaking on behalf of Detour and Planet Detroit, and will be joined by folks at BridgeDetroit, Outlier Media, the Detroit Free Press and Chalkbeat Detroit. Tune in! Oct. 5, free, info.