8 Things to Do This Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 3-6)

Arts, Beats & Eats, the Detroit Jazz Festival, and the Michigan State Fair are among this weekend’s celebrations
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Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats brings its juried fine art show to Royal Oak this weekend. // Photograph courtesy of Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats

Michigan State Fair

Since its inception in 1905, the Michigan State Fair has become a longstanding celebration of Michigan’s industry and agriculture. This year, at Novi’s Suburban Collection Showplace, the event will feature time-honored traditions, such as horse shows, pig races, and a giant pumpkin contest. Fair-goers will also enjoy carnival rides, live music, a monster truck rally, and a variety of competitions, including baking, home brewing, and corn-on-the-cob eating. Plus, the Detroit-founded Shrine Circus will be holding performances all weekend long. $8+. Through Sept. 6.  Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi; michiganstatefairllc.com

Detroit Month of Design

Hosted by Design Core Detroit, Detroit Month of Design is back with a lineup of in-person activities, exhibits, panels, and more. Among this year’s events are a sneaker installation, presented by Foot Locker, at Lawrence Technological University’s Detroit Center for Design + Technology; an exhibit at the Fisher Building on the work of architect Albert Khan; a guided garden tour of the recently opened Oudolf Garden on Belle Isle; and a display of Shinola and Crate and Barrel’s furniture collection at the Detroit brand’s new home shop on Canfield Street in Midtown. No cost. Through Sept. 30. Various locations; designcore.org

Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats

Downtown Royal Oak will once again host the Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats festival, reviving the local Labor Day weekend tradition after its 2020 hiatus. Operating at full capacity, the outdoor event will deliver a juried fine art show, fare from dozens of local restaurants and food trucks, and more than 200 live performances across nine stages — as well as a number of new, hands-on activities. $5+. Sept. 3-6. Downtown Royal Oak; artsbeatseats.com

Detroit Jazz Festival

The world’s largest free jazz festival will broadcast live this Labor Day weekend. During the 2021 Detroit Jazz Festival, catch performances from headliner Dee Dee Bridgewater, as well as artists like Herbie Hancock, Kurt Elling, and Phil Galdston while you can. They won’t be available to stream or replay after the event. No cost. Sept. 3-6. Virtual event; detroitjazzfest.org

Detroit Jazz Festival PC Dee Dee Bridgewater
Grammy Award-winning singer Dee Dee Bridgewater headlines the virtual Detroit Jazz Fest this Labor Day weekend. // Photograph courtesy of Dee Dee Bridgewater

No. Still Life

This weekend, the Lawrence Street Gallery will premiere an exhibit of works by multi-media artist Eleanor Michonski, whose expressive sketches, paintings, and photographs convey a spectrum of the emotional extremes. One prominent feature of the exhibition, which centers around the theme of “humanity,” will be a series of photo stories Michonski captured while traveling through Thailand and Morocco. No cost. Sept. 3-30. Lawrence Street Gallery, 22620 Woodward Ave, Ste. A, Ferndale; lawrencestreetgallery.com 

Brothers Osborne

You may recognize Brothers Osborne’s distinctive, soul-tinged brand of country from the band’s six Grammy-nominated singles, including the No. 1-charting “Stay A Little Longer” and the platinum-certified “It Ain’t My Fault.” The duo has toured alongside some of the biggest names in country — Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, and Miranda Lambert. Now they will showcase their famously spirited live performances at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre. $20+. Sept. 4. Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre, 14900 Metro Pkwy., Sterling Heights; 313presents.com

 SW Fest

This Saturday will see the first-ever SW Festival. The all-day outdoor music event will highlight vendors, fare, and artists local to the metro Detroit area, including Michigan’s first all-women mariachi band, Mariachi Femenil Detroit. But the group of Southwest Detroit creatives who organized the festival set out to enrich their community in more ways than one. In addition to providing free live music, SW Fest is partnering with other local groups, such as Detroit Southwest Pride, Inside Southwest, and Garage Cultural, to offer several services during the event. These include free HIV testing, COVID-19 vaccine education, and a back-to-school giveaway, featuring 100 backpacks and other supplies. No cost. Sept 4. Senate Theater, 6424 Michigan Ave., Detroit; facebook.com

Magical Mural Tour

Pop-up murals will ornament the streets of Downtown Rochester for the annual Magical Mural Tour. Created by 19 artists from across metro Detroit, this year’s designs will offer visitors a myriad of adventures — through nature, into space, and even down memory lane. Once their explorations are complete, tourists can visit the Downtown Rochester Facebook page to vote for their favorite mural. No cost. Sept. 6-30. Downtown Rochester, 308 1/2 Main St., Rochester; downtownrochestermi.com