Southeast Michigan Events Canceled, Schools Closed for COVID-19

Bummed out by all the closures and cancellations? Find something fun to do by browsing through our virtual events calendar!

As cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread in Michigan, the state’s government has taken strong action in temporarily suspending venues and schools from operating.

All of Michigan’s K-12 public schools will close for three weeks, reopening on Monday, April 14. And, as of 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order has many businesses closed and families staying home for at least three weeks. (See here for a look at the reasons you can still be out and about.)

Restaurants are still able to use delivery service, window service, walk-up service, drive-through service or drive-up service. They’re also urged to use social distancing. “Restaurants may allow five people inside at a time to pick up orders, so long as they stay six feet apart from each other,” the governor said in a press release.

All of this means that, in order prevent the spread of what the World Health Organization has declared a worldwide pandemic, many local events and venues are canceled or closed.

To help parents plan, we’ve compiled a running list of events that have been canceled or postponed – along with Michigan schools and local venues that have been affected. Take a look before you head out and check back often as we’ll be updating as we learn of new closures.

Canceled events

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Due to Michigan’s “stay-at-home” order, all events are canceled through at least April 14.

• WWE Friday Night SmackDown at Little Caesars Arena on March 13 (airing on TV from Florida without audience)
• Royal Oak St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 14
• Detroit Roller Derby bout on March 14 (closed to the public)
• Midwest Fly Fishing Expo in Warren on March 14-15
• Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15
• 35th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Irish Festival in Westland on March 17
• RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on March 27
• Disney’s Frozen Jr. at Warren Civic Theatre on March 20-22 (may be rescheduled)
• March Du Nain Rouge in Detroit on March 22
• FOOLMoon and FestiFools in Ann Arbor on April 3-4
• Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day at various local museums on April 4
• Celtic Woman at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on April 5
• Bunnyville at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak April 10-11
• Mary Poppins the Broadway Musical at the Bonstelle Theatre in Detroit April 10-19

Postponed events

These local events have been put on hold. Watch for them to be rescheduled.

• Little Big Town at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, originally scheduled for March 12; moved to Oct. 1
• 14th Annual Motor City Blues Festival at Fox Theatre in Detroit on March 14
• Monster Jam at Ford Field in Detroit, originally scheduled for March 14-15; moved to July 25-26
• MasterChef Junior Live! at the Fox Theatre in Detroit; originally scheduled for March 19
• Billie Eilish at Little Caesars Area on March 23
• Greater Farmington Film Fest in Farmington, originally scheduled March 29-22
• Newsies at the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center in Trenton, originally scheduled April 17-19 and 26
• Ann Arbor Monroe Street Fair, originally scheduled April 4
• Monster Jam, originally scheduled March 14-15
• The Tale of the Mischievous Bunny by Wild Swan Theater, originally scheduled March 25-28
• Living With Autism Workshop by Metro Parent and Henry Ford Health System at Wyndham Garden Sterling Heights, originally April 24; will be rescheduled to fall
• Tummy to Toddler Expo at Macomb Community College South Campus, Warren, originally scheduled April 25; moved to Aug. 22
• TROLLS! Live at the Fox Theatre in Detroit; originally scheduled for May 1-3
• Roald Dahl’s Matilda, the Musical by Warren Civic Theatre, originally May 2-9

Affected venues

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Due to Michigan’s “stay-at-home” order, all major gathering venues are closed through at least April 14.

• Ann Arbor District Library, programming canceled indefinitely
• Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, closed March 13-April 5
• Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens, March 17-April 6
• Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, closed starting March 13
• Beacon Park in Detroit, March events canceled
• Belle Isle Aquarium, closed starting March 13
• Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills, closed through at least April 6
• Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, closed March 13-April 5
• Detroit Institute of Arts, programming canceled March 13-April 5
• Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve in Rochester, closed starting March 12
• Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, closed until further notice
• Eddy Discovery Center in Chelsea, closed until further notice
• Farmington Hills Parks and Recreation, events and programming canceled March 13-April 6
• Ferndale Area District Library, closed indefinitely starting March 13
• Grosse Pointe Public Library, all programs canceled through April 11
• Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, the Giant Screen Experience, closed through April 5
• Huron-Clinton Metroparks, all public programming canceled March 14-April 5 
• Livonia Parks and Recreation, all programming canceled and recreation center closed March 13-April 5
• Lorenzo Cultural Center in Clinton Township, events canceled through April 12
• Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Township, events canceled through April 12
• Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, closed March 16-March 31
• Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, programs, events and tours canceled through April 21
• Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center (Detroit Symphony Orchestra), events canceled starting March 12
• Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance in Rochester, performances canceled
• Pewabic Pottery in Detroit, classes and workshops paused until April 1; tours suspended until further notice
• Stage Nature Center in Troy, closed March 16-April 6
• State Theatre in Ann Arbor, closed March 16-March 31
• The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, closed and programming canceled through April 7
• Troy Community Center and Troy Public Library, closed March 13-April 5
• University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor, closed until further notice
• University of Michigan Museum of Natural History in Ann Arbor, closed until further notice
• Warren Community Center, closed through March 31
• Wayne County Parks, programming canceled March 14-April 12
• Wayne State University Planetarium in Detroit, closed March 11-31
• West Bloomfield Recreation Activities Center, closed March 12-April 5
• Westland Public Library, closed March 13-31

Affected schools

All local schools and universities have closed and, as much as possible, are adopting online instruction.

• All Michigan K-12 schools, closed March 16-April 13
• Concordia University Ann Arbor
• Eastern Michigan University
• Grand Valley State University
• Lawrence Technological University
• Macomb Community College
• Michigan State University
• Michigan Technological University
• Oakland University
• Saginaw State University
• Washtenaw Community College
• Wayne State University
• Western Michigan University

This post is updated regularly.