Detroit, Michigan

Culture

See also: Detroit in literature, Detroit in the movies

Related Topics:
Detroit in literature - Detroit in the movies

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Music

Main article: Music of Detroit

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Within the entertainment industry, Detroit is widely regarded as one the country's strongest markets—perhaps the strongest in per capita terms—particularly in live music and theater. In 2004, as in most previous years, DTE Energy Music Theater in nearby Clarkston, Michigan was the No. 1 summer concert venue in the United States in both attendance and box office gross, according to Pollstar and Billboard magazines. Sister arena The Palace of Auburn Hills typically ranks in the top three, often ahead of such high-profile venues as New York's Madison Square Garden. Music has been the dominant feature of Detroit's nightlife since the late 1940s, and both city and suburbs teem with live music venues.

Related Topics:
DTE Energy Music Theater - Clarkston, Michigan - Pollstar - Billboard - The Palace of Auburn Hills - Madison Square Garden - 1940s

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One of the highlights of Detroit's musical history was the success of Motown Records during the 1960s and early 1970s. The label, founded in Detroit by Berry Gordy, Jr., and housed at the "Hitsville U.S.A." building on West Grand Blvd. until 1972, was home to some of the most popular recording acts in the world, including Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, and Martha Reeves & the Vandellas. The city is also regarded as the quintessential Rock 'n Roll town, due to its receptive and enthusiastic rock music audiences. Notable 1970s and 1980s rock music performers hailing from the Detroit area include The Stooges, MC5, The Romantics, The Sillies, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, King Lizzard, Brownsville Station, Grand Funk Railroad, Bob Seger, and ? & the Mysterians.

Related Topics:
Motown Records - 1960s - 1970s - Berry Gordy, Jr. - Hitsville U.S.A. - 1972 - Marvin Gaye - The Temptations - Stevie Wonder - Diana Ross - The Supremes - Smokey Robinson - The Miracles - The Four Tops - Martha Reeves - The Vandellas - Rock 'n Roll - The Stooges - MC5 - The Romantics - The Sillies - Alice Cooper - Ted Nugent - King Lizzard - Brownsville Station - Grand Funk Railroad - Bob Seger - ? & the Mysterians

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In recent years, Detroit has assumed a kind of gritty, hip cachet around the world, thanks largely to such modern ambassadors as Esham, the White Stripes, Insane Clown Posse, Eminem, The Von Bondies,

Related Topics:
Esham - White Stripes - Insane Clown Posse - Eminem - The Von Bondies - Royce Da 5'9" - Slum Village - Kid Rock - Techno music - Juan Atkins - Derrick May - Kevin Saunderson - Carl Craig - Richie Hawtin - Plastikman - Hart Plaza

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The city is home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Opera House. Major theaters include the Fox Theatre, Masonic Temple Theatre, Fisher Theatre, State Theatre, Music Hall, and the Detroit Repertory Theatre.

Related Topics:
Detroit Symphony Orchestra - Fox Theatre - Masonic Temple Theatre - Fisher Theatre - State Theatre - Music Hall - Detroit Repertory Theatre

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Museums, art & architecture

The Detroit Institute of Arts houses what is considered to be one of the most prominent American collections outside New York City, and features showcase pieces by Diego Rivera, Picasso and Van Gogh along with such hometown artists as Charles McGee. Other cultural centers include the Motown Historical Museum, Detroit Historical Museum, Museum of African American History, Detroit Science Center, Tuskegee Airmen Museum, Historic Fort Wayne (Detroit), Dossin Great Lakes Museum and the Belle Isle Conservatory.

Related Topics:
Detroit Institute of Arts - Diego Rivera - Picasso - Van Gogh - Charles McGee - Motown Historical Museum - Tuskegee Airmen - Fort Wayne (Detroit)

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Major parks include Belle Isle, Palmer Park, River Rouge Park, Chene Park and Campus Martius Park. Other city recreational facilities include municipal golf courses (William Rogell, Rouge, Belle Isle, Palmer Park), Northwest Activities Center, Detroit Zoo and the Belle Isle Aquarium. As of April 2005 the Aquarium and Zoo at Belle Isle are closed, though there is a movement to reopen them.

Related Topics:
Belle Isle - Campus Martius Park - Detroit Zoo - Belle Isle Aquarium

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The most important civic sculpture in Detroit is the "Spirit of Detroit", which when it was installed in 1958 was the largest cast sculpture made since the Renaissance. The 16-foot tall bronze kneeling man holds a gold orb in one hand and a golden family in the other. The image is often used as a symbol of Detroit and the statue itself is occassionally dressed in sports uniforms to celebrate when a Detroit team is doing well. A memorial to Joe Louis at the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward Avenues was dedicated on October 16, 1986. The sculpture, commissioned by Sports Illustrated magazine and executed by Robert Graham, is a 24-foot-long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a 24-foot-high pyramidal framework.

Related Topics:
Spirit of Detroit - Joe Louis - October 16 - 1986 - Sports Illustrated magazine - Robert Graham

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Festivals

• North American International Auto Show (January)
• Downtown Hoedown country music festival (May)
• DEMF/Movement/Fuse-In electronic music festival (May)
• Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival (June–July)
• Comerica Tastefest (July)
• Detroit Thunder Fest hydroplane race (July)
• Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival (September)
• Concert of Colors diverse music festival (Summer)
• Detroit Fashion Week (August)
• Woodward Dream Cruise (August)
• America's Thanksgiving Parade (Thanksgiving)

Media

The major daily newspapers serving Detroit are the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News. Another Detroit publication is The Metro Times. Detroit is also home to the Michigan Chronicle, the state's largest African-American owned newspaper, and the Michigan Citizen, another publication that targets African-American readers.

Related Topics:
Newspaper - Detroit Free Press - Detroit News - The Metro Times - Michigan Chronicle - Michigan Citizen

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The Detroit television market is the tenth largest in the United States. Most television stations broadcasting from Detroit have their studios in Southfield, which is also the site of transmission facilities of almost all Detroit-based stations. Stations broadcasting from Detroit include WJBK (Fox), WDIV-TV (NBC), WXYZ (ABC), and WWJ-TV (CBS). Other Detroit-based television stations include WDWB (The WB) and WKBD-TV (UPN). WTVS is the city's PBS member station. Detroiters also receive the broadcast signal from CBET, Channel 9, the Canadian Broadcasting Company affiliate based in Windsor, Depending on the location, viewers can also watch the Canadian CTV network and French language channel CBEFT, brodcast in Sarnia..

Related Topics:
Television station - Southfield - WJBK - Fox - WDIV-TV - NBC - WXYZ - ABC - WWJ-TV - CBS - WDWB - The WB - WKBD-TV - UPN - WTVS - PBS - CBET - Canadian Broadcasting Company - CBEFT - Sarnia

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Detroit is also served by a variety of radio stations. The primary AM stations are WJR 760 (news-talk), WWJ 950 (news), CKLW (Canadian general talk) and WDFN 1130 (sports). Several FM stations include WNIC 100.3 (mix-genre) and WRIF 101.1 (rock station). WDET 101.9 and WUOM 91.7 (from Ann Arbor) are the area's NPR stations. Windsor radio stations CIMX 88.7 and CBC 89.9 can also be heard in the Detroit area.

Related Topics:
Radio station - AM - WJR - WWJ - CKLW - WDFN - FM - WNIC - WRIF - WDET - WUOM - Ann Arbor - NPR - Windsor - CIMX - CBC 89.9

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Sports

See also: U.S. cities with teams from four major sports

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Detroit is home to professional teams representing the four major sports in North America. All but one play within the city of Detroit (basketball's Detroit Pistons play in suburban Auburn Hills). There are three active major sports venues in the city: Comerica Park for baseball, Ford Field for football and Joe Louis Arena for ice hockey.

Related Topics:
Basketball's - Detroit Pistons - Auburn Hills - Comerica Park - Baseball - Ford Field - Football - Joe Louis Arena - Ice hockey

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Like many industrial cities, Detroit is known for its avid fans, particularly in such blue-collar sports as football (Detroit Lions) and hockey (Detroit Red Wings). Detroit is perhaps the most fervent hockey hotbed in the United States. A Red Wings marketing campaign in the late 1990s launched the nickname Hockeytown, a city moniker subsequently embraced by local fans and national media.

Related Topics:
Detroit Lions - Detroit Red Wings - Hockeytown

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In college sports, the University of Detroit Mercy has a NCAA Division I program, and Wayne State University has both NCAA Division I and II programs.

Related Topics:
University of Detroit Mercy - NCAA - Division I - Wayne State University - II

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A world record was set on December 13, 2003, when the largest crowd in basketball history — 78,129 — packed Ford Field to watch the University of Kentucky defeat Michigan State University, 79–74.

Related Topics:
December 13 - 2003 - University of Kentucky - Michigan State University

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Detroit is home to the Detroit International Marathon, which crosses the border into Canada via the Ambassador Bridge and returns to the United States through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. It is the world's only cross-national marathon. The city is also home to the APBA Gold Cup unlimited hydroplane boat race, which is held in Detroit each year since 1990. The race occurs on the Detroit River near Belle Isle.

Related Topics:
Detroit International Marathon - Ambassador Bridge - Detroit-Windsor Tunnel - 1990

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Detroit was also the former home of a round of the Formula One World Championship, holding a race on the streets of downtown Detroit from 1982 until 1987, after which the sanction moved from Formula One to Indycars. CART continued downtown until 1992, when the race was moved to another temporary course on Belle Isle where the race remained through 2001.

Related Topics:
Formula One - Streets of downtown Detroit - 1982 - 1987 - Indycars - CART - 1992 - Belle Isle - 2001

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Comerica Park hosted the 2005 MLB All Star Game in July 12, 2005, and Ford Field will host Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006. Detroit made bids for the 1952 Olympic Games, 1956 Olympic Games, 1964 Olympic Games, and the 1968 Olympic Games.

Related Topics:
2005 - MLB All Star Game - July 12 - Super Bowl XL - February 5 - 2006 - 1952 Olympic Games - 1956 Olympic Games - 1964 Olympic Games - 1968 Olympic Games

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Other

Besides its well-known nicknames, Detroit is also known as Day-twah (the French pronounciation), The Dirty-D, The Dirty-Dirty (now used as a nickname for "Dirty South"), D-Town , The 313, or The D to some locals.

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Detroit is said to be home to the Nain Rouge, the red dwarf who is said to attack people and bring bad luck to the city.http://www.davidaspitzley.org/MythicDetroit

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Founded in 1907 by two Russian immigrant brothers in Detroit, Faygo soda (universally referred to as "pop" in the Detroit area) remains a Detroit tradition, and is sold internationally. Detroit was also the birthplace of Vernors ginger ale, the oldest surviving soft drink in the United States. Detroit is also considered the birthplace of the Coney Island hot dog, a chili dog with onions and mustard.

Related Topics:
1907 - Faygo - Vernors - Coney Island hot dog - Chili dog - Onions - Mustard

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Due to the large Polish population, the day before Ash Wednesday, or the festival of Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday is more frequently known locally as P?czki Day (though traditionally celebrated by Poles two days later on Fat Thursday). Many metro Detroiters join in the festivity by indulging in jelly-filled donuts called p?czkis. The independent enclave of Hamtramck is noted for its p?czkis and produces a large quantity of these delicacies on the holiday.

Related Topics:
Ash Wednesday - Mardi Gras - Fat Tuesday - Fat Thursday - P?czkis - Enclave - Hamtramck

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