Enjoy the Big Blend Radio “Food Wine & Travel” Podcast with the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) featuring travel writer Petula Brown, and discover all the festivals Petula covers in her article below. You can also listen/download the podcast episode on Podbean

As temps rise, Midwestern travelers are swapping snowshoes for sandals. Michigan's population centers host highly promoted events — art fairs, movie festivals, sporting events, stage performances — to attract locals and visitors alike. But suburbs, towns, and hamlets throughout the state offer festivals with creative events, engaging activities, and interesting histories for tourists to experience. Along I-94 in Southeastern Michigan, travelers can enjoy a variety of summer happenings hosted by locals excited to share a taste of their hometown.

As an Ypsilanti resident (off I-94 between Ann Arbor and the Detroit Metro Airport), Petula Brown has noticed that the following events are favorites of the season.

Chelsea Sounds & Sights Festival
On the western edge of I-94 midway between US-127 and US-23, Chelsea hosts a two-day celebration of music and art in late July. Its three arts venues include Chelsea Art Alley, a pedestrian passageway with a sheltered outdoor gallery and a market. On the music front, GIG, The Art of Michigan Music Foundation, spotlights Michigan's music culture with visual displays and educational workshops. Separate kid and teen zones give youth of all ages space to enjoy the atmosphere. The food court has a range of offerings, and the farmers market is also available to sample local bounty.

Dexter Summer Festival
East of Chelsea, early August travelers can explore the Dexter scene. Vendors, food trucks, and entertainers converge to create a casual vibe. Playscapes, bounce houses, and lawn games provide ample opportunities for kids to burn off energy. Its Main Street parade offers local businesses, organizations, and individuals a chance to bring fun and festivity to revelers. West of downtown Dexter, six-acre Mill Creek Park includes walking trails through the wetland habitat and fishing docks that offer a respite from festival crowds.

First Friday Ypsilanti
Further east and north of I-94, locals and tourists can begin to decompress the first Friday of each month courtesy of the Ypsilanti community. Retail hubs on Michigan Avenue, happy hour specials in Depot Town, and Riverside Park walking paths on the banks of the Huron River provide a diverse range of activities to start the weekend. Equal parts casual, eclectic, and intimate, Ypsi's proximity to I-94 allows for easy access to venues that appeal to a variety of tastes. It's also a chance for shoppers to support small businesses while admiring turn-of-the-century architecture.

John E. Lawrence Summer Jazz Festival
South of I-94, residents near Ypsi's Ford Lake Park can be seen making the pilgrimage to the Summer Jazz Series on Friday evenings to snag prime spots for lawn chairs and picnic spreads. The spacious area off Huron River Drive offers calming lakeside views as the backdrop for jazz performers sharing favorites and new arrangements. With a perimeter of food trucks, retail vendors, and nonprofit informational booths, the event brings together a community across generations for a laid-back jam session to welcome summer nights. Tip: bring a cell phone or flashlight to ease exiting the venue after dark.

Michigan Celtic Festival
An event that began as a celebration of Saline's sister city relationship with Brecon, Wales, Michigan Celtic now attracts visitors from across the state and beyond with a passion for Celtic culture. The two-day festival in mid-July has outgrown its Saline location and relocated to the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor. Crafting demonstrations are interspersed with traditional dance and music performances. At the Highland Dance Competition — the festival's signature event — attendees can watch competitors grouped by age compete for prizes. Michigan Celtic also hosts an annual Gathering of the Mighty Clans, where registered clans can participate in an opening ceremony parade, attend a ceilidh, and be recognized on the festival website.

Milan Lavender Harvest Festival
July travelers looking for a more serene atmosphere will appreciate the Milan event organized by Lavender Lane, a small business that transforms its lavender crops into dozens of products including aromatherapy, skin care, and culinary items. While products can be purchased year-round from their website, the two-day event south of Ypsilanti gives visitors the chance to stroll the lavender fields for a u-pick experience. The festival also hosts art and food vendors, as well as a petting zoo and pony rides that appeal to families.

Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival
A celebration of visual arts awaits visitors interested in en plein air painting — art created outdoors with the goal of expressing the beauty found in natural settings. For five days in August, the festival gives attendees the chance to watch painters create works that are available for purchase at the end of the week. The event also offers workshops for children, high schoolers, and adults to learn painting techniques. A quick draw competition gives participating artists three hours to create one painting for judging, while festival goers explore Dexter's downtown businesses, walking trails, and historical sites.

Thunder Over Michigan
For equal parts awe, excitement, history, and patriotism, visit Ypsilanti's Willow Run Airport in July to experience a weekend of power-packed air shows with performances by military, historical, and civilian aircraft. Adventurous visitors can sign up for aircraft rides offered by the Michigan Flight Museum, while grounded attendees can enjoy up-close displays of classic and modern planes. Kids can be educated in the STEAM area, engaged in Exploration Station activities, or entertained in the Kids Zone bounce house.

Ypsi Pride
In July, locals and visitors can also look forward to Ypsi Pride. Depot Town's Cross Street is the nexus where couples, families, drag queens, and furries explore vendor offerings or refuel at nearby restaurants and food trucks. Riverside Park and Frog Island Park offer strolling paths with views of the Huron River for a break from festival crowds. Energized revelers and people-watchers are especially drawn to entertainers on the Cross Street performance stage, fronted by a dance space for impromptu street parties.

Whether on the lookout for cultural connection, engaging entertainment, historic highlights, or tasty treats, the small communities along the eastern edge of I-94 offer their own unique spin for visitors to discover.

About Petula Brown

Petula Brown is a travel writer with more than a decade of experience covering wellness, family travel, and multicultural experiences. Her work has appeared in AAA Michigan, Pathfinders Magazine, Spa Magazine, and Crazy Wisdom Journal, where she writes the long-running Healthful Hideaways column. Drawing on her perspectives as a woman of color, parent, technologist, educator, and entrepreneur, Petula creates immersive travel stories that encourage readers to broaden their horizons and discover meaningful experiences. She is a member of the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA.org).

Follow Petula on Facebook at PYB Journeys.