CultureShift Events Guide: Comic Con, concerts and other things to do

This weekend, we’ve got lots of ways to discover Detroit talent, including charity dinners, poetry slams, concerts and more.

Plus, Comic Con returns to the Motor City. Read on to learn more.

Good food for a good cause

From Sunday, Nov. 12 through Thursday, Nov. 16, dozens of Detroit’s top restaurants are participating in “Let’s Do Dinner,” a benefit series for Forgotten Harvest. Guests can enjoy discounted 3-course meals for either $20, $35, $50 or $75 throughout the week at participating restaurants and the proceeds will provide meals for Detroiters in need. Participating restaurants include Bobcat Bonnie’s, Detroit Sushi, Mario’s, Slows BBQ, Table No. 2 and more. No tickets are necessary to contribute. To learn more, visit their website.

Spoken word

On Thursday, Nov. 9, La Shaun phoenix Moore is hosting BLK GOLD at the DSO, a celebration of the power, beauty and versatility of Black artists in Detroit. This event will feature talented spoken word artists, a musical performance by Lulu Fall and a DJ set by Stacye J. Spoken word performers include Kahn Davison, Justin Rogers, Scheherazade Washington Parrish, Alana Gracey and Michigan’s Poet Laureate Nandi Comer. The show will take place in The Cube starting at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit the DSO’s website.

Related: Michigan’s poet laureate Nandi Comer discusses her work on Detroit Today

For more powerful poetry, head to the Detroit Public Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 11 for the 2023 All-City Poetry Slam Finals. Hosted by Joel Fluent Greene, 12 of Detroit’s best poets will compete for $1,500 and the title of All-City Slam Champion. The event will include powerful words, delicious drinks, Detroit-based vendors and more. Doors open at 6 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m. and general admission is $45. For more information, visit their Eventbrite page.

Pop culture

Motor City Comic Con returns to Novi this weekend, featuring celebrity guests, cosplay contests, gaming tournaments and more. Some of this year’s celebrity guests include David Harbour from Stranger Things, Billy Dee Williams from the original Star Wars trilogy, Lorraine Bracco from The Sopranos, Chris Parnell from Rick and Morty and Scott Patterson from Gilmore Girls. Passes start at $30 and the convention will take place at Suburban Collection Showplace from Friday, Nov. 10 through Sunday, Nov. 12. For more information, visit their website.

Budding musicians

On Friday, Nov. 10, the Wu Family Academy Showcase will feature Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Civic Youth Ensembles program. The show will include works by Nicole Piunno, Charles Ives, Scott Joplin, Huanzhi Li, Maurice Ravel and Georges Bizet as performed by the DSO’s Youth Wind Ensemble and Youth Orchestra in historic Orchestra Hall. The show begins at 7 p.m. and tickets start at $15. For more information, visit their website.

Then, the DSO’s Civic Youth Ensembles return to Orchestra Hall on Sunday, Nov. 12 for the CYE Family Experience. This all-day event showcases ten ensembles including string orchestras, wind ensembles, jazz bands and a philharmonic orchestra. Led by dedicated and masterful music directors, each ensemble offers a unique opportunity for students at all skill levels seeking musical experiences beyond the classroom. Performances begin at 1 p.m. and tickets start at $15. For more information, visit their website.

Documentaries

This weekend, The Detroit Film Theatre inside the DIA is screening a 60th anniversary restoration of French New Wave pillar, ‘Contempt’ (1963). The film follows an ambitious screenwriter attempting to create a contemporary adaptation of Homer’s ‘The Odyssey,’ and features sun-soaked settings, dazzling seascapes and complex color scenes. Screenings will take place on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10.50 for general admission or $8.50 for seniors, students and DIA members. For more information, visit their website.

Then, on Wednesday, Nov. 15, the Detroit Film Theatre is premiering ‘Ignore the Noise: The Transformation of the Detroit Riverfront.’ This new hour-long documentary tells the story of how the Detroit Riverfront evolved from industrial, blighted and underused to a vibrant world-class waterfront featuring parks, pathways and greenways. Tickets are $5 and all ages are welcome. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the screening starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by a panel discussion at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit their Eventbrite.

Dad jokes

On Friday, Nov. 10, the University of Michigan Detroit Center is hosting “The Fathers of Funny,” a stand-up dads comedy talkback. This free showcase will explore the intricacies of stand-up performances by Detroit comedians who have successfully integrated their experiences with fatherhood into their comedy. U-M alumnus Horace Sanders will host comedians Melvin Bender and Josh Adams at the Detroit Public Theatre from 6:30-9 p.m. For more information, visit their website.

Winter wonders

Decked Out Detroit is officially kicking off their Winter Season this weekend with Downtown Detroit Winter Markets, Cadillac Lodge, and seasonal activities at the Monroe Street Midway. Guests can do their holiday shopping with local businesses, go sledding, play puck-putt and more across from Campus Martius Park starting Thursday, Nov. 9 and going through January 2024. Entrance is free and open to the public, and you can learn more at their website.