Detroit, MI
Radio host turns filmmaker to tell story of Black youth hockey team in Detroit
More than a decade ago, Gerald McBride was invited to a University of Michigan men’s hockey game by a client whose son was playing for the opposing team. It was his first time attending a hockey game and it made a lasting impression on him.
“It is completely sold out and I’m the only Black guy in the entire arena,” said McBride, who left the event wanting to know more about the history of Black players in the National Hockey League and wound up inspired to make a movie.
On Friday, “Black Ice: The Rhythm” opens for a weeklong run in metro Detroit at two metro Detroit theaters: Emagine Canton and the Birmingham 8 Powered by Emagine. It also will be screening at Emagine Birch Run near Flint and another Emagine theater in Minneapolis.
Directed and written by McBride, a longtime Detroit radio host and producer of TV and radio advertisements, the film is a contemporary story that also pays tribute to the long, unsung history of Black hockey players — a legacy that goes back to a Black hockey league formed in 1895 in Nova Scotia.
It follows a gifted young amateur hockey player, Robert (Buck) Taylor, who must put aside his dreams of going pro after a fight with a racist white player sends him to prison. Out on parole, he is tasked with coaching a fledgling youth hockey team at an inner-city Detroit rink that is in danger of being shut down to line the pockets of some local politicians.
“Black Ice: The Rhythm” has a narrative about an underdog team that touches similar emotional chords to “The Mighty Ducks” and “The Karate Kid.” It’s aimed at families and is described as faith-friendly. Winning is one aspect of the team’s quest, but so is making good choices and believing in yourself.
For McBride, who’s celebrating 45 years in radio, the project was more than a new twist to a lengthy career. “It wasn’t about making a bunch of money, but a message that needed to be shared,” he said in a recent phone interview.
The Mumford High graduate had his first brush with radio in 1975 when he represented his school as a Soul Teen Reporter through a program at WJLB-FM (97.9). “Each student would get the opportunity to go to the radio station and report on what was happening at their high school each week,” he recalled. “Once I got a chance to get inside the radio station and then hear myself on the radio, I got bit by the radio bug and have been doing it ever since.”
After attending the Specs Howard broadcasting school (now also covering digital media and graphic design and part of Southfield’s Lawrence Technological University), McBride worked in radio in Rochester, New York, and Flint before joining WMXD about 30 years ago.
He now hosts “Old School House Party” on Saturdays from 7 p.m. to midnight. A segment of the program, “Battle of the Old School,” lets listeners vote on showdowns between music greats, like Luther Vandross vs. the Isley Brothers, Toni Braxton vs. Anita Baker and, most recently, Michael Jackson vs. Prince. The show is syndicated to about 30 stations across the country, according to McBride.
After that memorable U-M hockey game, McBride started working on an idea for a script involving a Black hockey player. “This story just started coming together,” he said. He kept writing draft after draft, took screenwriting classes and even got positive feedback from some Hollywood producers.
With no financial offers on the table, McBride was done with waiting by early 2022. “I just decided to step out on my own, step out on faith, I should say,” he explained. It was then that he started doing preproduction. Shortly before filming started that spring, he was able to secure an SBA loan for $200,000 and later supplemented that amount with some of his own savings.
In the end, McBride was happy that he had so much control over the final product. “I’m so glad that I took this route, that I had an opportunity to learn every aspect of making the movie, distributing the movie, just wearing so many hats when we’re making a movie with an ultra-low budget film. I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world,” he said.
McBride worked with Productions Plus in Bingham Farms to cast the main actors. For the critical part of Coach Taylor, he chose Arthur Cartwright, an actor and filmmaker who won a prestigious 2018 Gilda Award for emerging artists from Kresge Arts in Detroit.
For the young hockey players, he turned to Detroit Ice Dreams, a nonprofit that promotes and subsidizes ice-related sports, mainly hockey, across the region for youths ages 3 to 17. He credits Cynthia Wardlaw, the vice president and program manager of Detroit Ice Dreams (and a devoted hockey mom herself), for connecting him with teens King Moore, Jovonn Crittenden and Tyler Moore, who filled the key roles of Flash, Mike and Jojo.
’They had been skating since they were 5 or 6 years old with Detroit Ice Dreams,” he said. “What a blessing that I was able to find all of these jewels right here in the city of Detroit.”
The majority of the hockey scenes were done at the Jack Adams Memorial Arena at the City of Detroit’s Adams Butzel Complex. Certain scenes also were done at Oak Park Ice Arena. McBride says he is grateful to Detroit for allowing the Jack Adams Memorial Arena ice rink to stay open beyond its usual hockey season in order for filming to take place.
In recent years, the NHL has spread the word on Black achievement in hockey through a mobile museum called the Black Hockey History Tour.
And just this April, Tennessee State University got closer to being the first historically Black school to inaugurate an ice hockey program by hiring Duante Abercrombie as its coach. Tennessee State’s plan for the team was announced in 2023 when the NHL draft occurred in Nashville.
McBride hopes “Black Ice: The Rhythm” will reach audiences all over America to let people know about the young Black athletes who are involved with hockey through Detroit Ice Dreams.
“We’re known as Hockeytown in Detroit, but just 15 minutes from where we have Little Caesars Arena and the Red wings and the Hockeytown restaurants and all of these great things, there is a whole other world of hockey that people don’t know about.”
He believes that once the Emagine showings demonstrate “that we were able to fill some seats here in these four cities, this movie will have legs to go across the country.”
McBride says the lesson of the film applies to his own leap into filmmaking.
“If anybody can walk away with something from the movie, making the right choices in life would be one of the main things. And, of course, the other one is don’t be afraid. Just believe. A lot of times, we’re afraid to step out on our dreams and our ideas.
“But if we’re not afraid,” he added, “we can step out on faith and believe it can happen.”
For tickets and more information on “Black Ice: The Rhythm,” go to its official website at therhythmmovie.com. Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
Detroit — A three-block portion of the Detroit Riverwalk just north of the Renaissance Center reopened this week after being closed for five months for the installation of an underground drainage system, state officials announced.
The stretch of the pedestrian and bicycle path that had been closed since Nov. 20 is between Beaubien and Rivard streets in downtown Detroit. Crews for the Michigan Department of Transportation installed a new storm sewer outfall intended to reduce the risk of flooding on nearby streets, officials said.
The sewer outfall is part of the larger I-375 project, a major infrastructure initiative around the I-375 corridor.
Sewer outfalls are key components of wastewater management systems, designed to safely discharge water and waste while protecting public health and the environment.
“The new storm sewer outfall will provide lasting environmental benefits for residents and businesses along the I-375 corridor and the riverfront by supporting cleaner water being discharged into the Detroit River and relieving pressure on the existing city combined sewer system after heavy rain events,” according to an MDOT press statement Thursday. “The installation of the new storm sewer will reduce the risk of flooding on streets and in neighborhoods.”
This week’s opening of the Riverwalk is ahead of the May 1 target date that had been set.
“Crews worked diligently through harsh winter and wet spring conditions to achieve our goal of reopening prior to seasonal festivities starting up,” said Jason Garza, MDOT’s Metro Region Deputy Engineer.
In addition to reopening the Riverwalk, crews also opened Atwater and Franklin streets to through-traffic between St. Antoine and Rivard streets.
The opening comes as the popular Riverwalk area is set to kick into high gear with a variety of events. The Riverwalk path runs continuously from Gabriel Richard Park, just east of the bridge leading to Belle Isle, to the Ralph Wilson park to the west. It attracts about 3 million people annually, according to the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages the Riverwalk and many of the adjoining parks and connected pedestrian/bike paths.
On Thursday afternoon, the Riverwalk was busy with walkers, bicyclists and people fishing such as Terraile Jefferson, 56, from Detroit.
“It’s always a good experience out here,” Jefferson said. “Especially when I catch something good.”
laguilar@detroitnews.com
On sale now
• The Strokes: June 15, Pine Knob Music Theatre, Independence Twp. with Thundercat and Hamilton Leithauser, ticket prices vary.
• Jack White: July 25, Pine Knob Music Theatre, ticket prices vary.
• Hanson: Aug. 13, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, ticket prices vary.
• The Beach Boys: Aug. 15, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, Rochester Hills, ticket prices vary.
On sale 10 a.m. April 24
• Comedian Jim Gaffigan: Sept. 18, Fox Theatre, Detroit, ticket prices vary.
• Teddy Swims: Sept. 29, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, ticket prices vary.
• Beck: Oct. 12, Fox Theatre, Detroit, ticket prices vary.
• Leanne Morgan: second show added, Oct. 15, Fox Theatre, Detroit, (limited number of tickets are still available for the previously announced Oct. 16 show), ticket prices vary.
On sale noon, April 24
• Melanie Martinez: July 18, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, ticket prices vary.
On sale noon, April 27
• Usher Raymond and Chris Brown: July 2-3 Ford Field, Detroit, ticket prices vary.
Note: Events are subject to change; check with venues for updates. Tickets on sale at 313Presents.com, LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster.com or the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena.
Beats
• Corktown Music Festival: April 23-25, Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit, https://thelagerhouse.com, ticket prices vary.
• Tyler Rich, James Barker Band: April 24, District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte, with Ryan Jay, https://district142live.com, $28.40+.
• One Ton Trolley: 6:30 p.m. April 24, Pontiac Little Art Theatre, 47 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac, www.theplat.org, $15+ adv.
• Lost Signals: April 24, Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, www.themagicbag.com, 18+, doors at 8 p.m., $12.82-$17.70+.
• Jeremy Facknitz and Audra Kubat: 7:30 p.m. April 24, Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile, Livonia, www.trinityhousetheatre.org, $25+.
• House of Heavy: April 24, The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, doors at 7 p.m., all ages, https://thelovingtouchferndale.com, 248-820-5596, $22.12-$26.49.
• Jay Electronica: 7 p.m. April 25, The Crofoot Ballroom, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac, https://thecrofoot.com, ages 18+, ticket prices vary.
• Dark Tranquillity + Soen: April 25, Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E Congress St., Detroit, www.saintandrewsdetroit.com, doors at 6 p.m., ticket prices vary.
• Live & Let Die – Paul McCartney Music tribute: April 25, Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren, andiamoshowroom.com, 586-268-3200, doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m., $35-$65+.
• Sunset Blvd.: 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. April 25, The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester, ages 21+, 248-453-5285, www.theroxyrochester.com, ticket prices vary.
• Bring the Noise Volume 9: April 25, Diesel Concert Lounge 33151 23 Mile Road, Chesterfield, doors at 7 p.m., www.dieselconcerts.com, $10+ cover.
• Annual Handbell Festival: 3 p.m. April 25, First United Methodist Church, 6363 Livernois Road, Troy, https://tuesdaymusicaleofgreaterpontiac.org.
• Ari Hest: 8 p.m. April 25, at 20 Front Street, Lake Orion, 248-783-7105, www.20frontstreet.com, all ages, $29.95+.
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd: April 26, Music Hall, 350 Madison St., Detroit, with Shirley Murdock and Keith Washington, 313-887-8500, www.musichall.org, ticket prices vary.
• Hail The Sun: 6 p.m. April 26, The Crofoot Ballroom, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac, https://thecrofoot.com, all ages, ticket prices vary.
• Slomosa: 7 p.m. April 26, El Club, 4114 Vernor Hwy, Detroit, https://elclubdetroit.com, $34.77.
• Musical Gems of Springtime Concert: 4-6 p.m. April 26, St. John Lutheran Church, 23225 Gill Road, Farmington Hills, www.stjohn-elca.org, free.
• The Randy Crawford Tribute: 7:30 p.m. April 27, at Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison Detroit, https://jazzcafedetroit.com, $39.19+.
• They Might Be Giants: April 28-29, Majestic Theatre, 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit, www.majesticdetroit.com, doors at 7 p.m., ages 16+, ticket prices vary.
• Demi Lovato: 8 p.m. April 29, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, with Adéla, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
Comedy
• One Night Stans: Greg Morton-April 24-25; Steve Iott, Derek Richards, Sal Demilio-April 30; Tom Arnold-April 30; at 4761 Highland Road, Waterford Twp., www.onenightstans.club, 248-249-1321, ages 18+, ticket prices vary.
• Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle: Jamie Lissow-April 24-25; Dave Attell-April 30-May 2; at 310 S. Troy St., Royal Oak, www.comedycastle.com, 248-542-9900, ages 18+, ticket prices vary.
• Punchline Comedy Lounge: Simply Shanell-April 24-26; at 29555 Northwestern Hwy #312, Southfield, 248-955-3016, www.comedypunchline.com, ages 18+, ticket prices vary.
• Pete Correale: April 24, Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren, andiamoshowroom.com, 586-268-3200, doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m., $35-$69+.
• Bobby Lee: 7 p.m. April 24, The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave, Detroit, www.thefillmoredetroit.com, ticket prices vary.
• Jeff Dunham: April 24-25, Fox Theatre, Detroit, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
• Matt Ross: 6 p.m. April 26, at 2301 Woodward Ave., Detroit, www.micdropcomedydetroit.com, doors at 5 p.m. ages 21+, ticket prices vary.
• Karmanos Comedy Champions: 6-11 p.m. May 9, The Harmonie Club, 311 E. Grand River Ave., Detroit, headlined by Michael Kosta, tickets are $250+ and includes event and afterparty admission. Champion Tickets are $350, and include event admission, preferred show seating, afterparty admission, and access to the meet-and-greet with Michael Kosta, karmanos.org/comedychampions, 248-226-2163.
Theater
• “Million Dollar Quartet”: April 22-May 17, Meadow Brook Theatre, on the campus of Oakland University, 248-377-3300, www.mbtheatre.com, tickets are $40-$48+.
• “Changes”: A Night of Music and Original One-Acts, April 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee on April 26 at 2:30 p.m. on the campus of Rochester Christian University, 800 W. Avon Road, Rochester Hills, in the Richardson Academic Center Theater, $5 for students and $18 for adults, with discounts available for seniors, veterans, and alumni, www.rcu.edu/theatre.
• “Footloose” musical: April 23-26, Stoney Creek High School Auditorium, 6755 Sheldon Road, Rochester Hills, presented by Stoney Creek Theatre Company. Tickets are $20+ for adults, $15+ for seniors (65+), $10+ for students, at https://stoneycreektheatrecompany.ludus.com/index.php.
• Elephant & Piggie’s: “We Are in a Play! Jr.” is 7 p.m. April 24, and 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. April 25, Parkway Christian School, 14000 Metro Pkwy, Sterling Heights, https://cur8.com/25661/project/134768.
• “Cinderella”: April 24-26, Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, 44575 Garfield Rd., Clinton Township, www.macombcenter.com, $28+.
• “Godspell”: April 24-25 and May 1-2, Lakeland Players, 5119 Highland Road, Waterford Twp. www.lakelandplayers.net, ticket prices vary.
• “Jurassic Park-The Musical”: April 24-May 9, Planet Ant Theatre (Ant Hall), 2320 Caniff St, Hamtramck, https://www.planetant.com/events, ticket prices vary.
• “Hello Dolly!”: April 24-May 16, Farmington Players Barn Theater, 32332 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, www.farmingtonplayers.org, 248-553-2955, $26 for adults and $24 for seniors and students.
• “Fiddler on the Roof” musical: through April 26, Stagecrafters Main Stage, Baldwin Theatre, 415 South Lafayette, Royal Oak, stagecrafters.org, 248-541-6430, ticket prices vary.
• “Paradise Lost”: through April 26, STUDIO-Hilberry Gateway, 4715 Cass Ave., Detroit, presented by the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance at Wayne State University, https://theatreanddance.wayne.edu, ticket prices vary.
• Spring Advanced Directing Projects: through April 26, Varner Lab Theatre, 371 Varner Drive, Rochester. https://calendar.oakland.edu/smtd, $10+ general admission.
• TAKE TEN-Ten-Minute Play Festival: May 1-3 (7 p.m. May 1-May 2, and 2 p.m. May 3), St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 20475 Sunningdale Park, Grosse Pointe Woods. Ten original ten-minute plays presented by Grosse Pointe Theatre, tickets are $15, open limited seating. Purchase tickets at www.gpt.org/playfest or call 313-881-4004. Some content is PG-13.
• “A Little Night Music”: May 1-17, Birmingham Village Players, 34660 Woodward Ave. Birmingham, 248-644-2075, www.birminghamvillageplayers.com, tickets are $30.
• “Gene & Gilda”: through May 3, Tipping Point Theatre, 361 E. Cady St., Northville, www.tippingpointtheatre.com/buy-tickets, 248-347-0003, ticket prices vary.
• “Be Nice, Think Twice”: 7:30-9 p.m. May 18, at Five15, 600 S Washington Ave., Royal Oak. Rock cabaret presented by Jim Territo, pianist, with vocalists Bryana Hall, Curtis Martin, and Jojo Shepard, and Paco Higdon, guitar, Stephe Brown, bass, and Jeremy Otto, drums, www.benicethinktwice.com, https://five15.net, ages 21+, $12.51 online, $15 at the door.
• “Be Nice, Think Twice”: 9-11:30 p.m. May 22, Ghost Light, 2314 Caniff, Hamtramck. Second show of rock cabaret presented by Jim Territo. Emily Rose at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m., www.facebook.com/ghostlighthamtramck, $12.51 online, $15 at the door.
Art
• Detroit Institute of Arts, Art-Making Studio, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, www.dia.org. Drawing in the Galleries, lectures, Drop-In Workshops, and Friday Night Live! events at the DIA, https://dia.org/events.
• Free Community Clay Workshop: 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 24, at Kasper and Clay, 40 W Howard Street #224, Pontiac, register at https://book.squareup.com/classes/fwv96otbffip83/location/LFXNMEK9RAKP2/classes, free clay workshop held every second and fourth Friday of April and May in conjunction with the Pontiac Arts Crawl.
• Labyrinth/Laboratory: Selections from the Cranbrook Collection is a new ongoing exhibition of work by Cranbrook Academy of Art alumni and faculty, Cranbrook Academy of Art at Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills, https://cranbrookartmuseum.org. Special Exhibition Tours to be held on Fridays at 4 p.m. April 24, May 1, May 15, and May 29.
• “What Dreams May Come”: exhibit through May 16, KickstART Gallery & Artisan Shop, 23616 Farmington Road, Farmington, artist’s talk with Wendy Fournier and Cathy Rozenberg, is 6:30 p.m. April 24 and closing reception is planned for May 8, https://kickstartfarmington.org.
• Biennial Primary Student Art Show: April 25-May 22, at Anton Art Center, 125 Macomb Place, Mount Clemens, Macomb County K-6th grade students, www.theartcenter.org, 586-469-8666.
• “Guests of Honor-Armor as Fashion”: exhibit through April 26, Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, https://dia.org.
• April Drop-In Workshops: BBAC’s Sundays @ the Center are a low-cost, drop-in workshop with projects that are fun for all ages, 12:30-3 p.m. April 26, $5 per person, includes all materials, at Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, 1516 S. Cranbrook Road, Birmingham, https://bbartcenter.org.
• The Knoll Lecture in Design: Nifemi Marcus-Bello is 6-7:30 p.m. April 28, Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, https://cranbrookart.edu/event/the-knoll-lecture-in-design-nifemi-marcus-bello, free.
• Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center: “Mechanical/Botanical” and Group Ceramic Show: “Animalia,” and non-ceramic exhibitions by Ron Teachworth: “Appropriation: Artists and Their Work “ and The Students of Fran Seikaly exhibits through April 30, at Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, 1516 S. Cranbrook Road, Birmingham, https://bbartcenter.org, free and open to the public.
• Swanson Lecture-Joseph Kunkel: 6-7:30 p.m. May 5, Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, https://cranbrookart.edu/event/swanson-lecture-joseph-kunkel.
• “When Time Stumbled”: May 8, opening art reception and book launch is 3-5 p.m. May 9, Color | Ink Studio & Gallery, 20919 John R Road, Hazel Park, exhibition is open May 8-May 29, collection of poetry and art, https://colorinkstudio.com.
• Sarah Blaustein and Christy Matson: “Field Guide” exhibit through May 16, Library Street Collective, 1260 Library Street, Detroit, https://lscgallery.com.
• Annual Art & Flower Fair: May 16-17, downtown Lake Orion, fundraiser for the Orion Art Center, more than 100 art, flower, plant, and craft vendors, live artist demonstrations, music, and family activities. To become a vendor, visit https://orionartcenter.org.
• Pontiac Arts Crawl: Fridays through May 29, Fridays in April and May, downtown Pontiac, pontiacartscrawl.com.
• Ron Conigliaro photography exhibit: exhibit through May, at the Flagstar Strand Theatre, 12 N Saginaw St, Pontiac, (248) 309-6445, www.flagstarstrand.com.
• Southfield Public Arts Commission presents “Attitudes & Images” artists’ exhibition through June 30, at Southfield City Hall Main Lobby, 26000 Evergreen Road, Southfield, presented Southfield Public Arts Commission, featuring the work of 11 artists, including: Terrell Anglin, Arlinda Crossland, Daphne Means Curtis, Paul Curtis, Lynn Galbreath, Kim Adams House, Terrie Hylton, Amanda Koss, Debbie Lim, Alessandra Collar Lipman, and Steven Mealy, (248) 796-5100, www.cityofsouthfield.com.
• Tacon-Heaslip Gallery: 22100 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, founded by Detroit-based artist Jarrad Tacon-Heaslip, 313-573-3020, www.taconheaslip.com, www.facebook.com/taconheaslipgallery.
• “Reimagine African American Art”: through Oct. 18, Detroit Institute of Arts, Art-Making Studio, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, www.dia.org.
• Guests of Honor-Frederic Church’s “Cotopaxi”: through Oct. 25, Detroit Institute of Arts, Art-Making Studio, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, www.dia.org.
• 2026-2027 Public Art Program: featuring works from more than 60 artists, at Farmington Hills City Hall, 31555 W. Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills, www.fhgov.com.
• The Shepherd, 1265 Parkview St., Detroit. Hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, (313) 600-7443, https://lscgallery.com/the-shepherd-bio.
• Anton Art Center: 125 Macomb Place, Mount Clemens, www.theartcenter.org, 586-469-8666. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, free admission.
• University of Michigan Museum of Art: 525 South State St., Ann Arbor, 734-764-0395, umma.umich.edu, ticket prices vary.
Art contests/Show vendor registrations
• Baba Juke Call for Art: honoring the musical legacy of Music Dads and Daughters, exhibition opening June 2026 at Irwin House Art Gallery – Detroit, submissions accepted through April 30, www.eyeneyellc.com/babajukecallforart.
• Pride Month Art Competition: through 4 p.m. May 5, Anton Art Center, open call to LGBTQ2S+ artists to submit entries to a new visual art competition and exhibit in celebration of Pride Month this summer presented by local nonprofit organization, PFLAG of Clinton Township. Open nationally to artists 18+ for up to two artworks to be juried by the entry deadline of May 5. Selected artwork will be on display in the Anton Art Center’s second level gallery open June 6-Aug. 1, www.theartcenter.org/artist-opportunities.
• The City of Farmington Hills, in collaboration with Farmington Public Schools, invites Farmington Public Schools K-12 students to participate in a poster contest to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Entries to the student art contest are open through April 26, at https://form.jotform.com/260745132663153. Students may submit one entry each. Selected winning posters will be professionally reproduced and displayed throughout the community and in promotional materials for the city’s America 250th Celebration at Founders Sports Park on June 25.
Beats, continued
• Il Volo: 8 p.m. May 1, Fox Theatre, Detroit, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
• Yungblud: 8 p.m. May 1, Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre, Sterling Heights, with Return to Dust, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
• Melrose Avenue: 7 p.m. May 1, The Shelter at Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E Congress St., Detroit, www.saintandrewsdetroit.com, ticket prices vary.
• Calum Scott: 7 p.m. May 1, The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave, Detroit, www.thefillmoredetroit.com, ticket prices vary.
• Ann Arbor Music Festival: May 1, The Blind Pig, 208 S. 1st St., Ann Arbor, with TRIBE989, Master Plan, Crush, Concrete Angels, https://blindpigmusic.com, doors at 7 p.m., 18+, ticket prices vary.
• Dueling Pianos: 8 p.m. May 1, The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester, ages 21+, 248-453-5285, www.theroxyrochester.com, $30+.
• Alan Doyle, Bandits on the Run: May 2, Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, doors at 7 p.m., www.royaloakmusictheatre.com, all ages, ticket prices vary.
• AMPLIFY-The Sound of Detroit: 4 p.m. May 3, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, Detroit, presented by Motown Museum – Hitsville Next, ticketmaster.com, ticket prices vary.
• Buckethead: 7 p.m. May 6, Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E Congress St., Detroit, www.saintandrewsdetroit.com, ticket prices vary.
• Pigeon Pit: 8 p.m. May 7, Ginkgo Records, 3546 Michigan Ave, Detroit, www.facebook.com/pigeonpit.
• Little Image: May 12, The Blind Pig, 208 S. 1st St., Ann Arbor, with McGuire Ellinger, https://blindpigmusic.com, doors at 7 p.m., ticket prices vary.
Books/Speakers
• Spring Used Book Sale: April 22-25, at Wixom Public Library, 49015 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, presented by the Friends of the Library. The preview sale for members only, (membership info at wixomlibrary.org/friends) is 5-7:30 p.m. April 22. Regular sale hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. April 23, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 24, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 25, proceeds benefit the Wixom Public Library, www.wixomlibrary.org.
• Women Confronting Racism conference: “The Cost of Silence-The Power of Voice” is April 24, at the Farmington Hills Costick Center, 28600 W 11 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, www.womenconfrontingracism.com.
• TEDxPontiac: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 1, GM Pontiac Engineering Center, 800 N Glenwood Ave., Pontiac, Pontiac’s Comeback Story Takes Center Stage at Historic GM Engineering Center, www.tedxpontiac.org, ticket prices vary.
• “The Safari Girls” Renee Prewitt author Talk and Book Launch: 2-4 p.m. May 3, Pontiac Creative Arts Center, 47 Williams Street, Pontiac, parking across the street, https://pontiacarts.square.site. Additional book signing events are 5-7:30 p.m. May 6, Motor City Java House, 17336 Lahser Rd, Detroit, parking in Redford Theatre Lot; and 9:30 a.m. May 17, at Renaissance Unity Church, following the service held at Emagine Theatre IMAX, 200 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, https://pontiacarts.square.site.
Choruses
• Motor City Chorale: “Music Through the Century, Vol. 2” Concert is 7:30 p.m. April 24, First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Rochester, 1315 N. Pine Street, Rochester, free will offering, https://motorcitychorale.com/home.
• New Century Chorale: “Music in My Mother’s House” is 4 p.m. May 3, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 711 S. Saginaw, Flint, https://newcenturychorale.square.site.
Classical/Orchestra
• William Davidson Neighborhood Series: Detroit Symphony Orchestra presents Vaughan Williams’s “The Lark Ascending,” 7:30 p.m. April 23 at WCCCD Prechter Center, Detroit; 8 p.m. April 24, at Plymouth:First United Methodist; 8 p.m. April 25, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Grosse Pointe Woods; 3 p.m. April 26, at The Hawk, Farmington Hills, dso.org, $32+.
• The Music of Journey: Detroit Symphony Orchestra, April 24-26, at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 313-576-5111, dso.org, $20.95+.
• “Sounds of the Pacific Rim”: Michigan Philharmonic at 7:30 p.m. April 24, The Hawk Theatre Mainstage, 29995 W 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m., TheHawkTheatre.com, $35+, $30+ for seniors, $10+ for students.
• Dvořák’s New World Symphony: Detroit Symphony Orchestra, April 30-May 2, at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 313-576-5111, dso.org, $20.95+.
• Detroit Metropolitan Youth Symphony: 2 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. May 3, String Orchestra, The Hawk Theatre Mainstage, 29995 W 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, TheHawkTheatre.com, gen. admission-$15+ adv., $20 at the door each show.
• Rochester Community Concert Band: 7:30 p.m. May 5, “Hometown” concert at Varner Recital Hall, 371 Varner Drive, on Oakland University’s campus, www.rochestercommunityconcertband.org, free admission, donations welcome.
• Royal Oak Concert Band: 3 p.m. May 10, “Vive la France” with Woodward Avenue Jazz Orchestra, at Royal Oak Middle School Dondero Auditorium, 709 N Washington, Royal Oak, www.royaloakconcertband.org, gen. adm.-$12, $10 students and seniors, free for ages 12 and younger.
Dance
• “Shen Yun”: April 24-26, Detroit Opera House, Detroit, https://detroitopera.org, ticket prices vary.
• 97th Annual Spring Dance Concert: A Meeting of Bodies and Minds, April 24-26 at the Wayne State University’s Hilberry Gateway – the STAGE.
Festivals/Shows
• Novi Home & Garden Show: April 24-26, at Vibe Credit Union Showplace, (formerly Suburban Collection Showplace) 46100 Grand River Ave. Novi, https://novihomeshow.com, ticket prices vary, parking fees.
• Blake’s in Bloom: through mid-May, at Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill in Armada, stroll through the orchard to enjoy fields of more than 100,000 tulips, pick fresh blooms, taste seasonal delights, $9.95 for a pre-sale weekday tulip pass ($12.95 at the gate) to $22.95 for a pre-sale weekend VIP tulip pass ($25.95 at the gate), http://blakefarms.com/blakesinbloom.
• Annual St. Florian Strawberry Festival: 5-10 p.m. May, 2, and noon-7 p.m. May 3, St. Florian Parish 2626 Poland St., Hamtramck, authentic Polish food to purchase (pierogi, kielbasa, city chicken), strawberry bakery, live music, dancing, and family games, www.facebook.com/StFlorianParishHamtramck, free admission.
• Halfway to Halloween Monster Bash: 2-5 p.m. May 2 at Twisty’s Tricks & Treats, 14 Mile Rd., Sterling Heights, 586-838-5050, DJ music, face painting, costume contest, www.facebook.com/events/1686134355887139, free admission, frozen treats to purchase.
• Utica Antiques Market: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. May 9 and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. May 10, at the Knights Park and Pavilion, 11541 21 Mile Road, Shelby Twp., www.facebook.com/uticaantiques, $10 admission, ages 15 and younger-free.
Film
• Detroit Youth Choir: to perform Michael Jackson songs at Emagine Theatre locations, pre-movie concert experience for new movie “Michael” throughout the opening week, 5:30 p.m. April 22 at Emagine Novi; 5:30 p.m. April 23 at Emagine Rochester Hills; 6 p.m. April 24 at Emagine Royal Oak; and 1:30 p.m. April 26 at Emagine Canton, free to watch in the lobby, movies available to purchase at emagine-entertainment.com.
• Oakland University Film Showcase: 3-4 p.m. April 26, Dodge Hall, Oakland University, https://filmfreeway.com/OUFILM26, film festival from the English, Creative Writing and Film Department at Oakland University.
• “Halfway 2 Halloween”: May 2, doors open at 10 a.m. at Screamers Costumes, 37101 South Groesbeck Hwy. Clinton Twp., featuring stars of Halloween movie franchise including James Jude Courtney, Brad Loree and Carmela McNeal, free admission, ticketed VIP “Breakfast with the Myers,” FastPass and VIP Passes, www.screamerscostumes.com. Portion of proceeds benefit Gleaners Food Bank for the Jay Towers Annual Cereal Drive.
• Billie Eilish: “Hit Me Hard and Soft-The Tour,” in theaters May 8.
• AMC Theatres: AMC Forum Sterling Heights, 586-254-1381; AMC Star Gratiot Clinton Township, 586-791-2095; AMC Star Great Lakes Auburn Hills, 248-454-0314; AMC Star John R Madison Heights, 248-585-4477, amctheatres.com.
• Cinemark Southland Center, Taylor, 734-287-0629, www.cinemark.com/theatres.
• Detroit Film Theatre at Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, dia.org, ticket prices vary.
• Emagine Theatres: Birmingham 8, 248-723-6230; Emagine Palladium in Birmingham, 248-385-0500; Canton, 734-787-3002; The Riviera in Farmington Hills, 248-788-6572; Hartland, 810-207-5757; Macomb, 586-372-3456; Novi, 248-468-2990; Rochester Hills, 248-378-2991; Royal Oak, 248-414-1000, emagine-entertainment.com, ticket prices vary. Open-caption showtimes are Wednesdays and Sundays, films and showtimes vary. Dementia-friendly showtimes are at 1 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at Emagine locations in Saline, Canton, and Rochester Hills. Flashback Cinema Series selection of classic films- Sundays and Wednesdays through May 3.
• Farmington Civic Theater: 33332 Grand River Ave., Farmington, www.theFCT.com.
• Milford Independent Cinema: 945 E Summit St., Milford, milfordcinema.org/tickets, general admission tickets are $9+.
• MJR Theatres: MJR Chesterfield, 586-598-2500; MJR Universal Grand, Warren, 586-620-0200; MJR Troy, 248-498-2100; MJR Marketplace, Sterling Heights, 586-264-1514; MJR Partridge Creek, Clinton Twp., 586-263-0084; MJR Waterford, 248-666-7900, MJR Southgate, 734-284-3456, mjrtheatres.com.
• Oxford GQT Theater: 248-628-7101, gqtmovies.com/theaterinfo/x01tk-gqt-oxford-7.
• Redford Theatre: 17360 Lahser Road, Detroit, redfordtheatre.com, ticket prices vary.
• Regal UA, Commerce Twp.: 844-462-7342, regmovies.com/theatres/regal-ua-commerce-township. Permanently closed.
• Romeo Theatre, Washington: 586-752-3455, romeotheatre.com.
Fundraisers
• Shades of Pink Foundation’s A Walk at the Zoo: 7 a.m.-noon April 25, at the Detroit Zoo, 8450 W 10 Mile Rd., Royal Oak, register for individual or team at https://shadesofpinkfoundation.goodworldnow.com/p/a-walk-at-the-zoo, ticket prices vary, donations welcome.
• The Best Buddies Friendship Walk: 8 a.m. April 26, Detroit Zoo, to benefit people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, register for individual or team at www.bestbuddies.org/michigan, ticket prices vary, donations welcome.
• Annual Wine, Wit & Wisdom Fundraiser: 6-9:30 p.m. April 25, at Rochester Hills Public Library featuring lectures, dinner, drinks, silent auction and 50/50 raffle to support the Friends of RHPL. Register at the library or online at rhpl.org/friends. Tickets are $90 until April 20 when registration closes, ages 21+.
• HAVEN’s Seeds of Hope Gala: 6-10:30 p.m. May 1, at Auburn Hills Marriott Pontiac, 3600 Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, https://haven-oakland.org/haven-events/seeds-of-hope-gala.
• Audrey Ray: May 15, The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester, ages 21+, 248-453-5285, www.theroxyrochester.com, Proceeds benefit A Courageous Voice, working to protect children from abuse and exploitation, line dancing and merch available before the show, 7-8 p.m., Audrey Ray performs at 8 p.m., https://theroxyrochester.com, $30+.
• “Icons Re-Imagined” gala: Lawrence Technological University Scholarship Gala is May 16, at The Department at Hudson’s Detroit, 1000 Nick Gilbert Way, Detroit. Tickets and sponsorships available at http://ltu.edu/thegala, prices vary.
Misc.
• Livernois Business Corridor Bingo: May 1-18, Catfe Lounge, 686 Livernois St, Ferndale, free admission, https://ferndalecatshelter.org/cl.
• Night of Knockouts XL: 7 p.m. April 24, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, Detroit, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
• The Psychology of Serial Killers: 8 p.m. April 30, featuring Dr. Rachel Toles Flagstar Strand Theatre, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac, flagstarstrand.com, ticket prices vary.
• Downtown Detroit Markets: Vendor applications are open April 28-June 1, All Things Marketplace, 1620 Michigan Ave. Ste. 123 in Corktown, Detroit, www.deckedoutdetroit.com/markets-applicants-open. Holiday Market season is Nov. 11-Jan. 3, 2027.
Museums
• “Michigan at Gettysburg”: 1-3 p.m. April 26, at the Oakland History Center in downtown Pontiac, as society member Kevin Bellant investigates Michigan’s place in the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg. Admission is free, donations welcome, www.ocphs.org.
• Oakland County Parks Historian Carol Bacak-Egbo: “A Dead Cow, an Apple Orchard and a Town that Disappeared: Lyon Oaks and Beyond,” 7-8 p.m. April 28, at Lyon Oaks Event Center, free event, preregistration is requested at 248-221-8040.
Detroit ICON series sneak preview: 6-9 p.m. May 1, Detroit Historical Museum, https://go.detroithistorical.org/DetroitIcon
• Discovery Days: Community Science is 11 a.m.-3 p.m. May 2, Cranbrook Institute of Science: 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, https://science.cranbrook.edu/visit/events/2026-05/discovery-days-community-science.
• Ford House: Historic estate of Eleanor and Edsel Ford, 1100 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores, 313-884-4222, www.fordhouse.org/events, admission is $7 per adult and $5 per child, ages 6+, free for 5 and younger.
• Cranbrook Institute of Science: 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, https://science.cranbrook.edu, 248-645-3200. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday; noon-4 p.m. Sunday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. first and third Friday of the month and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. second, fourth, and fifth Friday of the month. General admission is $15, $11.50 for ages 2-12 and ages 65+, free for ages under 2 and members. General admission is free on the first Friday of every month and $5 after 5 p.m. on the third Friday of every month. Acheson Planetarium and changing exhibit hall require an additional fee.
• The Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, public open hours and tours are noon-3 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, free for museum members; $5/adults; $3/seniors and students, drop-in only, www.rochesterhills.org/musprograms.
• Royal Oak Historical Society Museum: Hours are 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 1411 W. Webster Road, Royal Oak, royaloakhistoricalsociety.com, 248-439-1501, $10+ suggested donation. “Where They Lie: Stories that Royal Oak Cemeteries Tell” exhibit on display during the Museum’s regular hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 1–4 p.m. through July 25.
• Orson Starr House open house: 1-4 p.m. 2nd and 4th Sundays each month, 3123 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, oldest house in Royal Oak, built in 1845, www.facebook.com/OrsonStarrHouse.
• Oakland County’s Historical Society, 405 Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Pontiac, www.ocphs.org, (248) 338-6732.
• Pontiac Transportation Museum: 250 W. Pike St., Pontiac. Admission to the museum is $15, $12 for seniors and veterans, $8 for children ages 6-12, free for children ages 5 and younger, 50% off for Pontiac residents with ID. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, www.pontiactransportationmuseum.org. First Thursday Lecture Series is 7-8:30 p.m., first Thursday of the month, free, donations appreciated.
• Ford Piquette Plant Museum: 461 Piquette Ave., Detroit. Open Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10-$20. Optional guided tours take place daily at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m., www.fordpiquetteplant.org, 313-872-8759.
• Michigan Science Center (Mi-Sci): 5020 John R St., Detroit, 313-577-8400, www.mi-sci.org. Regular museum gen. adm. is $17+. Standard Mi-Sci films are available as a $6 add-on to general admission tickets. Mi-Sci is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday and until 8 p.m. the first Friday of each month. Kids Town exhibit provides a tinkering space for children 5 and under to explore creativity as part of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) concepts – while under the supervision of parents and caregivers.
• Troy Historic Village: 60 W. Wattles Road, Troy. Register online to reserve a timeslot at www.TroyHistoricVillage.org. Walk-ins are also welcome. Regular hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission is free to members, $7/Adult, $5/Senior, $5/Youth 6-17 for non-members, free for ages under 6.
• Meadow Brook Hall: Guided House Tours, Meadow Brook Hall on the campus of Oakland University, Rochester, 350 Estate Drive, Rochester. Visit meadowbrookhall.org/tours for tour times and ticket prices.
• Detroit Arsenal of Democracy Museum: seeks volunteer groups from veteran and military groups to assist with restoration. The museum is also seeking building materials and equipment to support the ongoing restoration of its vintage industrial space at 19144 Glendale Ave., Detroit, including floor grinders, clear epoxy and Thinset products for floor repairs, www.detroitarsenalofdemocracy.org.
• Detroit Historical Museum: 5401 Woodward Ave. (NW corner of Kirby) in Midtown Detroit, detroithistorical.org. Permanent exhibits include the famous Streets of Old Detroit, the Allesee Gallery of Culture, Doorway to Freedom: Detroit and the Underground Railroad, Detroit: The “Arsenal of Democracy,” the Gallery of Innovation, Frontiers to Factories, America’s Motor City and The Glancy Trains, regular museum general admission is $10. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. “Detroit Lions: Gridiron Heroes,” exhibition through Jan. 3, 2027, detroithistorical.org.
• Heroes vs. Villains: Detroit’s Comic Book Story exhibit through May 2026, Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave. (NW corner of Kirby) in Midtown Detroit, detroithistorical.org.
• Dossin Great Lakes Museum: 100 Strand Drive, Belle Isle, Detroit. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday, detroithistorical.org, general admission tickets are $5, free for children under 6.
• Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society: open 1st/2nd/4th/5th Sundays of the month and 3rd Fridays, 1-4 pm, (holidays excluded) with exhibits including “Four Communities” exhibit at The Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road, Orchard Lake. Admission is free, donations welcome, www.gwbhs.org, 248-757-2451.
• Hammond Planetarium: at Henry Ford College, in the Science Building, www.hfcc.edu/campus-life/planetarium.
• Henry Ford Museum: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village, 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, Monday-Saturday, purchase tickets online, prices vary, thehenryford.org. Ford Rouge Factory Tours www.thehenryford.org. Hours are 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Monroe County Museum: 126 S Monroe St., Monroe, monroemi.gov, facebook.com/MonroeMuseums. Museum admission and activities are free and open to the public.
• Motown Museum: 2648 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, motownmuseum.org, 313-875-2264. Museum tours are paused until Spring 2027, to complete construction for the museum’s expansion project.
• “Psychedelic Soul-A Journey Through Rhythm and Time”: Motown Museum pop-up exhibit, is open through Sept. 27, at Esther Gordy Edwards Centre for Excellence, 2550 W. Grand Boulevard, Detroit. Tickets are required, motownmuseum.org.
• Westin Book Cadillac at 100 Exhibition: Westin Book Cadillac, Detroit, presented with Detroit Historical Society, virtual exhibit explores the 100-year history of the Book Cadillac hotel, www.detroithistorical.org/exhibitions/westin-book-cadillac-100-virtual-exhibition.
• The Wright: The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit, 313-494-5800, open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and open until 7 p.m. on Thursday, closed on Mondays, reserve timed tickets at thewright.org, $30+ gen adm., $20 for seniors 62+, $15 for youth, ages 5-17, free for under 5.
• The Zekelman Holocaust Center: 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, regular admission is $8 adult, free with membership, www.holocaustcenter.org, 248-553-2400. Yom HaShoah with two public remembrance events, including a community reading of victims’ names and a candle-lighting commemoration with survivors and local faith leaders.
Opera
• Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán: 7:30 p.m. May 9, Detroit Opera House, Detroit, https://detroitopera.org, ticket prices vary.
Note: Events are subject to change; check with venues for updates.
Detroit — The farmers at Oakland Avenue Urban Farm are experts at growing fruits and vegetables that end up on dinner plates throughout the city and surrounding region, executive director Jerry Ann Hebron said.
But that isn’t enough to protect their North End neighbors from food insecurity.
“We already know we can grow food. We grow a lot of food. We grow good food,” Hebron said. “What’s next? How do we move this, move the needle? Because none of us can say we have food sovereignty.”
That’s why Oakland Avenue Urban Farm is embarking on an ambitious plan to redevelop a 9,000-square-foot vacant grocery store at the corner of Oakland Avenue and Westminster Street.
They want to turn the building into a community resilience center that will offer commercial kitchen space, community food storage, cooking classes, event space, housing and solar power. They hope their resilience center will be the first of many to be built at Detroit urban farms.
Hebron’s vision for Oakland Avenue is inspired by her childhood in the area. Oakland Avenue was a bustling commercial corridor in the 1950s and ’60s. Now, people have to leave the neighborhood to shop and run errands. She wants to see more businesses and resources return to the community.
“Being able to be a part of a major development on the corridor should send a signal to others to come and build their developments as well,” said Hebron, who also is executive director of Northend Christian CDC.
The same effect could take place in other parts of the city as Detroit farms build similar indoor food centers, Hebron said. Oakland Avenue Urban Farm is working with a network of Detroit farms, including Cadillac Urban Gardens, Feedom Freedom Farms and others, are pursuing plans to build a similar community resiliency spaces throughout the city.
“We realized we are just one community,” Hebron said. “What about all the others?”
How solar panels help Detroit urban farm serve its neighbors
Northend Christian CDC was founded in 1999 by Hebron’s 94-year-old mother, Reverend Bertha L. Carter of St. John Evangelist Temple of Truth and School of Wisdom, the church adjacent to the grocery store that the organization plans to redevelop.
Carter and her congregation started Oakland Avenue Urban Farm in 2000. Northend CDC has renovated five houses around its farm and turned a sixth into an expansive chicken coop. They rent some of the homes to tenants and use others as gathering space.
Oakland Avenue Urban Farm grows fruits and vegetables on more than three acres, has three hoop houses and a greenhouse, runs a 4-H program, hosts a weekly summer farmer’s market and supplies produce to regional food banks. Farmers also readily give produce to people who pass by and show interest in a fresh tomato or bundle of greens, a neighborly practice they call “harvest by demand.”
On Wednesday, farmers were harvesting the last of their spring spinach crop.
The farm is inviting, with colorful murals, fragrant flowering trees, pergolas, picnic tables, fire pits and outlets powered by solar panels — an important feature during power outages and for neighbors who live off the grid, Hebron said.
Power outages are a big problem for people who rely on medical equipment or can’t afford to replace a refrigerator’s worth of food, Hebron said. In addition to solar-powered outdoor plugs, Oakland Avenue Farm has a refrigerator people can use to store food.
“We’ve got seniors, we have people who are diabetic, we’ve got people we know are on oxygen,” Hebron said. “How can we be a resource for them?”
Solar panels, backup generator planned for new center
That’s why Northend Christian CDC leaders plan to install solar panels on the roof of their future food and resilience center and will install backup generators so the building can help power the community during grid outages. The building also will offer space where people can store food during power outages, Hebron said.
Hebron is most excited about the commercial kitchen. Farmers can use it to make products like jams and tea blends, and the farm will partner with a local chef who will teach community cooking classes to show people how to turn farm-fresh produce into affordable, healthy and easy meals.
The kitchen also will serve farmers who want to expand their offerings with products like baked goods or canned goods.
“With all the challenges facing farmers nationwide right now, locally produced food is becoming even more essential,” Hebron said. “Detroit is already viewed as a global leader in urban agriculture, so we are excited to take this next leap to expand food security and sustainability for our community.”
Oakland Avenue Urban Farm received a grant from the McGregor Fund to start the initial work, the fund’s Director of Engagement and Communications Nikia Washington said in an email.
Construction should begin this summer and be finished in 2028, said Hebron. Oakland Avenue Urban Farm leaders need approval from city council for the site plans.
ckthompson@detroitnews.com
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