Worth the trip to Michigan’s East Side, two big music festivals unfold over Labor Day weekend, with some giants of jazz in the Motor City and 200-plus diverse acts in Royal Oak. All you need to know at Local Spins.
Motor City Music: Detroit Jazz Festival (above) unfurls the same weekend that Joan Jett and other stars play Arts Beats & Eats. (Jazz Fest/Courtesy Photo, Joan Jett/Anthony Norkus)
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When it comes to a dizzying array of live music options, Labor Day weekend in the Detroit area quite literally has it all.
The Detroit Jazz Festival boasts a slate of jazz greats — not to mention up-and-coming stars — to bolster its free-admission celebration unfolding in Detroit’s Hart Plaza and along Woodward Avenue in Campus Martius Park.
The John Scofield Trio, Regina Carter, Louis Hayes Quintet, Kenny Garrett Ensemble, Samara Joy, Karriem Riggins and Dee Dee Bridgewater are just a few of the more than 50 acts performing over the four-day festival that begins at 6 p.m. Friday on Hart Plaza.
Just 20 minutes north, and on the same holiday weekend, the 26th annual Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats and Eats festival fires up in downtown Royal Oak with more than 200 performances scheduled across nine stages.
Hank Mowery (Photo/Eric Stoike)
But some of the most compelling performances might actually take place on the festival’s other stages, with many acts familiar to West Michigan audiences:
Grand Rapids’ Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish (6:30 p.m. Friday on the Alternative Stage), Petoskey’s The Third Degree (1:45 p.m. Saturday on the Rock Stage), Grand Rapids’ Big Timmy & The Heavy Chevys (3:15 p.m. Saturday on the Rock Stage), Grand Rapids’ Hank Mowery & The Hawktones (6:30 p.m. Saturday on the R&B/Jazz Stage) and northern Michigan’s The Rachel Brooke Band (3:15 p.m. Monday on the Country/Americana Stage). View the complete schedule here.
DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL
WHEN: Friday-Monday
WHERE: Hart Plaza and Martius Campus Park, Detroit
WEBSITE: https://www.detroitjazzfest.org/main-festival/detroit-jazz-festival-2023-program-schedule/
QUOTE: “We are extremely excited to feature three newly awarded NEA Jazz Masters — Regina Carter, Louis Hayes and Kenny Garrett — who are also Detroit jazz icons, on the stages of the Festival this year. Their presence, along with the unique energy and vision of Karriem Riggins, who is also from Detroit, will highlight an incredible showcase of diverse talent and revolutionary jazz from around the world.” – Chris Collins, president and artistic director, Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation
TICKETS: Admission is free, but you can donate to the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation online here.
WEATHER FORECAST (as of Aug. 29):
Friday – High of 79, sunny
Saturday – High of 86, partly sunny
Sunday – High of 90, sunny and hot
Monday (Labor Day) – High of 88, sunny
THE DRIVE:
From Grand Rapids – 157 miles (2 hours, 26 minutes)
From Kalamazoo – 140 miles (2 hours, 12 minutes)
From Traverse City – 256 miles (3 hours, 57 minutes)
From Lansing – 90 miles (1 hour, 35 minutes)
THE SCHEDULE
ARTS, BEATS AND EATS
WHEN: Friday-Monday
WHERE: Downtown Royal Oak (Map here)
WEBSITE: http://artsbeatseats.com/
QUOTE: “We’re proud to be a part of this effort to celebrate and enhance the quality of life across our region. Attendees are in for another exciting Labor Day weekend with diverse lineups of entertainment and offerings for all to enjoy.” – Raul Venegas, Executive Director of Marketing, Entertainment & Sales, Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
TICKETS: Weekend tickets, $20; daily pre-sale tickets $7; VIP, $50. Available online here.
WEATHER FORECAST (as of Aug. 29):
Friday – High of 81, mostly sunny
Saturday – High of 88, partly sunny
Sunday – High of 89, mostly sunny
Monday – High of 88, sunny
THE DRIVE:
From Grand Rapids – 148 miles (2 hours, 18 minutes)
From Kalamazoo – 143 miles (2 hours, 19 minutes)
From Traverse City – 246 miles (3 hours, 48 minutes)
From Lansing – 81 miles (1 hour, 29 minutes)
THE NATIONAL STAGE SCHEDULE
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