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Freedom Arts Festival connects Detroiters to their neighborhood parks with weekend events

By Denver Williams
Published  July 7, 2023 3:56pm EDT
Things To Do
FOX 2 Detroit

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Freedom Arts Festival, a Knight Arts Challenge winner, is an annual event that brings together Detroiters to enjoy music, dance, storytelling, and art that reflects the city's multicultural tapestry. 

The festival's mission is to promote freedom, racial justice, history, and connection to place through arts and culture.

The festival takes place at various Detroit neighborhood parks, and this year’s event is scheduled from July to September. Here are the dates and locations:

  • Clark Park: Saturday, July 8, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Playback Theatre, and local performers from Southwest Detroit will present "Free to Be You and Me!" This mix of musical and theatrical performances celebrates freedom of expression.
  • Palmer Park: Sunday, July 9, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. People for Palmer Park celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Detroit Walk to Freedom, which culminated in a moving address by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event will include various art displays and live performances from Marion Hayden and Freedom Sounds. The Freedom Sounds concert will explore themes of freedom, activism, collective work, spirituality, and resistance through music.
  • Chandler Park: Saturday, July 15, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra and local artists will pay homage to musicians, artists, and activists who contributed to the freedom of Black Americans.
  • Belle Isle: Saturday, July 22, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. The Belle Isle Conservancy will host the second annual Community Fun Day at the Belle Isle Aquarium featuring an exciting afternoon of art, music, dance, storytelling, games, and activities, food trucks, and more.
  • Detroit Riverfront: Friday, August 11, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy will host "Good Moves Good Grooves," a musical celebration with tributes to legendary Motown artists along the Detroit Riverwalk at Cullen Plaza and Milliken State Park and Harbor.
  • Rouge Park: Saturday, September 16, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. Friends of Rouge Park and Detroit ACE will honor Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson, one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, with a plaza and statue dedication, a flyover and airshow, performances from local high school marching bands, the Marion Hayden Trio, and more.
  • Eliza Howell Park: Saturday, September 30, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Sidewalk Detroit will host "Songs of Freedom, Part 2," an evening of community singing featuring impactful songs celebrating freedom and justice.

These events offer an opportunity for Detroiters to come together in their local parks to celebrate freedom, justice, and community through the arts.