5 Can’t-Miss Labor Day Weekend 2016 Events in Metro Detroit

METRO DETROIT, MI — The last gasp of summer is upon us, and there’s no shortage of Metro Detroit events to check off your bucket list over the Labor Day Weekend.

Events like the Michigan Peach Festival and Michigan State Fair start Thursday, so why not take a vacation day Friday to take full advantage — or to get your to-do list checked off so you can go out and have some fun.

Below are five pick events. Tell us what you’re planning to do in the comments.

Arts, Beats & Eats, Friday-Monday, Sept. 2-5: Nearly 200 local, regional and national music acts will perform at the free street festival, now in its 19th year, in downtown Royal Oak. Some of the big names on the event's national stage include Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Gavin DeGraw, Our Lady Peace and Laith Al-Saadi. Art from dozens of local arts and food samplings from numerous area restaurants are also available. If you’re bringing the kids, you’ll find activities each day on the Oakland County Kids Stage. Get the music lineup here.

Detroit Jazz Festival, Friday-Monday, Sept. 2-5: This downtown gem, held from Campus Martius Park to Hart Plaza to the Detroit International RiverWalk, showcases the Detroit Jazz scene. More than 100 acts are featured on five stages, including big names like Terence Blanchard, Ramsey Lewis and Pat Metheny. The festival, now in its 34th year, also spotlights college and high school ensembles. Read more here.

Michigan Peach Festival, Thursday-Monday, Sept. 1-5: Did someone say peaches? Held annually in Romeo over the Labor Day weekend, the Michigan Peach Festival is the second-oldest festival in Michigan. The Peach Queen coronation is a highlight, but you’ll also find races, parades, family events, music and peaches (plus other foodstuff). Read more here.

Michigan State Fair, Thursday-Monday, Sept. 1-5: The Michigan State Fair, the oldest state fair in the United States and celebrates both Michigan’s agricultural industry and small businesses. You’ll find the butter cow, the beginning of life baby animal exhibits, endless milk, horses and other livestock, racing pigs, midway rides, live music, a farmers market, retail shops and other state fair staples. Read more here.

Bridge Walks, Monday, Sept. 5: If you can’t make it to the 59th annual Mackinac Bridge Walk from St. Ignace to Mackinaw City on Monday, you can experience the spirit of the trek in either Rochester or South Lyon, two of the events scheduled to coincide with the Mighty Mac event. The Paint Creek Trail Labor Day Bridge Walk & Run starts at Rochester Municipal Park, 400 Sixth St. The South Labor DayBridge Walk starts at McHattie Park, 400 Dorothy St., South Lyon. Both walks start at 9 a.m., with registration half an hour earlier. Read more about the Rochester event here and more about the South Lyon event here.

Photo by Bruce Tuten via Flickr Commons