What to do this week in Detroit: Shop local and celebrate the Woman of the Year

Wowza, it’s already the first of the month, which means only 24 more sleeps until Christmas morning. Whether you’re Santa’s little helper or wish you could hit snooze until 2022, it truly feels like we’re on a holiday marathon right now. I swear I just washed the final remnants of Halloween glitter out of my hair. But alas, the weather is getting colder and the holiday events are piling onto the calendar with gusto.

Today, and every day this holiday season, we urge you to #ShopSmall and support local businesses and entrepreneurs — catch a bunch at once at the Urban Craft Fair this weekend! Find even more offerings in gift guides from our pals: must-haves for taco fanatics from Tostada Magazine, gifts and services for Detroit lovers (and homeowners) from Outlier and sustainable gifts from Planet Detroit.

We are also in the thick of giving season, so you can also find a slew of opportunities to support neighborhood organizations and nonprofits this week (or your favorite newsletter company). We are wrapping up our DoGooders service event series for Detour members on Dec. 16, and you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to do good with the Pope Francis Center and partake in some festivus with the Detour crew. If you’re not a member already, you can become one today, help Detour out 2x and join us for the event! 

Shop til you drop this week, but make sure you’re doing it small!

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Wednesday and Thursday

🛍 Obviously, Detour Detroit loves to support other small businesses. And this season we are geeked to participate in #ShopSmallDetroit on social media. Showing our support is easy when you have a city teeming with talent and hustle. Spend your moolah locally this holiday season — and play the bingo game for a chance to win prizes! Now through Dec. 24, free, info.

🎀 Planned Parenthood is sponsoring a Virtual Reproductive Freedom Town Hall on to learn about what’s at stake in Michigan as the Supreme Court hears arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, who will be impacted and what you can do about it. The panel will be hosted by Rochelle Riley and feature state Sen. Sylvia Santana and Rep. Laurie Pohutsky. Together, they will lay out their plan to protect abortion access in Michigan. Dec. 1, free, info.

👑 Our friends at the Detroit Women’s Leadership Network are hosting their summit, with intimate talks and sessions with women leaders who lead with their heads and hearts daily. After the summit at Marygrove College, stay for the happy hour and gala honoring Woman of the Year Carla Walker-Miller. Dec. 2, free for the summit/$50 for the gala, info.

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This weekend

🕺🏽If you’re looking for a fun place to shake your tailfeather this Friday, look no further than Spot Lite Detroit. They are hosting local DJs TYLR and Horse Meat Disco for a night of disco-inspired tunes that will have you breaking a sweat. Dec. 3, $25, info.

🧶 The Detroit Urban Craft Fair returns to Masonic Temple this weekend, with more than 100 jury-selected vendors. Dec. 3-5, $2-$10, info.

🦚Detroit Experience Factory is kicking off a month of public walking tours around the city at The Peacock Room this Saturday with a women-owned business tour in New Center. Get your steps in while you shop and learn about some of the inspiring small business owners that are blazing the retail trail in Detroit. Dec. 4, free, info.

🔗 Join Jefferson East, Inc. for a holiday community open house to celebrate the opening of their much anticipated Neighborhood Resource Hub. This Saturday, tour the new facility, meet the Jefferson East staff and hear about the organization’s programs, services and resources in the evolving neighborhood. Dec 4, free, info.

🎄Last week we invited y’all to get to work helping the East Warren Development Corporation build a new market shed for community events. Well they did it and they’re ready to show it off! Join the organization and the community in lighting the Christmas tree, shopping the holiday market and enjoying food and festivities! Dec. 4, free, info.

💍 Elaine B. Jewelry and Good Neighbor Detroit, two local and woman-owned small businesses, are pairing up for a permanent bracelet pop-up bar on Sunday at Good Neighbor’s downtown shop on Farmer Street. Get “Forever Linked” with a friend, partner, loved one — or as a gift for yourself. Dec. 5, bracelets start at $40, limited spots, sign up here. 

🍄 This Sunday, Fungi Freights, an urban mushroom lab and farm operating in Poletown, will be collecting winter gear (coats, gloves, hats, scarves, socks and boots only) donate. You’re invited to come enjoy a drink and some pizza for a good cause — with classic jams in the heated tent, a bonfire and bocce! Dec. 5, free, info.

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Next week

🧠 On Monday, Fort Street Presbyterian Church, located downtown, is hosting an interactive workshop to explore the impacts of trauma and how it operates at the individual, social and structural levels. This event was created for service providers, community members and anyone interested in developing a better understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences, intergenerational and structural trauma. Dec 6, free, info.

📃 Are you interested in learning more about Detroit’s local government? Maybe you want to figure out what these public officials are talking about in their meetings. Come to the Detroit Documenters Workshop on Monday and learn what Documenters do and how you can get paid to provide a public service! Dec. 6, free, info.

🏠Next Wednesday Detour Detroit is hosting a Zoom conversation with Chase Cantrell and reporter Rhonda J. Smith about how Building Community Value is addressing disparities in the real estate industry and training Detroiters on the ins-and-outs of local development while building capacity for neighborhood development that serves the community. Dec. 8, free, info.