• Detroit Sandwich Week is an annual event supporting local restaurants during the slow week between Christmas and New Year’s.
• The tradition was started a dozen years ago by local food enthusiast Carlos Parisi to bolster small businesses.
• This year’s event features seven stops over five days at various delis, restaurants, and wine bars in and around Detroit.

After Thursday’s Christmas holiday, it’s time to get ready for what’s become an annual tasty Detroit event.

This Friday starts the week sandwiched between Christmas and New Year’s.

And in Detroit, that means it’s time to get ready for what’s become a Detroit tradition, founded by a Detroiter: Detroit Sandwich Week.

The annual Detroit Sandwich Week celebrates five days and seven events of sandwiches at local restaurants.

It’s been a dozen years since local sandwich and overall food enthusiast Carlos Parisi came up with the idea of Detroit Sandwich Week to help support local businesses during a slow time.

Doing so also allowed Parisi to take sandwiches to another level.

“It’s beautiful because what Sandwich Week has done is given me a chance and an opportunity to do so much more,” Parisi said. “I started a podcast and was able to host TV shows and now the sandwich party, the Detroit sandwich party, which is insanely successful. It all stems from sandwich week.”

Parisi is also the owner and founder of Aunt Nee’s, whose products include Detroit-made tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole sold at Eastern Market and several metro Detroit stores.

Detroit Sandwich Week started out while Parisi worked at a corporate job. During the holiday season, Parisi and others were able to take longer lunch hours and got the idea to help support local businesses during the period between Christmas and New Year’s.

While over the years the event grew, it’s stayed true to its mission of supporting local businesses. Each year, the event typically draws hundreds of people to stop in a select group of sandwich shops.

Parisi said that while Sandwich Week was something he first started with friends, it’s now taken on a life of its own.

“It’s really cool because in the lexicon of Detroit, you hear other people say sandwich week,” he said. “That’s so amazing because we know that what that means is, it’s the week between the two holidays where we go and support small business. And celebrate it by eating sandwiches.”

Events this year include a ticketed dinner and the final Detroit Sandwich Week party.

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This year’s Detroit Sandwich Week kicks off noon-3 p.m. Friday at Mudgie’s Deli & Wine Shop on Brooklyn Street in Corktown.

Founded by the late Greg Mudge, the famed Corktown spot is known for its hearty sandwiches piled with fresh-cut meats and cheese, soups and its wine shop. Mudge, who died in September 2021, name is now officially on a secondary street sign above the Brooklyn Street sign in Corktown.

During the performing arts season, arts editor Jim Higgins recommends promising music, dance and theater productions to see in the coming month. Look for these stories in the newspaper the final Sunday of the month. They post online the preceding week at jsonline.com/entertainment/arts.

In Milwaukee’s performing arts scene, the first month of 2026 brings the return of the 21st century’s revolutionary musical, plus a new stage work about Wisconsin artist Mary Nohl.

Also, it’s a good month for Mozart, both in the concert hall and on stage.

Here are 16 theater, music and dance performances you can enjoy in the Milwaukee area in January. I would never tell you that these are the only shows worth seeing here during that time period.

‘The Godfather,’ Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

Associate conductor Ryan Tani leads the MSO in performing Nino Rota’s Oscar-nominated score live to screenings of Francis Ford Coppola’s classic American film. 7:30 p.m. Jan. 2-3. Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. Visit mso.org or call (414) 291-7605.

‘Cardboard Piano,” Renaissance Theaterworks

Hansol Jung’s drama, which opens in war-ravaged Uganda in 1999, takes on compelling conflicts about faith and homophobia. Jan. 9-Feb. 1, 255 S. Water St. Visit rtwmke.org or call (414) 278-0765.

A man was fatally shot after an argument early Tuesday morning in Minneapolis. 

Fatal shooting on Thomas Avenue North

What we know:

According to Minneapolis police, around 2:30 a.m., officers responded to the 1600 block of Thomas Avenue North on reports of a shooting inside a home.

At the scene, officers found a man with several gunshot wounds. The man was taken to the hospital, where he later died, police said.

Authorities say that an argument led to gunfire, and the suspect fled the scene before police arrived.

A 17-year-old was arrested in connection to the shooting, and police say they are investigating “connections” between the teen arrested and other violent crimes in Minneapolis this year. 

What they’re saying:

“Another family has forever been impacted by senseless violence,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “Settling disputes with a firearm is completely unacceptable, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure justice in this case.  Every available tool in the juvenile justice system must be used to protect young people who pose a danger to themselves as well as the community.” 

What we don’t know:

Police did not specify the gender of the 17-year-old. And the other crimes the teen could be connected to were not specified. 

The man who was fatally shot has not been identified.