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Detroit's JW Marriott staffs up for opening

The 601-room riverfront hotel has already booked more than 50 events.

News

Detroit&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="newest luxury hotel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2026/05/06/hotel-boom-events-conventions" data-vars-content-id="0d48d5d2-92b8-4cd6-b245-37f536d2c49b" data-vars-headline="Detroit&#x27;s JW Marriott staffs up for opening" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2026/05/06/hotel-boom-events-conventions" target="_self">newest luxury hotel</a> is staffing up ahead of its February opening.The latest: JW Marriott Detroit Water Square recently announced its executive leadership team, led by general manager Joleisha Bradley, who previously oversaw the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reopening of the Dearborn Inn" data-vars-click-url="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2025/03/19/dearborn-inn-reopens-after-renovations/82538817007/" data-vars-content-id="0d48d5d2-92b8-4cd6-b245-37f536d2c49b" data-vars-headline="Detroit&#x27;s JW Marriott staffs up for opening" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2025/03/19/dearborn-inn-reopens-after-renovations/82538817007/" target="_blank">reopening of the Dearborn Inn</a>.

New psychiatric hospital opens this fall

The Northville campus will serve adults, children and adolescents amid high need for mental health services.

Health

Construction has finished on a new state-run psychiatric hospital serving Southeast Michigan.Why it matters: Need is high and beds are limited for people experiencing severe mental illness or developmental disabilities.

Detroit automakers face shrinking growth options amid China rise

Years of betting on pickups and SUVs have left Detroit vulnerable to global rivals like China.

Business Brief

Detroit&#x27;s automakers are running out of room to grow after years of retreating toward their most defensible turf: pickups and SUVs.The big picture: Japanese and Korean rivals are taking more U.S. market share, while Chinese competitors are squeezing Detroit overseas.

1-minute voter guide: Michigan's Senate race

Compare Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers before Election Day.

Michigan&#x27;s nationally watched U.S. Senate race pits rising progressive <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Abdul El-Sayed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/31/el-sayed-rogers-piker-jewish-antisemitism" data-vars-content-id="397a5ff0-27c4-49cc-94cc-32985a0af279" data-vars-headline="1-minute voter guide: Michigan&#x27;s Senate race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/31/el-sayed-rogers-piker-jewish-antisemitism" target="_self">Abdul El-Sayed</a> against Republican <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mike Rogers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/22/mike-rogers-aipac-michigan-senate" data-vars-content-id="397a5ff0-27c4-49cc-94cc-32985a0af279" data-vars-headline="1-minute voter guide: Michigan&#x27;s Senate race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/22/mike-rogers-aipac-michigan-senate" target="_self">Mike Rogers</a>, a former congressman making his second straight Senate run.Why it matters: Michigan is one of a handful of battlegrounds that could determine control of the Senate, where Republicans hold a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="53-47 majority" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/08/2026-midterms-congress-house-senate-predictions" data-vars-content-id="397a5ff0-27c4-49cc-94cc-32985a0af279" data-vars-headline="1-minute voter guide: Michigan&#x27;s Senate race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/08/2026-midterms-congress-house-senate-predictions" target="_self">53-47 majority</a>.

Spirit Halloween haunts former stores in Metro Detroit

More than 15 seasonal shops are haunting vacant storefronts across the region.

Business

Spirit Halloween is haunting the shells of former big-box stores again this fall with more than 15 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="locations" data-vars-click-url="https://stores.spirithalloween.com/" data-vars-content-id="b32cbec9-5c41-496c-ae94-ca35242c716d" data-vars-headline="Spirit Halloween haunts former stores in Metro Detroit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://stores.spirithalloween.com/" target="_blank">locations</a> open in Metro Detroit — and 1,500 nationwide.The big picture: The stores appear and vanish each fall, so finding this year&#x27;s Spirit often means relaying directions with neighbors in retail shorthand: &quot;Where the old Party City used to be.&quot;

Leave early to beat Labor Day traffic

Thursday afternoon could bring some of the holiday weekend's worst traffic.

Getting out of town for Labor Day weekend? Leave early Thursday.Why it matters: Peak holiday congestion could add serious time to your <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="trip" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/29/summer-travel-prices-destinations" data-vars-content-id="f1b72de7-9a6f-4c11-b122-9c63fd7e0804" data-vars-headline="Leave early to beat Labor Day traffic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/29/summer-travel-prices-destinations" target="_self">trip</a>.

Your guide to Metro Detroit's July 4 weekend

Find fireworks, festivals, concerts and more across the region this weekend.

Things to Do

Independence Day lands on the weekend this year, so there&#x27;s no shortage of celebrations around Metro Detroit.State of play: Whether you&#x27;re looking for fireworks, baseball or a different perspective on the holiday, we&#x27;ve got you covered.

Readers say Vernors belongs in Michigan's time capsule

We asked for suggestions to improve Michigan's contributions to the America250 capsule.

History

America&#x27;s 250th anniversary celebration includes a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new time capsule with artifacts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2026/06/29/michigan-america-250-time-capsule" data-vars-content-id="eff8301e-23bb-47e4-a127-67f595486d9a" data-vars-headline="Readers say Vernors belongs in Michigan&#x27;s time capsule" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2026/06/29/michigan-america-250-time-capsule" target="_self">new time capsule with artifacts</a> from all 56 states and territories, and our readers say Vernors should have made it in.Driving the news: We asked for suggestions to improve Michigan&#x27;s contributions: a decorative dollar piece featuring an old automotive assembly line, a Petoskey stone and a chunk of copper representing our mining history and Indigenous culture.

What Michigan put in the America250 time capsule

It will remain sealed until America's 500th birthday in 2276.

America&#x27;s Time Capsule is chock full of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="historic items" data-vars-click-url="https://america250.org/time-capsule/contents/" data-vars-content-id="6adcd36a-dd9e-4aa2-834b-644818f118c8" data-vars-headline="What Michigan put in the America250 time capsule" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://america250.org/time-capsule/contents/" target="_blank">historic items</a>, and Michigan&#x27;s contribution might just date back the furthest of any state.The big picture: The 900-pound steel capsule is part of the country&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="250th anniversary celebration" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/06/03/america-250-freedom-250-national-mall-white-house-drama" data-vars-content-id="6adcd36a-dd9e-4aa2-834b-644818f118c8" data-vars-headline="What Michigan put in the America250 time capsule" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/06/03/america-250-freedom-250-national-mall-white-house-drama" target="_self">250th anniversary celebration</a> and includes artifacts from the federal government, plus all 56 states and territories.

Where to celebrate Juneteenth across Metro Detroit

Attend marches, festivals, art exhibitions and community events.

Metro Detroit is honoring Juneteenth this year with marches, music, art and more.The big picture: Juneteenth commemorates the day when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2 1/2 years after the passing" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/19/timeline-of-the-juneteenth" data-vars-content-id="a9114e78-d992-4f74-b078-5fe25db79c78" data-vars-headline="Where to celebrate Juneteenth across Metro Detroit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/19/timeline-of-the-juneteenth" target="_self">2 1/2 years after the passing</a> of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Emancipation Proclamation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation?_ga=2.99815709.2051678155.1718302964-1692953947.1718131671" data-vars-content-id="a9114e78-d992-4f74-b078-5fe25db79c78" data-vars-headline="Where to celebrate Juneteenth across Metro Detroit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation?_ga=2.99815709.2051678155.1718302964-1692953947.1718131671" target="_blank">Emancipation Proclamation</a>.

Cinco de Mayo parade returns with unity theme

A parade, fiesta and other events around Detroit commemorate Cinco de Mayo.

Southwest Detroit&#x27;s annual <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Cinco de Mayo celebration" data-vars-click-url="https://detroitcincodemayoparade.com/" data-vars-content-id="eea7b196-15a1-4ec1-9b7b-9800fa629b21" data-vars-headline="Cinco de Mayo parade returns with unity theme" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://detroitcincodemayoparade.com/" target="_blank">Cinco de Mayo celebration</a> returns this weekend with a fiesta and its massive parade bearing floats, musicians and politicians.The big picture: This year&#x27;s theme — Estamos Unidos, or &quot;We are United&quot; — is highly important, says Alma Cruz, president of the Mexican Patriotic Committee of Metro Detroit that organizes the event.

Things to do in Metro Detroit this weekend: March 27-29

Egg hunts, DJ sets, ceramic art exhibitions and more!

🏺 Check out various public exhibitions of ceramic art around the city as part of a giant national conference <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="taking place now through Saturday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2026/03/24/ceramics-conference-exhibits-region-nceca" data-vars-content-id="20a0512e-0672-4d7f-bb46-7d9ad0921877" data-vars-headline="Things to do in Metro Detroit this weekend: March 27-29" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2026/03/24/ceramics-conference-exhibits-region-nceca" target="_self">taking place now through Saturday</a>.🦁 It&#x27;s a big weekend for theater with multiple shows of &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Lion King" data-vars-click-url="https://us.atgtickets.com/events/disneys-the-lion-king/detroit-opera-house/" data-vars-content-id="20a0512e-0672-4d7f-bb46-7d9ad0921877" data-vars-headline="Things to do in Metro Detroit this weekend: March 27-29" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://us.atgtickets.com/events/disneys-the-lion-king/detroit-opera-house/" target="_blank">The Lion King</a>&quot; at the Detroit Opera House now through April 5, and &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mamma Mia!" data-vars-click-url="https://us.atgtickets.com/events/mamma-mia/fisher-theatre/" data-vars-content-id="20a0512e-0672-4d7f-bb46-7d9ad0921877" data-vars-headline="Things to do in Metro Detroit this weekend: March 27-29" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://us.atgtickets.com/events/mamma-mia/fisher-theatre/" target="_blank">Mamma Mia!</a>&quot; at the Fisher Theatre through Sunday.

313 Day brings parties, pizza deals and concerts

From Belle Isle to downtown, 313 Day offers food specials and live music this Friday.

One indicator that spring is upon us? This Friday marks 313 Day, the holiday <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="marked by Detroit&#x27;s area code" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2025/03/06/detroit-313-day-events-2025" data-vars-content-id="35452242-0928-43c3-be73-71958be4d18f" data-vars-headline="313 Day brings parties, pizza deals and concerts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2025/03/06/detroit-313-day-events-2025" target="_self">marked by Detroit&#x27;s area code</a> that celebrates its spirit, culture and history.Start making your plans now:

Affordable Valentine's Day ideas in Metro Detroit

What to do to keep things a little romantic while not shelling out too much cash.

Valentine&#x27;s and Galentine&#x27;s Day celebrations can be cute, but in 2026, many of us don&#x27;t want to drain our <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="already strained" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/27/consumer-confidence-conference-board-gdp" data-vars-content-id="d13779f4-6caf-4ec7-b65a-c216e6d30e84" data-vars-headline="Affordable Valentine&#x27;s Day ideas in Metro Detroit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/27/consumer-confidence-conference-board-gdp" target="_self">already strained</a> wallets.The big picture: Romance isn&#x27;t dead! But according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="WalletHub survey" data-vars-click-url="https://wallethub.com/blog/valentines-day-survey/57387" data-vars-content-id="d13779f4-6caf-4ec7-b65a-c216e6d30e84" data-vars-headline="Affordable Valentine&#x27;s Day ideas in Metro Detroit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://wallethub.com/blog/valentines-day-survey/57387" target="_blank">WalletHub survey</a>, two in five people say the Feb. 14 holiday is unaffordable.

A table lists Labor Day weekend 2026 driving forecasts by day. Best departure times range from before 10 a.m. Saturday to minimal traffic all day Sunday. Worst periods cluster in afternoons and evenings, including 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and noon to 8 p.m. Friday.

Holidays

Spirit Halloween haunts former stores in Metro Detroit

Leave early to beat Labor Day traffic

Your guide to Metro Detroit's July 4 weekend

Readers say Vernors belongs in Michigan's time capsule

What Michigan put in the America250 time capsule