Your guide to metro Detroit weekend events for kids and families (March 20-22)

There’s a good mix of family fun happening around metro Detroit this weekend. You’ll find everything from outdoor nature programs and hands-on museum events to Easter fun and big live shows. Start with a few top picks, then scroll for even more events happening across the region.

These are three of the best family events to check out first:

Spring arts and crafts show at White Lake Oaks Golf Course (March 21): Families can browse handmade goods and shop from more than 40 local artists and vendors at this spring arts and crafts show. Parents can look for home décor, jewelry, candles and other gifts while kids check out the booths and enjoy an easy indoor outing together.

Monster Jam at Ford Field (March 21-22): Families can watch massive trucks and world-class drivers compete in racing, skills and freestyle events at Ford Field. Kids who want even more action can add on the Pit Party to see the trucks up close before the show. Pit Party passes are sold separately.

Warren Spring Carnival at Warren Community Center (March 21): Families can enjoy a free spring event with an Easter Bunny visit, egg hunt, inflatables, balloon sculptures, face painting and seed planting. It is a great option for younger kids, and parents should know the event is open to the public.

There are plenty of other family-friendly events happening across metro Detroit during the weekend of March 20-22, too.

Read more: Find More Weekend Fun in Our Family Events Calendar

What are the best things to do with kids in Metro Detroit this weekend (March 20-22)?

Oakland County:

Discovery Days: Science Behind the Game Minecraft at Cranbrook Institute of Science

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, March 21

Kids can explore real-world science through hands-on activities, crafts and demonstrations inspired by Minecraft at this museum event. Families can expect building challenges, circuits, cave art and more, and parents should know it is included with general museum admission.

• Address: 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills
  
• Cost: Free with general museum admission
  
• Age fit: Preschool, toddlers, early elementary (K-3), late elementary (4-5), tweens and teens

The Fairytale Princess Ball at Fairytale Fun Place

6 p.m. Friday, March 20; 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, March 21

Kids who love princesses can enjoy live performances, singing, dancing, photos and a crowning ceremony at this dress-up-friendly event. Parents should know the venue will be closed to the public during the event, and tickets are expected to sell out.

• Address: 7127 Dixie Highway, Clarkston
  
• Age fit: Preschool, toddlers, early elementary (K-3), late elementary (4-5), tweens and teens

See more Oakland County family events here.

Macomb County:

Michigan Wildlife Puppet Play at Nature Center

10-11 a.m. Friday, March 20

Kids ages 3-5 can learn about animals like red foxes, river otters and snowy owls through interactive storytelling at this puppet play. Children will also make an animal puppet to take home and join a mini puppet show. Registration is required.

• Cost: $8 for residents, $11 for nonresidents
  
• Age fit: Preschool

Pancake Breakfast at the Farm at Wolcott Mill Metropark

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, March 21

Families can celebrate maple syrup season with an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast and a wagon ride to the sugar bush to see how sap becomes syrup. Real maple syrup will also be available to buy and take home. Pre-registration is required.

• Address: 63841 Wolcott Road, Romeo
  
• Cost: $8 per person, free for children younger than 2, $10 vehicle entry
  
• Age fit: Preschool, toddlers, early elementary (K-3), late elementary (4-5), tweens and teens

See more Macomb County family events here.

Wayne County:

Spring Equinox Hike at Lake Erie Marshlands Museum

6-8 p.m. Friday, March 20

Families can take a guided outdoor walk to learn about the first day of spring and how the equinox has been celebrated through history. Kids can enjoy time on the nature trails with frequent stops along the way. Parents should know preregistration is required by 4 p.m. the day before the program, and the path is dirt and gravel.

• Cost: $4 per child, $6 per adult, free for children younger than 2
  
• Age fit: Babies, toddlers, preschool, early elementary (K-3), late elementary (4-5), tweens and teens
  
• Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor

Eliza Howell Park in the Woods: Photography & The Environment at Eliza Howell Park

1-3 p.m. Saturday, March 21

Families can take a guided nature walk, snap photos and warm up by bonfires with hot chocolate and s’mores at this outdoor event. It is open to all ages and skill levels, so kids can explore the woods and early spring colors at their own pace. Parents should bring a camera and meet on the south side of the park by the woodland trail entrance.

• Address: 23751 Fenkell Ave., Detroit
  
• Cost: Donation; refunds available up to seven days before the event
  
• Age fit: Preschool, toddlers, early elementary (K-3), late elementary (4-5), tweens and teens
  
• Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor

See more Wayne County family events here.

Washtenaw County:

Mario Kart Live at Saline Recreation Center

5:30-6:45 p.m. Friday, March 20

Kids ages 5-12 can race through a real-life Mario-inspired course with scooters and obstacles in the gym. It is a fun active event with banana peels and turtle shells worked into the course, and registration is required.

• Cost: $16 for members, $20 for nonmembers
  
• Age fit: Early elementary (K-3), late elementary (4-5) and tweens

Easter Bunny Photos at MilkShake Factory

2-5 p.m. Sunday, March 22

Families can take free photos with the Easter Bunny and enjoy kid-friendly activities at MilkShake Factory. Kids can also enter a coloring contest for a chance to win a free milkshake, while parents can shop a pop-up with hand-blown Easter eggs and Easter chocolates.

• Address: 326 S. Maple Road, Ann Arbor
  
• Cost: Free photos with the Easter Bunny; other food and retail items available for purchase
  
• Age fit: Babies, toddlers, preschool, early elementary (K-3), late elementary (4-5), tweens and teens

See more Washtenaw County family events here.

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Detroit school district revisits idea of making FAFSA completion a graduation requirement

Sign up for Chalkbeat Detroit’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system and Michigan education policy.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

The Detroit school district is considering requiring students to apply for federal student aid for higher education in order to graduate.

Doing so would open the Detroit Public Schools Community District up for state grants to pay for initiatives that help students get into college or work-study programs.

The district’s proposal is intended to get more students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA. However, there would be several exemptions for students who don’t fill out the form, including for those with privacy concerns.

“We want to ensure that it’s not putting a barrier for our students,” said board President LaTrice McClendon when the policy was introduced during a committee meeting last month.

The board has not yet voted on the proposed policy.

The FAFSA helps determine student eligibility for federal grants, loans, and work-study scholarships. In some cases, it’s used to decide whether students qualify for state and private aid, as well as Michigan universities’ tuition assistance programs.

In 2024, the Michigan legislature proposed making FAFSA completion mandatory for all districts. But, at the time, DPSCD board members said they were opposed to such a policy. Advocates and community members expressed concerns to lawmakers during hearings for the bills about forcing vulnerable student populations to provide personal information, including immigration status and gender identity. Some Michigan school administrators also said it would not be possible to achieve with a shortage of college counselors.

Others said they didn’t want the requirement to hinder DPSCD students from graduating. The district has made significant gains in its graduation rate in recent years.

The state effort also failed in part due to the rocky rollout of the new FAFSA process in 2024. If the legislation passed, Michigan would have been the 13th state to have the requirement.

The issue was revisited at December DPSCD board and committee meetings after members expressed interest in a state grant that offers millions of dollars to local districts each year if they make FAFSA completion a graduation requirement.

“This grant is over a million dollars,” said board member Ida Short during the December board meeting.

The grant dollars can be used by districts to pay for “activities that are known to drive FAFSA completion,” including financial incentives for students, guest speakers, and seminars. The money can pay the salaries of the staff and administrative costs needed to run the initiative.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during the December board meeting he agreed that not applying for the state grant left “a lot of money on the table.” The grant was not pursued since it began two years ago because of the previous board’s position, he added.

If the proposed policy is approved, the change would be implemented for the class of 2027 and DPSCD could apply for the next school year’s grant.

Under the district’s proposed policy, students who don’t want to fill out the FAFSA may complete a waiver with a parent or guardian. The waiver acknowledges that the student understands the purpose of FAFSA but does not want to participate.

The district must confirm a good-faith effort was made by schools to help students who don’t complete the FAFSA or turn in a waiver. In those cases, students can be exempt from doing either if their parent or legal guardian is unresponsive or refuses to sign.

More than 43% of Michigan high school seniors completed the FAFSA by March 9, according to the Michigan College Access Network tracker, slightly up from the 39.5% that had at the same time last year.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization covering public education.

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Why does it take my preschooler so long to get ready — and how can I help?

Young children move at their own speed. For a child with autism, mornings can feel even slower because the routine is packed with transitions: stop playing, get dressed, eat, brush teeth, shoes, leave. Why is that friction so common?

Why kids stall in the morning

“They just really want to play,” says Dr. Jannel Phillips, pediatric neuropsychologist at Henry Ford Health. For some young kids, leaving the house is stressful for another reason too. “Some of our young kids have separation anxiety.”

Make the routine feel safe, not rushed

Instead of pushing harder, Phillips suggests leaning into a warm tone and playful energy. “Meet them with as much fun and positive energy that you can muster in the morning,” she says. Music or a favorite toy can help. Some families even “walk” a toy through the routine so the child stays engaged from step to step.

Use choices to reduce power struggles

Toddlers crave independence. Keep choices tight and concrete: two outfits, two breakfast options, two acceptable shoes. This gives your child control without turning mornings into negotiations.

Dr. Phillips’ tips to remember: 

• Keep the order of steps the same each day so your child knows what’s next
• Build in extra time so you are not rushing and escalating the tone
• Move screens out of the morning routine if they create meltdowns or delays

This content is sponsored by Henry Ford Health. Learn more about The GROW Center for Autism and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and The Henry Ford Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD).

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The ultimate guide to celebrating National Pi Day in metro Detroit

Key takeaways: 

• Signature sweet legend at Sister Pie 
• Local fruit tradition at Grand Traverse 
• Creative flavor mashups at Great Lakes Pot Pies 

 

Are you ready to celebrate National Pi Day (March 14)? Detroit knows how to go all out, and the pie scene is one of the best in the country. Whether you’re looking for a sweet, savory, or taco pie, there are plenty of delicious ways to honor everyone’s favorite mathematical constant.

Salted Maple Pie at Sister Pie

• Address: 8066 Kercheval Ave., Detroit

 

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Salted Maple is Sister Pie’s signature pie, featuring golden custard made with maple syrup tucked into flaky, all-butter crust. It’s finished with a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt, creating a perfect salty-sweet balance. This pie is so iconic that it remains a permanent fixture on their menu, even as other seasonal flavors rotate.

Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie at Achatz

• Address: 354 John R Road, Detroit

 

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This pot pie is a bold, zesty twist on comfort food. It packs chunks of white-meat chicken and a spicy buffalo sauce into their signature handmade crust. It’s the ultimate savory choice for those who want their Pi Day celebration to have a bit of heat, and pies are priced at $3.14 for Pi Day. 

Cherry Crumb Pie at Grand Traverse

• Address: 5303 S Westnedge Ave., Detroit

The top-selling pie at Grand Traverse, made with tart Michigan Montmorency cherries and a toasty crumb topping. It’s the signature pie of the National Cherry Festival held in July. 

Taco Pot Pie at Great Lakes Pot Pies

• Address: 809 W 14 Mile Road, Detroit

 

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This pot pie is a flavor-packed mashup with ground beef, black beans, corn and melted cheese, tucked in a signature golden crust. This is the perfect choice for a comforting yet spicy twist on the classic pot pie.

Sweet Potato Pie at Sweet Potato Sensations

• Address: 17337 Lahser Road, Detroit

 

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For all the sweet potato lovers, this pie balances a silky, spiced yam filling with a melt-in-your-mouth crust. Whether you choose the classic version or the sweet potato pecan topping, these pies offer a soul-warming sweetness on PI Day.

Lemon Butta Pie at Lush Yummies Pie

• Address: 23225 Woodward Ave., Detroit

 

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Lemon Butta Pie is a family masterpiece, featuring a creamy citrus filling. Its texture and buttery crust earned its spot on Oprah’s “Favorite Things” list, cementing itself as a Detroit legend.

Detroit Style Pizza at Buddy’s Pizza

• Address: 1565 Broadway St., Detroit

 

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The Detroit Style Pizza at Buddy’s is the original pizza pie, featuring a square crust that’s double-stretched and baked in forged steel pans. This iconic pie has defined the city’s pizza identity and remains a must-have for a savory Pi Day celebration. 

Scottish Meat Pies at Ackroyd’s Bakery

• Address: 25137 Plymouth Road, Detroit

 

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The Traditional Scottish Meat Pies are hand-held savory classics with a succulent beef filling inside a hot-water crust. These double-crust pies are designed to be eaten by hand, offering a comforting bite. They are the ultimate choice for a hearty Pi Day experience.

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Why does it take my preschooler so long to get ready — and how can I help?

Young children move at their own speed. For a child with autism, mornings can feel even slower because the routine is packed with transitions: stop playing, get dressed, eat, brush teeth, shoes, leave. Why is that friction so common?

Why kids stall in the morning

“They just really want to play,” says Dr. Jannel Phillips, pediatric neuropsychologist at Henry Ford Health. For some young kids, leaving the house is stressful for another reason too. “Some of our young kids have separation anxiety.”

Make the routine feel safe, not rushed

Instead of pushing harder, Phillips suggests leaning into a warm tone and playful energy. “Meet them with as much fun and positive energy that you can muster in the morning,” she says. Music or a favorite toy can help. Some families even “walk” a toy through the routine so the child stays engaged from step to step.

Use choices to reduce power struggles

Toddlers crave independence. Keep choices tight and concrete: two outfits, two breakfast options, two acceptable shoes. This gives your child control without turning mornings into negotiations.

Dr. Phillips’ tips to remember: 

• Keep the order of steps the same each day so your child knows what’s next
• Build in extra time so you are not rushing and escalating the tone
• Move screens out of the morning routine if they create meltdowns or delays

This content is sponsored by Henry Ford Health. Learn more about The GROW Center for Autism and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and The Henry Ford Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD).

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Why this Detroiter takes her mobile salon to homeless shelters

This story was originally published by BridgeDetroit, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from BridgeDetroit, sign up for a free BridgeDetroit newsletter here.

On a Tuesday afternoon in early June, with tools and products at the ready, Niesha Lee primped and pampered women at her makeshift salon in the basement of a family shelter on Detroit’s west side.

She carefully combed and straightened their hair. She curled the ends and arched eyebrows and applied wispy lashes as a finishing touch.

Lee offered these services through Inspiring Hair LLC, her mobile salon that provides free hairstyles, makeup and grooming at Detroit homeless shelters to prepare residents for job interviews, court dates or to just help them feel good about themselves.

As Terri Motley, a resident of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries Genesis House II shelter, left her chair with a silk press, fresh curls and a smile on her face, she embraced a teary-eyed Lee.

“I love it,” said Motley, 51, before she even saw the final results. She’d been staying at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries shelter after coming out of rehab.

Neisha Lee and Terri Motley embrace after her hair appointment with Lee at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries Genesis II shelter. Lee stayed in the same shelter when she was a child and considers it her duty to give back to the community that helped her family. Valaurian Waller for Bridge Detroit

For Lee, the work is personal.

The 39-year-old Detroiter and mom of five said she knows what it’s like to come face-to-face with homelessness, to be overlooked and left behind. She knows what it’s like to not be able to afford clean clothes or get her hair done.

“A lot of people who face homelessness are looked over because of their outer appearance and that’s my goal — to change that,” she said.

Lee has dealt with homelessness at various points throughout her life, starting at childhood. She battled substance abuse in her adulthood before she said she decided to turn her life around in 2018.

Now, she’s giving back to the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, a nonprofit providing food and housing to those facing homelessness and substance addiction. It’s the same organization that housed her.

Stepping up 

At a very early age, Lee said she faced adversity head-on.

Starting at about seven years old, Lee helped raise her siblings. Her mom suffered from mental illnesses and would sometimes leave the home — prompting Lee to step up.

“It wasn’t pretty,” she said. “I didn’t have a normal childhood that all my other friends had. … I wanted to step up and help my mom and dad because I just loved them so much.”

Lee said she stayed out of school for months at a time.

“My mom and dad, they had mental disabilities, and also they struggled with drugs. … and the shelters in Detroit received us with so much love,” she said. Sometimes family would take them in, but they’d end up back at the shelter, to the point where residents knew them personally, she said.

Writing, music and poetry served as an escape.

“I found peace creating things,” she said.

In 2000, her mom was diagnosed with cancer. She died two years later, when Lee was 16. Lee and her younger sister cared for their mom while she was sick. After the death, Lee and her siblings were placed in child protective custody and into the care of family members.

Once she graduated high school, Lee went to court to get custody of her five younger siblings and took care of them, staying in shelters a couple times because she didn’t have money, she recalled.

Giving back 

Her own experience with homelessness and mental health challenges led Lee to create Inspiring Hair.

“I found myself in the biggest fight with depression of my life, to the point where it almost consumed me, and I promised myself that I would not let no one feel that if I can help it,” she said.

Her services are important, she said, because homeless shelters are often forgotten.

“There are so many things going on when you’re homeless, you don’t have time to get yourself in order, and that’s the thing that is looked over the most. You have to be able to handle your mental health as best as you can, and when you don’t feel good, sometimes you tend to not want to look good, and I’m trying to reverse that,” she said.

Lee at work. Valaurian Waller for Bridge Detroit

Her services are paid for by sales from her online lipstick brand, Inspiring Cosmetics. The CEO of Inspiring Hair LLC began volunteering her services under the business in 2016. She wants to take a van equipped with shampoo bowls straight to shelter residents, and is seeking a donated vehicle or money to make that vision a reality.

“This is a way for her to do something, to offer a service to women who are in a situation that she’s been in, and been very familiar with, and that’s kind of the testament of anyone who chooses to come back and give back to our clients because they’ve experienced it. They understand what it means to be in a shelter, and it’s a way to kind of pay it forward,” said Chiara Clayton, director of communications for Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.

More than 1,700 people experienced homelessness — both sheltered and unsheltered — on one night last year in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park. Among them were 728 adults and children in families.

Lee continues to face housing insecurity. Lately, it’s been difficult keeping up with the cost of rent, groceries and utilities, she said.

She has been waiting more than three months for a rental home while she said the landlord completes repairs, and is looking at other properties to potentially move into. In the meantime, she doesn’t have stable housing and is living between several places, including with her sister in Ypsilanti and a friend in Detroit.

Before that, Lee had been living in a home without a working furnace and heat. She said she was trying to negotiate with her landlord to lower the rent for those months when she didn’t have heat, but her landlord moved to evict her.

The COTS shelter has seen the number of families experiencing homelessness increase in the past few years, Nikki Carbonari, director of impact at the Detroit-based nonprofit, said in June. The shelter, Peggy’s Place, is always at capacity, and that’s still the case in August. Families are also staying longer — more than four to six months on average.

“It really creates this backup and this cycle where people can’t get into shelter because those who are in shelter are staying longer because they cannot find affordable housing,” she said.

And so, hair care is a small act of dignity that uplifts people, Carbonari said. At COTS’ emergency shelter, partners and volunteers provide a variety of services, including haircuts and braiding.

“Even such a simple act as getting your hair done can really make you feel so much better, give you confidence,” she said.

‘If you look good, you feel good’

Lee was a former student at the P&A Scholars Beauty School in Detroit and guided students experiencing housing insecurity to shelters, CEO Anna Jackson-Pajardo said in June. Lee helped plan the school’s annual “Hair for the Homeless” event, becoming a senior advisor for the initiative and working with shelters. She still collaborates with the school to put on the event.

“She not only had the experience of being in the shelter, but she also had the experience of being able to pick herself up and to go back and help other people,” Jackson-Pajardo said.

Homelessness is one of the biggest problems in Detroit, she said. She’s had students who were sleeping in their cars.

“Niesha was the one that would come and say, ‘Listen, I can get them placed,’” she said.

Lee said she finished P&A Beauty School in 2012 and is a licensed cosmetologist.

She received her high school diploma from Catherine Ferguson Academy, a place she remembers with fondness. She participated in the Detroit Recovery Project, completing the rehab program in 2019, and then became a peer recovery specialist, she said.

Lee is also a writer, spoken word artist and poet — an art form she said helped release the hurt and burdens she’s held onto over the years. She’s the volunteer community engagement director for WJZZ, Detroit Jazz Radio.

Jalisa Walker, 24, consults with Lee about which hairstyle she’ll choose. Valaurian Waller for Bridge Detroit

Roderick Dickerson hired Lee to perform a poem for his upcoming documentary, “Noize of Joy the Movie,” about Detroit’s independent gospel artists. He’s known Lee for about four years.

“Despite her own personal challenges, she’s always reaching out. … She has a great heart and a great desire to see people win,” said Dickerson, CEO of Eyebox Films LLC, a Detroit-based video and film production company, in a June interview.

He said he was shocked and amazed to hear about Lee’s mobile salon initiative. Dickerson applauded her perseverance despite facing housing insecurity.

“If you look good, you feel good. There’s a lot of truth in that. And not only that, someone’s taking care of you, someone’s pampering you, someone’s spending time with you, someone’s adding value to who you are as a person and that goes a long way and that builds a person’s morale,” he said.

After getting her hair done by Lee in June, 24-year-old Jalisa Walker — another woman who had been staying at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries shelter — looked in the mirror and admired her slicked-back look with a bouncy ponytail.

“I can go out in the world,” she said.

How to help: To contribute to Inspiring Hair, email Lee at eshalee80@gmail.com or call 313-946-6778.

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