Southeast Michigan Events Canceled, Schools Closed for COVID-19

Since the coronavirus has been confirmed in Michigan, public schools are shutting down for three weeks and many spring 2020 events have been canceled or postponed. Find out some of the latest closures here.

Bummed out by all the closures and cancellations? Find something fun to do by browsing through our virtual events calendar!

As cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread in Michigan, the state’s government has taken strong action in temporarily suspending venues and schools from operating.

All of Michigan’s K-12 public and private schools are closed for the remainder of the school year; the shutdown originally began on March 16. And, as of 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order has many businesses closed and families staying home; most recently, that order is in place until April 30. (See here for a look at the reasons you can still be out and about.)

Restaurants are still able to use delivery service, window service, walk-up service, drive-through service or drive-up service. They’re also urged to use social distancing. “Restaurants may allow five people inside at a time to pick up orders, so long as they stay six feet apart from each other,” the governor said in a press release.

All of this means that, in order prevent the spread of what the World Health Organization has declared a worldwide pandemic, many local events and venues are canceled or closed.

To help parents plan, we’ve compiled a running list of events that have been canceled or postponed – along with Michigan schools and local venues that have been affected. Take a look before you head out and check back often as we’ll be updating as we learn of new closures.

Canceled events

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Due to Michigan’s “stay-at-home” order, all events are canceled through at least April 30.

  • WWE Friday Night SmackDown at Little Caesars Arena on March 13 (airing on TV from Florida without audience)
  • Royal Oak St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 14
  • Detroit Roller Derby bout on March 14 (closed to the public)
  • Midwest Fly Fishing Expo in Warren on March 14-15
  • Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15
  • 35th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Irish Festival in Westland on March 17
  • RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on March 27
  • Disney’s Frozen Jr. at Warren Civic Theatre on March 20-22 (may be rescheduled)
  • March Du Nain Rouge in Detroit on March 22
  • FOOLMoon and FestiFools in Ann Arbor on April 3-4
  • Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day at various local museums on April 4
  • Bunnyville at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak April 10-11
  • Mary Poppins the Broadway Musical at the Bonstelle Theatre in Detroit April 10-19

Postponed events

These local events have been put on hold. Watch for them to be rescheduled.

  • Little Big Town at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, originally scheduled for March 12; moved to Oct. 1
  • 14th Annual Motor City Blues Festival at Fox Theatre in Detroit on March 14
  • Monster Jam at Ford Field in Detroit, originally scheduled for March 14-15; moved to July 25-26
  • MasterChef Junior Live! at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, originally scheduled for March 19; moved to Oct. 30
  • Billie Eilish at Little Caesars Area on March 23
  • The Tale of the Mischievous Bunny by Wild Swan Theater, originally scheduled March 25-28
  • Greater Farmington Film Fest in Farmington, originally scheduled March 29-22
  • Newsies at the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center in Trenton, originally scheduled April 17-19 and 26
  • Ann Arbor Monroe Street Fair, originally scheduled April 4
  • Celtic Woman at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on April 5; moving to 2021
  • Living With Autism Workshop by Metro Parent and Henry Ford Health System at Wyndham Garden Sterling Heights, originally April 24; will be rescheduled to fall
  • Tummy to Toddler Expo at Macomb Community College South Campus, Warren, originally scheduled April 25; moved to Aug. 22
  • TROLLS! Live at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, originally scheduled for May 1-3; moved to Oct. 8-10
  • Roald Dahl’s Matilda, the Musical by Warren Civic Theatre, originally May 2-9

Affected venues

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Due to Michigan’s “stay-at-home” order, all major gathering venues are closed through at least April 30.

  • Ann Arbor District Library, programming canceled indefinitely
  • Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, closed March 13-April 5
  • Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens, March 17-April 6
  • Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, closed starting March 13
  • Beacon Park in Detroit, March events canceled
  • Belle Isle Aquarium, closed starting March 13
  • Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills, closed through at least April 6
  • Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, closed March 13-April 5
  • Detroit Institute of Arts, programming canceled March 13-April 5
  • Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve in Rochester, closed starting March 12
  • Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, closed until further notice
  • Eddy Discovery Center in Chelsea, closed until further notice
  • Farmington Hills Parks and Recreation, events and programming canceled March 13-April 6
  • Ferndale Area District Library, closed indefinitely starting March 13
  • Grosse Pointe Public Library, all programs canceled through April 11
  • Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, the Giant Screen Experience, closed through April 5
  • Huron-Clinton Metroparks, all public programming canceled March 14-April 5
  • Livonia Parks and Recreation, all programming canceled and recreation center closed March 13-April 5
  • Lorenzo Cultural Center in Clinton Township, events canceled through April 12
  • Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Township, events canceled through April 12
  • Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, closed March 16-March 31
  • Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, programs, events and tours canceled through April 21
  • Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center (Detroit Symphony Orchestra), events canceled starting March 12
  • Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance in Rochester, performances canceled
  • Pewabic Pottery in Detroit, classes and workshops paused until April 1; tours suspended until further notice
  • Stage Nature Center in Troy, closed March 16-April 6
  • State Theatre in Ann Arbor, closed March 16-March 31
  • The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, closed and programming canceled through April 7
  • Troy Community Center and Troy Public Library, closed March 13-April 5
  • University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor, closed until further notice
  • University of Michigan Museum of Natural History in Ann Arbor, closed until further notice
  • Warren Community Center, closed through March 31
  • Wayne County Parks, programming canceled March 14-April 12
  • Wayne State University Planetarium in Detroit, closed March 11-31
  • West Bloomfield Recreation Activities Center, closed March 12-April 5
  • Westland Public Library, closed March 13-31

Affected schools

All local schools and universities have closed and, as much as possible, are adopting online instruction.

  • All Michigan K-12 schools, closed March 16 through the end of the school year
  • Concordia University Ann Arbor
  • Eastern Michigan University
  • Grand Valley State University
  • Lawrence Technological University
  • Macomb Community College
  • Michigan State University
  • Michigan Technological University
  • Oakland University
  • Saginaw State University
  • Washtenaw Community College
  • Wayne State University
  • Western Michigan University

This post is updated regularly.

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