Your guide to annual events, festivals and attractions

Meridian Motown Winter Blast

February 6-8; Detroit; winterblast.com

February is right in the thick of a Michigan winter, so why not embrace it with ice-skating, bonfires, snow slides, and all sorts of other ways to enjoy the cold.

The annual Hamtramck Music Festival is three-day music event in Detroit's beloved enclave of Hamtramck, celebrating local music.

This event draws tattoo aficionados from all over, with seminars, vendors, live music, and more.

For 300 years, on the Sunday after the Vernal Equinox, Detroiters have celebrated liberation from the Nain Rouge, the fiendish embodiment of all that holds us back.

Not quite Sundance, but this film fest is the place to go for independent experimental film.

The annual celebration of all things marijuana-related welcomes its 44th year.

The streets of Ann Arbor get invaded with a flashmob army of papier-mâché puppets.

What started as the little music festival dreamed up by Metro Times' music editor has now becomes a sprawling event that hosts more than 300 bands across three cities.

Roughly 70,000 people attend this street fair, and it's nationally ranked as one of the best fine art festivals in the country. It features all kinds of artists, including mixed media, ceramics, photographers, clothing designers, jewelry makers, and leather workers, but there are also live musical acts that perform throughout the festival as well.

Ferndale Pride strives to recognize, promote, and celebrate pride for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and ally communities.

Detroit's not the first place people think of when they think of country, but the Hoedown draws thousands of fans to see acts big and small.

Celebrate Detroit's legacy of electronic dance music at an event that draws fans the world over.

Michigan's newest state park is transformed into a Grand Prix racing track.

Whether you're L, G, B, T, or an ally, Motor City Pride is the time to join cities all around the world in celebrating gay culture.

Featuring music, art, film, and more, Ann Arbor's massive festival practically takes up all summer.

Celebrate the spirit of creativity, as artists showcase jewelry, sculpture, and more.

Summer Solstice Jazz Fest

Get 14 hours of free jazz at the East Lansing Summer Solstice Jazz Fest, where the caliber of performer is always top-notch. It's put on by the city of East Lansing, Wharton Center for Performing Arts, and the MSU College of Music, with artistic direction from Rodney Whitaker, so you know it's going to be good.

This patriotic fest is a sort of pregame for Fourth of July celebrations.

That's right, there are now two electronic music fests in Detroit, as EDM's massive popularity gave festival promoters a good excuse to dust off this old moniker.

Celebrate art and culture in the heart of Downriver.

How often do you get to hear music from all around the world? Don't miss this annual festival.

Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Celebrate the King with Elvis impersonators and superfans alike.

More than 100 years strong, it's the oldest active motor sports trophy — and as good an excuse as any to spend a sunny day downing a few beers.

Your summer is not complete until you stroll the streets of downtown Ann Arbor to browse contemporary fine art and crafts.

Three nights of barbecue, live music, a beer tent and, oh, yes, whiskey by the barrel.

Celebrating Michigan's craft beer movement for the summer months, this festival takes place at Riverside Park in Depot Town.

Grab the lawn chairs and stake out your plot of grass along Woodward for this weekend event featuring classic cars and cruisers.

Spanning several city blocks downtown, this hip celebration of jazz features fireworks, jam sessions, and more.

The name says it all — local artists, musicians, and restaurants from metro Detroit give Royal Oak a taste of what they're all about.

Witness the music of jazz and blues collide with the tastes of barbecue in downtown Brighton.

The Ren Fest has it all — jousting, musicians, costumes, and turkey drumsticks — every weekend from August until October. Huzzah!

One historic block of the old "student ghetto" is cordoned off and given over to people hawking art, T-shirts, books, beer, and music.

Every September, the city of Rochester transforms the 30-acre Rochester Park into one of the nation's top fine-art fairs with over 290 exhibiting artists from across the country.

Head to everyone's favorite funky stretch of Nine Mile Road for an immersion in metro Detroit's eclectic art scene.

Celebrate the art of doing-it-yourself with live music, food, and vendor booths hawking all manner of unique items.

Hop on over to Eastern Market to sample the finest craft brews our great state has to offer and dig into some delicious Detroit eats, all while treating your ears to music provided by local musicians.

Noel Night is a great opportunity to get some gift shopping done, plus you can catch Christmas carolers, ice sculptors, horse-drawn carriages, and more.