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The United States may have turned 250 this year, but Detroit has its own milestone to celebrate this month, and an even longer one. On July 24th, the city will mark its 325th anniversary, a celebration of its founding by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701.
“Detroit’s 325th birthday is a chance to celebrate a city with a story big enough to hold all of it: the river, Indigenous history, neighborhoods, music, industry, design, labor, sports, migration, innovation, family stories, hard chapters, proud moments, and the people who keep shaping what Detroit becomes next,” said Rebecca Salminen Witt, the chief strategy and marketing officer for the Detroit Historical Society.
The organization is celebrating the city with milestone anniversaries for its own museums: the Detroit Historical Museum turns 75 this year and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum marks 65.
DHM will host a daylong community block party Friday — including free admission to the museum — that will feature Detroit-themed music, family activities, a history lecture, food trucks and an outdoor classic car display, as well as an ice cream social and a cake cutting, Faygo toast. Dossin continues the fun Saturday with a maritime-themed “dock” party that will also include family activities, music, ice cream, food trucks and free museum admission. It adds radio-controlled boats in the museum’s river cove and opportunities for visitors to contribute to the community painting portion of its new outdoor “Currents in Color” mural.
“At the Detroit Historical Museum in Midtown, (it’s) through the city’s neighborhoods, music, industry, culture, work ethic and everyday memories,” Witt said, “and at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, where the river, maritime history, Great Lakes connection and community creativity are right outside the door.”
Rendez-Vous Détroit, a nonprofit that preserves Detroit’s French history, is celebrating with two days of events for its Bonne Fête Détroit 325. The event opens Friday with a free, public Founder’s Ceremony at Hart Plaza that will commemorate the city’s French settlers and feature the French Boys Choir performing the American, Canadian and French national anthems. The day continues with a ticketed reception dinner dance at Detroit’s Fort Pontchartrain Hotel.
Saturday features a full day of activities that includes history lectures, a French history cruise on the Detroit River and a second dinner dance. Both dinner dances will offer historical French dancing, including lessons, and attendees are encouraged to wear 18th-century costumes throughout the weekend.
Elizabeth Bourne-Nido, the chair of Rendez-vous Détroit, said it’s important for people to understand and appreciate Detroit’s French heritage. She said the event is about the “joie de vivre,” the joy of living.
“If you like to celebrate, you need to be with us,” she said.
Here’s a list of ways to celebrate Detroit’s 325th this weekend:
Friday
Detroit Historical Museum Anniversary Block Party
Detroit Historical Museum Anniversary Block Party celebrates Detroit’s 325 with daylong activities and free museum admission. Visitors can enjoy music, food trucks, face painting, trivia, a history lecture and a classic car display, plus a cake-cutting Faygo toast and ice cream social. The event is free and will take place from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. The museum is located at 5404 Woodward Ave., Detroit. For details, visit https://www.detroithistorical.org/visit/detroit-historical-museum.
Bonne Fête Détroit 325: Founders’ Ceremony
Opening Rendez-Vous Détroit’s Bonne Fête Détroit 325, the Founders’ Ceremony will commemorate the city’s early French settlers. The ceremony will feature dignitaries and performances of the American, Canadian and French national anthems by the French Boys Choir. The event is free and open to the public, taking place at 4 p.m. at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit. For details, visit www.rendezvousdetroit.org.
Detroit Book Launch and Coloring Party
Detroit Artist Halima Cassells is releasing “Detroit First & Foremost: Coloring History from A–Z,” an interactive coloring book aimed at teaching children about Detroit’s history and culture. Source Booksellers will host a book launch and coloring party from 5-7 p.m., located at 4240 Cass Ave., Detroit.
Bonne Fête Détroit 325: Dinner Dance
Bonne Fête Détroit 325’s celebration continues with a dinner dance that will feature a history lecture and French Canadian community dancing, including instruction. Participants are encouraged to dress in period costume. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. at Fort Pontchartrain Hotel, 2 Washington Blvd., Detroit. Tickets are $65; full weekend tickets that include Saturday’s activities and a Friday cocktail party are $235. For details visit www.rendezvousdetroit.org.
Saturday
Movement at the Congregation: Celebrating Detroit 325
The Congregation coffee shop and gathering space will host a morning of movement and community to mark Detroit’s milestone. It will offer yoga at 9 a.m. and Ecstatic Dance Evolved at 10 a.m., a guided free-flow dance to music from Detroit artists. Cost is donation-based. The Congregation is located at 9321 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit. For details, visit www.thecongregationdetroit.com.
Dossin Great Lakes Museum Anniversary Dock Party
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum continues the Detroit History Museum celebrations with a daylong dock party celebrating the city’s maritime history. The event includes free admission to the museum, plus live music, ice cream, food trucks, lawn games, crafts, face painting and more. It will also have radio-controlled boats in the museum’s river cove and opportunities to paint part of the museum’s new outdoor “Currents in Color” mural, designed by local artist Brontae Williamson. The event will take place from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, located at 100 Strand Dr., Detroit on Belle Isle. For details, visit www.detroithistorical.org/visit/dossin-great-lakes-museum.
Bonne Fête Détroit 325
Rendez-Vous Détroit’s Bonne Fête Détroit 325 features a full day of celebratory Saturday events, mostly at Detroit’s Fort Pontchartrain Hotel. Participants can enjoy history lectures and an opportunity for a French history river cruise on the Detroit River or a visit to the Detroit Historical Museum. The event concludes with a dinner dance featuring live music and French Canadian community dancing, including instruction; participants are encouraged to dress in period costume. Full day tickets are $150 and include all meals. Dinner dance-only tickets are $65. Full weekend passes are $235. The hotel is located at Fort Pontchartrain Hotel, 2 Washington Blvd., Detroit. For details, visit www.rendezvousdetroit.org.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Celebrate Detroit's 325th birthday this weekend
