15 things to do this weekend in metro Detroit, Jan. 12-14

NAIAS, concerts, poetry, plays, art shows, conventions and more

DETROIT – If you couldn't get tickets to the North American International Auto Show or if you're in town because of the show and you need something to do, Local 4 has you covered.

In addition to live updated auto show coverage accessable on ClickOnDetroit or our NAIAS app available on both Android and iOS devices, Local 4 has compiled a list of our recommendations for fun, unique and classic Detroit events this weekend.

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All Weekend

Plymouth Ice Festival

Downtown Plymouth
FREE

The Plymouth Ice Festival is a world-class event that offers fun for the whole family.

The event is committed to spreading the word about downtown Plymouth and helping the local business community thrive through event outreach and marketing efforts. The Plymouth District Library will also be holding its own events, including concerts, crafting and cocoa.

Friday  – 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Dauphin Island

Detroit Repertory Theatre
$20

Detroit playwright and actor Jeffry Chastang takes audiences on an adventure in the dramedy Dauphin Island.

Suspicion and fascination dovetail when Selwyn interrupts the self-imposed isolation of Kendra. Leaving behind a messy divorce and time spent living in his car in Detroit, he embarks on a trip for a new beginning.

Friday – 8:30 p.m.
Saturday  –  3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Sunday  – 7:30 p.m.

Cirque Du Soleil Crystal

Little Caesars Arena
Tickets start at $40

Crystal is the first-ever experience on ice from Cirque du Soleil.

World-class ice skaters and acrobats take their new frozen playground by storm with speed and fluidity as they challenge the laws of gravity with a flurry of unexpected acrobatics. A new kind of performance as Cirque du Soleil meets the ice.

Crystal is about looking at things from fresh angles, peeking through the veneer of everyday life, reframing one’s daily reality to see what one might have missed. 

Friday – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday  –  3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday  – 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Ultimate Fishing Show

Suburban Collection Showplace, Novi
$10 adults, $4 children, children 5 and under are free

The Ultimate Fishing Show features the newest fishing boats and more than 200 booths of fishing gear, outfitters, guides and lodges  in the largest freshwater fishing market in the country.

An all-star lineup of professional anglers who entertain and educate show patrons is an annual highlight of the show and this year’s cast leaves no stone unturned. More than 75 free seminars are planned for novice to expert anglers. Included in this year’s lineup are the always popular salmon, bass and walleye Ultimate Clinics. Special features of this pure fishing show include 110,000-gallon Lake Ultimate, Hawg Trough demo tank, Ice Fishing Extravaganza, Shanty Truck Load Sale, Shore Lunch Fish Fry, Trout Pond for kids and more. 

Friday – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday  –  10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday  – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Church: A Painter's Pilgrimage

Detroit Institute of Arts
$19.50 adults, $7 children
Tickets also include access to "Monet: Framing Life"

It's the last weekend to see the works of American painter Frederic Church, as the event closes its doors Monday.

Church was the most popular and financially successful painter in mid-19th-century America, best known for his large paintings of wild places in North and South America, the North Atlantic and the Caribbean. But from the late 1860s until the late 1870s, many of his most important paintings represented ancient cities or buildings from his trip to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. While Church’s paintings of the New World subjects focused on nature, his Old World subjects explore human history. This exhibition brings together nearly all of Church’s most important paintings of the Middle East, Athens and Rome to explore what motivated this major shift in his artistic work.

Friday -- 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday -- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday -- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday

The Comeback Kid: Scenes from the Motor City

Tangent Gallery / Hastings Street Ballroom
FREE -- accepting donations toward the Detroit Impact Center

This artist showcase features pieces from almost 20 creators selected due to their unique eye and distinct ability to capture the ever-changing landscape of Detroit.

An extremely wide scope of artistic ability will be showcased, including photographic prints, canvas paintings, hand-designed clothing, as well as the premiere of Jordan Garland's newest short film. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted at the door to benefit the Detroit Impact Center, a community-based youth center on Detroit’s west side that works to help at-risk youth develop a sound values system, strong personal motivation and positive self-esteem. 

Friday -- 7 p.m. to midnight

Urban Bush Women: Hair and Other Stories

Power Center, Ann Arbor
Tickets range from $26 to $52 

Urban Bush Women’s uniquely bold and boundary-pushing nonlinear storytelling weaves contemporary dance, music, and text with the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of African Americans and the African Diaspora.

Crafted from personal narratives and community interviews, Hair & Other Stories brings life to everyday stories shared in our kitchens and living rooms, and through social media and YouTube. There will also be a Q&A session after the performance.

Friday -- 8 p.m.

Lantern-Lit Ski and Snowshoe

Waterloo Recreation Area, Chelsea
A Recreation Passport is required to enter the park

Embrace a Michigan winter with a free healthy, lantern lit trail adventure.

There will be a half-mile loop lit for cross-country skiers (unless snow levels prevent skiing) and a half-mile loop for walking and snowshoeing will be lit. There will also be a campfire to warm up in between laps. 

Friday 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday

Chilly Fest

Windmill Pointe Park & Patterson Park, Grosse Pointe
$5 ticket gives access to both parks

Grosse Pointe Park invites residents to Windmill Pointe and Patterson parks for indoor and outdoor fun for the 2018 Chilly Fest.

In addition to the chili cookoff and the s'more station, the parks will include face painting, balloon artists, bounce houses, massage and nail services, animal rides, a petting zoo and more. 

Park officials said that the event will go on regardless of weather and recommends bundling up in heavier clothing.

Royal Oak Walking Brewery Tour

Royal Oak Brewery, Royal Oak
$42.50

Motor City Brew Tours will be touring through several Royal Oak breweries, hitting Royal Oak Brewery, River Rouge Brewery and Lily's Seafood & Brewery.

The walking tour will have a tour guide, local history, brewery tours at select locations, beer samples at all locations, pizza and a koozie or sticker. 

Motor City Brew Tours recommend parking at the parking garage at 514 Lafayette St. and walking to Royal Oak Brewery, as the garage is closer to the final stop at Lily's Seafood & Brewery.

Saturday -- 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Fusion Shows 10th Birthday

The Crofoot Complex, Pontiac
$23 advance, $25 at door

Independent concert promoter Fusion Shows will be celebrating their 10th Birthday at the Crofoot in Pontiac Saturday.

The line up includes TWIN PEAKS, PUP, The Flatliners, Ratboys, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, Narco Debut, Michigander, Mover Shaker, Shortly, Greet Death, Stefanie Haapala, Vagabonds, Vital Sea and All Is Well.

$2 from every ticket sold will be donated to Detroit-based youth shelter Ruth Ellis Center.

Saturday -- 5:30 p.m.

Kid's Comic Con

Orchard Mall, West Bloomfield
Free

If you have children or family that love Wonder Woman, Batman, Disney or anime, they'll love Metro Parent's first Kids Comic Con.

Attendees are invited to dress up like their favorite character and play games, join in activities, crafts, win prizes and more. 

Saturday -- noon to 4 p.m.

Sunday

Detroit City Record Show

876 Horace Brown Dr., Madison Heights
$3 per person, $10 early admission

Find some rare or exciting albums at the 2018 winter Detroit City Record Show

Featuring local vendors trading and selling a diverse collection of music, it's a music lover dream come true. Find your favorite album on 45, 33 or 78.

Sunday -- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Andrea Gibson at The Shelter

Saint Andrews Hall
Tickets range from $24 to $37

Promoting the new album "Hey Galaxy", four-time Denver Grand Slam Champion, Andrea Gibson's

finished fourth at the 2004 National Poetry Slam, and third at both the 2006 and 2007 Individual World Poetry Slam. In 2008, Gibson became the first poet ever to win the Women of the World Poetry Slam in Detroit.

Gibson will be joined with Americana soul band Chastity Brown. 

Sunday -- 7 p.m.

The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare in Detroit Reading Series

Detroit Opera House
$15

Shakespeare in Detroit continues its reading series with The Winter’s Tale, performed inside the Black Box Theatre at the Detroit Opera House.

Residents are invited to come hear the play, which can be called both a comedy or a romance, featuring nonprofit Shakespeare in Detroit acting company members in a preseason event.

The Winter's Tale was originally published in 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabeled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. 

Sunday -- 1 p.m.


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