Pretty soon, your kids will be going back to school, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in one more summertime celebration before the school year gets too busy.
This Labor Day weekend, metro Detroit offers tons of festivals, fairs, parades, concerts and carnivals that will really end your summer with a bang.
Don’t forget to check our roundups of fall festivals to find family fun through the end of the month, as well.
This article was recently updated on July 11, 2024, by Metro Parent’s Audience Development Coordinator Kari Zaffarano. The update included her adding Labor Day events to the MetroParent.com‘s calendar and featuring the best Labor Day events for families to check out in metro Detroit. Please reach out to kari@metroparent.com.
Michigan Renaissance Festival
Aug. 17-Sept. 29, 2024 (Saturdays and Sundays, plus Labor Day on Sept. 2 and Festival Friday on Sept. 27)
- Address: Hollygrove Grounds, 12600 Dixie Highway, Holly
- Cost: $17-$25.95/adults, $10-$15.95/ages 5-12, free/4 and under
Fair maids and merry men take a step back to the 16th century for jousting tournaments, comedy and theater shows, music, games and “real” mythological creatures. Each weekend is themed so check on it before you head out.
2024 Saline Community Fair
Aug. 28-Sept. 1, 2024
- Address: Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Saline
- Cost: $10/admission ages 11 and up, free/ages 10 and under
Visit the annual fair to enjoy live music, rides, livestock, contests, live shows and more. Activities for all ages.
Michigan State Fair Â
Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2024
- Address: Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi
- Cost :$10/fair admission, $42/ultimate admission
Walk the midway, see the circus, ride carnival rides, see demonstrations and more at the State Fair that dates back to 1849. Other attractions include livestock shows, live entertainment and carnival eats.
Romeo Peach Festival Â
Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2024
- Address: Downtown Romeo, 269 E. Washington St., Romeo
- Cost: Free
This annual fest is fun for the whole family. Catch carnival rides, craft shows, peach treats and more.
Arts, Beats & EatsÂ
Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2024
- Address: Downtown Royal Oak area
- Cost: Free admission on Friday until 5 p.m., $12/after 5 p.m. on Friday, $10/before 3 p.m. Saturday-Monday, $12/after 3 p.m. Saturday-Monday, free/under 3
Enjoy art at the juried fair, eat from food trucks and beats that include live music and more. The kid’s zone will have arts and craft, bounce houses and interactive, educational and fun performances all weekend.
Detroit Jazz Festival
Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2024
- Address: Campus Martius Park, 800 Woodward Ave., Detroit; Hart Plaza, 1 Hart Plaza, Detroit
- Cost: Free
Listen to the greats and up-and-coming Jazz artists at the ultimate Jazz show happening at different locations in Detroit. Hours vary by performance.
Summer Sounds
Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2024
- Address: The Mall at Partridge Creek, 17420 Hall Road, Clinton Township
- Cost: Free
These weekend shows feature nearly 50 local artists. Make sure to bring a folding camp chair or low to the ground chair since seating is limited. Aug. 30 is Merge, Aug. 31 is Motor City Josh, Sept. 1 is Ron Devon (Duo) and Sept. 2 is Radio Wave.
Art on the Bay at Walter & Mary Burke Park
Aug. 31-Sept. 1, 2024
- Address: 36300 Front St., New Baltimore
- Cost: Free
This annual art show features paintings, drawings, sculptures, candles and other crafts on display and for sale along with food vendors, music and more.
Hamtramck Labor Day Festival
Aug. 31-Sept. 1, 2024
- Address: Downtown Hamtramck area
- Cost: Free
This annual Labor Day Festival features a carnival, music, food, wrestling, canoe races and a parade.
Historic Base BallÂ
Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2024
- Address: Greenfield Village, 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn
- Cost: Free with museum admission
Enjoy a game of baseball played with the 1897 rules on select Saturdays and Sundays (including Labor Day) throughout the summer.
Annual Labor Day Round Up
Sept. 2, 2024
- Address: Downtown Franklin, 32325 Franklin Road, Franklin
- Cost: Free
The 79th Franklin Community Association Labor Day Round Up family fair will feature a parade at noon, giant inflatables, pony rides, petting farm, a magician, jugglers, midway games, rescue dogs for adoption, classic car show and more.
Art in the Village
Sept. 2, 2024
- Address: Downtown Franklin, 32325 Franklin Road, Franklin
- Cost: Free admission
“Art in the Village,” Franklin’s fine art fair, in its 43rd year, features exceptional works in glass, pottery, fiber, furniture, jewelry, photography, painting, watercolor, wood, sculpture, metal and more.
Above and Beyond
Through Sept. 8, 2024
- Address: Michigan Science Center, 5020 John R. St., Detroit
- Cost: $18/ages 3 and up, free children under 3
See the aerospace interactive exhibit at the Michigan Science Center. Visitors will learn about the science of flight through flight simulators, immersive theater shows, touch displays and augmented reality experiences.
Dinosauria
Through Sept. 8, 2024
- Address: Detroit Zoo, 8450 W. Ten Mile Road, Royal Oak
- Cost: $6/person in addition to Zoo admission
See 34 life-like animatronic dinosaurs, including a towering, 65-foot-long Brachiosaurus! There will also be a new, T-Rex photo opportunity this year.
Dinosaur Discoveries: Ancient Fossils, New Ideas
Through Sept. 15, 2024
- Address: University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, 1105 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor
- Cost: Free
See a full-size cast skeleton leg of a Tyrannosaurus rex, two life-size models of Protoceratops—one skeleton, the other fully fleshed out—a life-size three-horned Triceratops skull and more.
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