In other news, September is National Potato Month. So, find the spud of your life and enjoy!

And in other other news, I feel like the only person in the area who isn't going to see Eminem. Have a great time at the show! I'm a wee bit jealous.

Weekend Roundup

1. Hamtramck Labor Day Festival - Head to Hamtown for entertainment, a carnival, an arts & antique fest, and yummy Polish food. Watch the Polish Day Parade or take part in the Golab-K fun run. Sto Lat! September 4-6.

2. Southwest Detroit Bike Tour - Check out the taquerias, retail businesses, parks, and more while riding on two wheels with Wheelhouse Detroit. September 4th.

3. Rhythm, Roots & Rhyme Poetry Slam - Watch the finals of the poetry slam at Hart Plaza including both youth and adult sessions. Featured performances by CityWide Poets from InsideOut Detroit. September 5th.

4. Detroit International Jazz Festival - Hart Plaza is home to the largest free jazz festival in North America. Veterans of jazz and up-and-coming artists will perform. September 3-6.

5. Sirens of Chrome - Take a photographic ride through auto show history from the perspective of the sexy show models. Photography and vintage gowns will be on show. Through September 6th.

Oh yeah, and in case you’ve been living under a rock, Arts, Beats & Eats will be in Royal Oak this weekend. There are tons of great acts performing including my favorite, Mayer Hawthorne. Check out some of the smaller venues too; Blair and Emilio Basa will both be playing sets at Goldfish Tea.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

So, have a look!

Johnny Knoxville, known for “Jackass: The Movie”, is checking out Detroit in a campaign for Palladium, a boot company. The daredevil explores Detroit and the people who are passionate about the city. “Detroit Lives” was set to premier yesterday but it has been pushed back to September. From the trailer, it seems like they got it right.

Hard Luck Candy Vodka martinis.Do you remember the candy you loved as a child? Candy fish and root beer barrels, anyone? Now your favorite candy flavors have been distilled into vodka! Yes, they’ve been adultified! (That’s a word, right?)

Hard Luck Candy Vodka was started when the owners began infusing vodka at the Hard Luck Lounge in Grosse Pointe. They’ve been around for a bit but their official launch was two weeks ago. I tried both the Candy Fish and the Root Beer Barrel vodka at the launch and am a bit smitten with the root beer version. New flavors are on the horizon. Find Hard Luck Flavored Vodka near you!

Have you heard about The Backchannel? Stephen Clark, news anchor at WXYZ, started this online phenomenon to merge old media and new media, to interact with the Detroit community, and to showcase positive stories about Detroit. He can explain it much better than I can, he’s pretty good with words, you know! Check out the beginnings of the Backchannel, the upgrade, and where it stands now.

Now, I’m not suggesting you grab some root beer flavored vodka, kick up your feet, and watch the news but… actually that isn’t a bad idea. Oh, and I’ll keep you posted when “Detroit Lives” is set to premier.

The mighty Mackinac Bridge as seen from the Upper Peninsula.

A covered bridge on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive at Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Weekend Roundup

1. Alger Theater presents: Film on the Hill - Free, outdoor screening of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark at dusk. Attendees will even get free popcorn! August 28th.

2. Little Acorns - Little ones ages 1-4 (and their adult counterparts) explore the sights, sounds, and smells of the season. August 27th.

3. Come Hear Belle Isle - Live music and non-profits from around the city will be showcased at the Remick Music Shell. See what fabulous things the city has to offer while listening to local bands such as The Sights. August 28th.

4. People's Art Festival - The largest free arts festival in the city of Detroit features artists, performers, filmmakers, and musicians. August 28-29.

5. Pop Up Detroit (Facebook link)- A "pop up" art gallery initiated by young residents will open in the Shops at the Kresge Building. Local artists will show their work in the vacant shops to bring attention to the amazing spaces and artists in Detroit. August 27-September 13. (Read more at Real Detroit Weekly)

Also, the Michigan Renaissance Festival heads in to its second weekend and Troy Restaurant Week ends on Friday, August 27th.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Let it be known that my husband and I haven’t had any sort of getaway or vacation together since September of 2008. Yes, this was a much needed break.

What was drawing us to the northern destination? Wine! The Leelanau Peninsula Vintner’s Association, the Traverse City Wine & Art Festival, and the Sugar Beach Resort Hotel invited us to explore and taste Michigan’s wine country.

Wine? You don’t have to twist my arm.

Traverse City reminded us of our other home, Bournemouth in England, with its beach town atmosphere and quaint shops. We checked in to Sugar Beach to find a spectacular beach, too bad the weather wasn’t on our side.

The beach at Sugar Beach Resort.

Friday afternoon found us tooling around Michigan’s wine country and visiting three wineries. I haven’t been up north in ages and had never driven through this little part of Michigan. This is the stuff in the commercials; this is Pure Michigan.

Chateau Fontaine was the first stop and certainly the friendliest. Dan Matthies and his lovable pooch greeted us as though we had known each other forever. Dan explained each wine we tasted with the love of a proud parent and even let us drive through the vineyard to witness the view of the countryside. I loved their Woodland Red but ended up buying a bottle of the very quaffable Big Paw Red, named for Dan’s previous dog, Nick.

Dan Matthies welcoming us. And above, his adorable dog.

We then headed to the sprawling winery of Black Star Farms. This place is gorgeous! Even though they were extremely busy they took us to a small tasting area off to the side to sample the vino. The raclette cheese and Isidor’s Choice Pinot Noir were both knock-your-socks-off fabulous.

The beautiful Black Star Farms.

Last on our tour was L. Mawby Vineyards; they only produce sparkling wines. Their “Sex” is a brut rose and perfect for a girl’s night out. The one that caught my eye was “Detroit.” Yes, they have a sparkling wine named after my favorite city! I bought both. I mean, how could I not?

Yeah, the husband is a goofball.

Sex and Detroit? Yes, please!

Saturday morning we took a side trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes and drove the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. If you only have a short time to spend here, I highly recommend this. A word of warning: Don’t descend the Lake Michigan bluff unless you are crazy or extremely fit. It was painful to watch others climb 450 feet back up a steep incline of sand!

The Traverse City Wine & Art Festival was the perfect concoction of music, food, art, and wine. We were able to taste many more wines, most notably from Forty-Five North, Peninsula Cellars, 2 Lads Winery, and Shady Lane Cellars.

If you’ve never toured the Michigan wineries, I highly recommend it. Overall, the wine, the beach, and the dunes were a perfect way to escape the bustle of our busy lives.

But we weren’t done yet.

On our way out of Traverse City we decided to go further north. We were so close to the Mackinac Bridge and Upper Peninsula that we had to pay them a visit. My husband had never seen the might Mac or stepped foot in the U.P. He has now!

Our first Michigan road trip has us longing to explore other parts of our beautiful state. We’ll start planning those when we uncork the wine and bubbly we brought home with us. 

Disclosure: The Leelanau Peninsula Vintner’s Association provided our tasting passes and tickets to the Traverse City Wine & Arts Festival. Sugar Beach Resort Hotel provided our two-night stay at their hotel. The views and opinions expressed on Detroit Moxie are mine and mine only.

The long battle between American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island is well documented. I’ve talked about the Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food” stop in Detroit to taste test our rivaling coney dogs and I was witness to the Food Network’s “Food Feud” with Michael Symon.

But who will win Food Wars: Detroit?

American Coney Island & Lafayette Coney Island

I’ve seen the full segment and I know which coney dog the judges voted for, including Local 4 anchor Carmen Harlan. Yep, I know who won.

I have agreed to keep these details and the outcome confidential. Of course, I could be bribed by a coney dog or two from my favorite, Lafayette Coney Island. Just kidding.

For now, here’s a sneak peek at the Food Wars: Detroit episode: 

Tune in to the Travel Channel on Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. to see who is crowned the winner.

Who serves up your favorite coney dog, American or Lafayette?

Me? I love it. The people watching is fantastic, it brings new visitors and money to the area, and the cars are pretty cool. That said, I also live 3 miles west of Woodward and the traffic has never really affected me.

I’m going to miss the Dream Cruise this year as I am trekking up north to the Traverse City Wine & Art Festival. I’m SO excited to get out of town and explore Traverse City but part of me is sad that I won’t be here this weekend. Don’t worry, I’ll get over it.

Weekend Roundup

1. Woodward Dream Cruise - Classic cars from hot rods to muscle cars will be cruising up and down the Woodward corridor. Tons of events in the 8 communties it passes through. August 21st.

2. Michigan Renaissance Festival - The annual festival that celebrates medieval times, jousting, and meat-on-a-stick kicks off this weekend. Special events for this weekend include beer tasting, a pig roast, and Knights on Bikes (show your motorcycle license & recieve BOGOF admission). August 21-October 3.

3. F****** Awesome Fest - 50 bands will take over The Majestic and perform on 3 stages over 4 days. Pace yourself! August 19-22.

4. Pedal Cruise Bicycle Ride - Prefer bikes over cars? See Detroit on two wheels on this bike ride from the Riverfront to 8 Mile Road. August 21.

5. African World Festival - African and African American music, culture, food and crafts will be on display in Hart Plaza. Featured performers include "The Great Lady of Soul," Bettye Levette. August 20-22.

6. Motor City Tap Fest - Dancers will be tap, tap, tapping away all weekend! The All-Star Faculty Concert at Orchestra Hall features leading tap performers and special guests. August 19-22.

Also, Troy Restaurant Week runs August 22-27. Make your reservations now!

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

We pledge to fulfill our commitment to the city. This is an interim step that allows us to begin transforming Detroit into a high-tech hub of business and ingenuity. - Dan Gilbert

That’s a lot of new neighbors and customers for area businesses. The Quicken employees will be lunching, shopping, and exploring their new surroundings and I’m sure they are going to be delighted with what they find.

Quicken employees get to work on their first day in Detroit.

Quicken will occupy the 9^th through 12^th floors of the building and with views of Campus Martius, Comerica Park, and Ford Field you can feel the excitement of a active area.

The new facilities mirrors their employees, it’s a vibrant and creative environment. With Fatboy beanbags in the lounge areas, Faygo slushy machines in every break room, graffiti on the floor, and scratch & sniff wallpaper this place exudes fun. Oh, and a ping pong table and hop scotch!

Just as Detroit businesses will, I welcome the Quicken employees with open arms.

I’m also going to challenge them: become ambassadors for Detroit. Once you spend some time downtown you’re going to find your favorite places to hang out at and to grab a bite to eat.

Tell your co-workers, your friends, and your family. Let them know that it’s not that scary place that they might think it is. Embrace the city.

I’ll start.

• Take a break and walk through the amazing banking hall at the Guardian Building, get a cup of coffee at the Stella International Café while you’re there.

• For a quick and cheap lunch pick up a chicken shawarma at the Budapest Grill/Park Bar.

• Cocktail Hour at Roast should be your new after-work destination. Three-buck eats can’t be beat.

• Foran’s has a great selection of Michigan brews.

Do you have any favorite places and top tips you’d like to share with the Quicken team?

From their website:

The mission of Artist Village and Public Art Workz (P.A.W.Z.) is to create bold, innovative community redevelopment projects that use the arts, culture, creativity and innovation, as a catalyst for reinventing and revitalizing the communities of Old Redford and Northwest Detroit, Michigan, into a multi discipline, arts, education, entertainment and cultural community.

This place is pretty damn cool and I can’t wait to check it out more thoroughly and explore the murals of Chazz Miller.

For now, I’ll just share this small glimpse of the fabulousness that is the Artist Village with you.

Founded in 1994, The Friendship Circle provides assistance and support to the families of children with special needs. Most of the work they do is in the innovative Ferber Kaufman LifeTown. The activity wing at LifeTown and the Weinberg Village are quite special.

The Activity Wing in LifeTown is comprised of 8 unique rooms. The Gross Motor Room is a place where the kids can have a ball, literally. The room has padded walls, hanging swings, a rock climbing wall, and, of course, various sized balls. The Water Room is fully tiled with sprinklers and showerheads throughout. No need to worry in here, make a mess and everything will just wash right off.

Other rooms include a music & dance room, computer room, art room, and a multi-sensory room.

Weinberg Village is a 5,000 square foot mini-town with a bank, movie theater, library, drug store, doctor’s office, and a pet store with real live pets! The children learn real life skills in Weinberg Village; they can take real money out of the bank and spend it in the Village any way they choose. There are working traffic lights and you WILL get a ticket if you cross on a red light.

During our visit, co-founder Bassie Shem Tov had us engage in “disability awareness.” We were each handed a disability and told to walk around the Village, performing different tasks. Just like the kids, we got to take real money out of the bank and spend it at the Village shops.

I was given a speech disability; I couldn’t speak at all but could use a communication board and picture cards to communicate. My husband had a cognitive disability; this meant he could only use words with an odd number of letters. This slowed him down a bit, you have to think and count before you speak. This was a powerful exercise; you don’t realize how much you take for granted. Basic communication is an every day struggle for many.

Friendship Circle of Michigan now serves over 250 families and 2,500 students in metro Detroit visit Weinberg Village each year. There are now Friendship Circles in over 80 locations in 22 states and 7 countries.

To create awareness and support for their largest fundraising event, Walk4Friendship, Friendship Circle is inviting everyone in the community to join in a flash-mob freeze on August 18^th at 5:00 p.m. at the Somerset Collection in Troy. They are hoping over 1000 people will participate.

Learn more about Freeze4Friendship, Walk4Friendship, The Friendship Circle, and how to volunteer.

Seriously, The Friendship Circle is pretty awesome. Check it out and get involved.

Kid Rock is playing at DTE Energy Music Theatre all weekend and it’s not making the weekend roundup. Why? Well, I was stupid and didn’t buy tickets.

So, yes, I’m bitter.

I hope all you smart people who bought tickets when they went on sale have a great time.

Photo Credit: Ceedub13 on Flickr

Weekend Roundup

1. 2010 Dancin' On The Street (D.O.T.S.) Festival - This free festival on Heidelberg Street celebrates Detroit's diversity in music and dance. Have you ever wanted to dance Michael Jackson's Thriller down the streets of Detroit? This is your chance! Zone Dance Center will lead all festival-goers in a group dance at 7:30 p.m. August 14th.

2. World Tournament of Historic Baseball - Head out to Greenfield Village and transport yourself back to 1867 while watching 16 vintage baseball teams play by the early rules of the game. There can only be one champion! August 14-15.

3. Robocop at the Russell Industrial Center - The 2010 Rolling Roadshow Tour comes to Detroit and offers free screenings of famous movies in the famous locations that they were shot or set. August 14th.

4. Down on Main Street Car Show - More than 500 custom cars, trucks, and motorcycles will be on display on Main Street in Clawson. August 14th.

5. India Day - Michigan's largest Asian Indian event is filled with the tastes, sounds, and sights of India. The free festival at Rock Financial Show Place will feature live music, dance, and food. August 15th.

There are also two great benefits this weekend!

• Angelina Italian Bistro is hosting a dinner and screening of Grown in Detroit benefiting the Catherine Ferguson Academy Farm. Tickets are limited and include dinner and the movie, call for reservations. August 12^th.

• The Motor City Brass Band is performing a benefit concert for Michigan Youth Leadership (MYLead) in Northville. August 14^th.

And if all that isn’t enough… There is still time to get your hands dirty and take part in the Blood, Sweat and Gear campaign with Motor City Connect and Motor City Blight Busters. Now through August 14^th.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!