As part of our 30th anniversary celebration last month, we asked Hour Detroit readers to vote for their favorite covers from the magazine’s history. With all votes tabulated, here are the top 10 Hour Detroit covers, as voted by our loyal readers.

10. May 2022

Our May 2022 cover story by Nolan Bianhi highlighted the rise of Detroit City Football Club. The cover itself, photographed by Sal Rodriguez and featuring DCFC’s rabid Northern Guard Supporters, also birthed the very funny #EdDuckerForever social media trend.

As explained by Editor-In-Chief Kate Walsh in her Editor’s Letter in the June 2022 issue, “When the DCFC fans noticed a fan holding a scarf that said “Ed Ducker Forever,” some were left scratching their heads…Most people figured out that Ed Ducker was born to cover a profanity front and center on our cover, but they didn’t leave it at that. #EdDuckerForever became a thing on Twitter, with DCFC fans and others creating a backstory for this fictional character, including tales of his prowess on the pitch and in the sheets, saving (or dropping) babies, his love of beer, etc.”

Truthfully, the whole incident is symbolic of the overall vibe at any DCFC match. If you’ve never attended one yet, what are you waiting for?

Another piece of trivia: former Hour Detroit digital editor Christina Clark is among the group of fans — she’s the one with pink hair. Coincidentally, the photo was taken before she joined the magazine.

9. July 2023

Featuring a stunning aerial photograph by William Cunningham, the cover for the July 2023 issue of Hour Detroit just draws you in with its beauty. The cover story by Kate Townley chronicled the many reasons (65, to be exact) why the Great Lakes are so great. Frankly, there are plenty more reasons to add to this already extensive list.

8. April 2024

Like the DCFC cover, the cover for the April 2024 issue, created by Ryan Olbrysh, has an incredible kinetic energy. Based around Detroit hosting the NFL Draft, the “City Guide” cover story explored all of the details any visitor to metro Detroit should know and featured contributions from Bill Dow, Dana White, Juliana Lumaj, Mickey Lyons, and Jack Thomas.

7. May 2020

For the May 2020 issue, Hour Detroit chronicled the impact of COVID-19 on metro Detroit in a nine-page special report by Steve Friess, Amy Haimerl, Joanne C. Gerstner, and Ashley Winn. The cover depicts the Spirit of Detroit monument wearing a mask and hospital scrubs. The poignant image is an original oil painting by Luke Mack for Hour Detroit.

6. January 2018

Abdul El-Sayed graced the January 2018 cover of Hour Detroit, was profiled by Lou Blouin, and photographed by Matthew LaVere. At that time, he was a 33-year-old Michigan gubernatorial candidate gaining lots of attention for his rising grassroots campaign.

The former director of the Detroit Health Department lost the Democratic nomination to Gretchen Whitmer. However, the man some thought could be the first Muslim governor in the United States now has a chance at becoming the first Muslim person elected to the United States Senate. El-Sayed, now 41, is in a very competitive 2026 Democratic primary race against Rep. Haley Stevens and State Sen. Mallory McMorrow. Primary elections for the open Michigan Senate seat vacated by a retiring Sen. Gary Peters will take place on Aug. 4, with the Democratic and Republican primary winners facing off in the midterm elections on Nov. 3.

5. February 2021

On this cover photographed by Julia Pickett, contributor Steve Friess summed up Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2020 rather perfectly: “A pandemic. An ‘SNL’ parody. A kidnapping plot. And mean tweets from the president. Did anyone have a more bizarre and intense 2020 than ’the woman in Michigan’?” Friess’ cover story on Whitmer explored her 2020 experiences and describing them as “surreal” could be the most apt use of that word ever.

4. January 2024

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell headlined our annual “Detroiters” list in 2024, which highlights the people making unique impacts on metro Detroit. His striking portrait, courtesy of the Detroit Lions, appeared on the cover, with contributor Jim McFarlin detailing the rise of Campbell becoming one of the most beloved Detroit sports figures in recent history.

3. June 2005

Detroit has been very fortunate to have some incredible local news anchors over the years. WDIV-TV’s Carmen Harlan is certainly among the most iconic. A Detroit native, Harlan joined WDIV-TV in 1978 as a general assignment reporter. Three years later, she became an anchor. Paired with Mort Crim, another legendary Detroit news anchor, Harlan continued to serve as anchor until her retirement in 2016. Photographed by Roy Ritchie, Harlan appeared on the cover of Hour Detroit in June 2005 for our “Best of Detroit” issue. In the 2005 edition of our readers’ poll, Harlan won three honors: Best local TV anchor, best TV hairdo (female), and best-looking TV personality.

2. April 2026

Our latest “City Guide” feature took on the theme of “Hidden Detroit.” In it, we examined lesser-known aspects and treasures in metro Detroit. The cover was of Tintoretto’s “The Dreams of Men,” which is featured in the Detroit Institute of Arts, but it’s in a surprising location. If you’re looking to find out where to spot this gorgeous painting, Jack Thomas and Kate Walsh share its location in their piece appropriately titled “Things You May Have Missed at the Detroit Institute of Arts.”

1. June 2019

The 2019 “Best of Detroit” list served as a tribute to Aretha Franklin, who passed away in Aug. 2018 at age 76. Not only did the “Queen of Soul” win the honor of “Detroit Legend,” but she appeared on the cover via an original oil painting by Kim Frank Fujiwara. (Fujiwara won in the category of “Best Fine Artist.”) Simply put: This is a breathtaking cover. We admire and agree with our readers’ outstanding taste in their choice for the best Hour Detroit cover.

DETROIT – Detroit first responders and several private citizens are being credited with helping rescue a dozen people after multiple sailboats capsized in the Detroit River near Belle Isle during severe weather last week.

The incident occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. on June 10 as a line of thunderstorms moved through southeast Michigan, bringing strong winds to the area.

According to the Detroit Fire Department, crews were dispatched to Belle Isle near the beach following reports of overturned boats and people in the water.

Firefighters, EMS personnel, Engine 27, and Fireboat 2, known as the Sivad Johnson, responded to the scene.

When crews arrived, they found multiple small sailboats overturned in the river.

Officials said 20 people aboard seven sailboats were involved in the incident.

Twelve people were rescued from the water, while eight others safely returned aboard two boats that remained upright.

Fireboat 2 rescued four people from the water.

The Detroit Police Department Harbormaster rescued two more, while a private boater assisted three people. Another three were brought to safety by a nearby boat club vessel.

The operator of the sailing group said as many as 26 people were on the water before the storm arrived, with six making it back to shore on their own before rescue efforts began.

Despite the dangerous conditions, no serious injuries were reported. Officials said all rescued individuals declined medical treatment.

Authorities praised the coordinated response among firefighters, police officers, boat club members, and private boaters who assisted during the emergency.

“Be aware of your surroundings,” said Detroit Fire Department Fireboat Operator Daniel Familant. “To be honest, we do make a lot of the saves by the private boaters out there that are fishing or just having a good time, and people were out there screaming, ‘Help, help,’ and there they go, so everyone helps out. It’s an all-hands effort.”

Emergency crews remained on scene until everyone involved was accounted for.

Officials noted that one member of the Fireboat 2 crew was serving on the vessel for the first time during the rescue operation.

The list of Catholic parishes targeted for the possible stoppage of weekend Masses has grown to about 90 parishes across southeast Michigan, according to the latest proposed models the Archdiocese of Detroit has released as part of its major restructuring process.

The archdiocese released on Thursday the models for potential parish groupings for the six remaining planning areas in the archdiocese, and 32 parishes wouldn’t have weekend Mass under at least one of the models. Previously released models showed that 58 other parishes could stop holding weekend Mass.

The Archdiocese of Detroit recently completed listening sessions meant to garner feedback on the models, but parishioners can still share input through a survey that is open until July 31.

More: See if your parish could stop holding weekend Mass under new plans

More: Four in 10 Archdiocese of Detroit parishes face budget deficits

The archdiocese has been divided into 15 planning areas, or geographic areas, and three or four models are being proposed for each planning area, said the Rev. Mario Amore, executive director of parish renewal for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The models have different proposed groupings of parishes ― called pastorates ― in which a grouping would share a pastor and potentially other priests. In some cases, selected churches in the grouping would no longer hold Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass.

The models released on Thursday are for planning areas 6, 7, 8, 11, 14 and 15, which include parts of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties and parishes in St. Clair and Lapeer counties.

Sixteen of the parishes wouldn’t have weekend Mass under any of the models, including St. Alphonsus-Clement Parish in Dearborn, Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Redford Township and Our Lady of Hope Parish in St. Clair Shores.

The models are part of the archdiocese’s biggest restructuring plan in years. Announced last fall, Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said the archdiocese can’t maintain the roughly 200 existing parish buildings and is working to “right-size” the archdiocese, along with its personnel and financial resources. 

Holly Fournier, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Detroit, emphasized that the models are just draft proposals “intended to solicit feedback from parishioners.” She said no decisions have been made regarding pastorate groupings, weekend Mass schedules or any other aspect of the restructuring process.

The Rev. Mario Amore, executive director of parish renewal for the Archdiocese of Detroit, said in May that parishioners understand that the archdiocese “needs to do something” about its challenges. But when it becomes personal for people, it’s “very difficult,” he said.

“And there’s a lot of human emotions, and … we need to honor that,” Amore said. “We need to be attentive to that, and no one’s saying that it’s an easy process, and it’s not a process that … we’re happy that we need to undertake, but it is one that we do need to undertake.”

What the latest Wayne County models show

Planning Area 6, which is in the southern section of Wayne County, excluding the Downriver area, includes 16 parishes. Eight of them would stop holding Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass under at least one of the models for the planning area.

They include St. Mary, Cause of Our Joy in Westland, St. Richard in Westland, St. Aloysius in Romulus, St. Sabina in Dearborn Heights, St. Linus in Dearborn Heights, Divine Child in Dearborn, St. Alphonsus -St. Clement in Dearborn and St. Kateri Tekakwitha in Dearborn.

Planning Area 7, which includes the northwest portion of Wayne County, has 15 parishes, four of which wouldn’t hold weekend Mass under at least one model. They include Our Lady of Loretto in Redford Township, St. John XXIII in Redford Township, St. Priscilla in Livonia and Resurrection in Canton Township.