5 Fun Events That Aren’t The Woodward Dream Cruise

METRO DETROIT, MI — If you’re a Woodward Dream Cruise hater — and a lot of you are — and are looking for activities that will take you away from the madding crowds of the gear-grinding, exhaust spewing drag races, here are five things to do.

Step Back in Time

This is opening weekend for the Michigan Renaissance Festival. When you step through the turreted gates of the Michigan Renaissance Festival, you’ll feel like you’ve traveled through time to the Elizabethan Era. The 17-acre village at 12600 Dixie Highway in Holly. There are 17 themed stages for full-armored jousting, comedy and theater shows, music, games, people-powered vehicles and everything you’d expect. More information.

Get a Honey Bee Buzz

The inaugural Bee Fest celebrates at the Belle Isle Nature Zoo celebrates National Honey Bee Day, observed annually on the third Saturday of August. Bees are in serious trouble in today’s environment, and this event outlines their challenges and how you can help these important pollinators make a comeback.

A highlight is a bee costume parade at 2 p.m. Here are some other events:

• Beekeeper talks;
• Arts and crafts including beeswax candle making, beeswax modeling and bee antennae creations;
• Talks and demonstrations from the Society for Conservation Biology’s Smith Fellows and the Greening of Detroit;
• A photography and art exhibition from a local artist;
• Local vendors with health and beauty products made from local honey and beeswax;
• Raffles with prizes including baskets of produce;
• Demonstrations on the creation of “seed bombs.”

The event, to be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., is free. More information.

Explore African Culture

The African World Festival continues through Sunday at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African History in Detroit, one of the world’s largest museums dedicated to the African-American experience with more than 35,000 artifacts and archival materials.

Some highlights of the festival include spoken word performances, live traditional and folk music, dance troupes, arts and crafts, and enough food options that no one will go hungry. The museum is located at 315 E. Warren Ave. on the Wayne State University campus in Detroit. Hours are 11 a.m-11 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. More information.

Get Your Greek On

The annual festival celebrating the Greek ethnicity of many Metro Detroit residents returns to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in St. Clair Shores through Sunday. There, you’ll find Greek food, entertainment and other cultural attractions.

Among the entertainers are Hellenic Society of the Performing Arts, Jr. Hellenic Society of the Performing Arts, Omega Dancers, Alpha Dancers and the children who attend Greek School.
A highlight of the Greek Festival will be a visit from world renowned iconographer Vlasis Tsotsonis, who was commissioned by the church to restore the artwork destroyed in a 2002 fire.

All activities take place at the church, located at 21800 Marter Road. Hours are 4-10 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. More information.

See Some Cool Robots

School doesn’t start until after Labor Day, but you can jump start your kids’ STEM (science, technology, education and math) education at Kellogg Park in Plymouth from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Kids will be able to drive robots, make cool stuff at LEGO tables, and experiment with rockets, air cannons and more. Kellogg Park is located at South Main Street and West Ann Arbor Trail in downtown Plymouth. More information.

Image credits: Michigan Renaissance Festival by Sue Talbert, honey bee by Martin Cooper, Charles H. Wright Museum of African History by Mark Goebel; and LEGO robot by Brickset, all via Flickr / Creative Commons; and Assumption Greek Festival via Assumption Greek Orthodox Church.