Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival is coming

Photo by Walter Wasacz

By Alan Madlane
For the 9th year running, Hamtramck will have a day-long arts festival to participate in.
The Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival is a thing for literally everyone, resident and visitor alike, to enjoy. Described on their website as “a loosely curated showcase of artists, writers and musicians living in Hamtown and the surrounding neighborhoods,” the festival typically takes place on the second Saturday of October, which this year puts it on Oct. 12.
The goal of the festival is “to activate the city’s indigenous talent, and create a walkable, neighborhood-scale, art experience on porches, in houses, on sidewalks and in storefronts.”
Hamtramck’s own Public Pool and Popp’s Packing typically lead the charge as two of the most visible proponents of Hamtramck-based art goings-on. But art, as well as music, poetry, performance and more, spring up elsewhere throughout the day too.
Sometimes, guerilla-style.
The website (hamtramckneighborhoodartsfestival.com, could be shorter, yes) has a calendar that is filling with events to be curious about. They are still actively seeking more residents to open their own porches, storefronts and the like for the day’s festivities.
Listed events so far begin at noon, but don’t be surprised to see things ultimately get going earlier than that.
The festival also actively champions the area’s diverse eateries (some participants also provide refreshments on occasion), and notes that there will be bike rentals to help people get from place to place.
“The Festival is open to everyone,” said Faina Lerman, a former event organizer, a co-founder of Popps Packing and a working artist herself.
“The audience curates their own experience.”
Why not go, and do a little curatin’ of your own?
Oct. 4, 2019