If you have yet to visit the various fairs and festivals in Novi, Michigan, you’re going to want to move these to the top of your calendar! The city itself hosts some excellent events throughout the year, as well as the Suburban Collection Showplace being home to a wide variety of expos that are fun for all ages. Read on for our top suggestions!
The Novi Home & Garden Show
January / April / October
SUBURBAN COLLECTION SHOWPLACE
46100 GRAND RIVER AVE, NOVI, MI 48374
One of the most popular events held at the Suburban Collection Showplace is The Novi Home & Garden Show. It’s so popular in fact that it’s held three separate times throughout the year, being in January, April and again in October. As a one-stop destination for home improvement products and services of every type for both in and outdoors, visitors will find a huge selection of exhibits for everything from decorating and upgrading their home as well as experienced businesses and consultants on hand for hiring. Whether your kitchen needs a facelift, or you’re thinking of sprucing up your backyard with a new patio, you’ll find everything you could possibly need at this show. As of the time of this article, the next show will be held January 27-29 of 2023. Stop in and check it out!
Novi Boat Show
March
SUBURBAN COLLECTION SHOWPLACE
46100 GRAND RIVER AVE, NOVI, MI 48374
If boating is your thing, you’ll definitely want to head back to the Suburban Collection Showplace in March for the annual Novi Boat Show! With hundreds of new 2022 as well as new overstocked non-current model boats, motors and trailers priced to sell, this is the place to be to score a great deal on your next watercraft! Over 100 exhibitors attend this event each year with boats up to 35 feet meant for skiing, fishing and cruising, as well as all sorts of personal watercraft, accessories, dockage, hoists and more. You’ll find fun for the whole family at the Steelhead Fishing Simulator, Pirates, Captains & Sailors Space and Paint a Paddle Workshop. There are also daily giveaways and on weekends kids can meet a mermaid princess and visit the crafts area. There’s even a water skiing squirrel named Twiggy who puts on shows each day. Stop in for 2023 between March 9-12 to see for yourself!
Spring Palooza
May
NOVI CIVIC CENTER
45175 W 10 MILE RD, NOVI, MI 48375
Each May at the Novi Civic Center, typically the 2nd or 3rd weekend, is Spring Palooza! This free, carnival themed family friendly event is a community open house allowing the public to engage with city staff and various departments in a fun filled environment. Highlights of this fair include live demonstrations from the police and fire departments, live entertainment, bounce houses, outdoor games, free food and much more. Stop next door to the police station where kids can get their fingerprints and mugshot taken, try on gear, check out police vehicles, race special kids’ police cars, watch a K-9 demonstration, shoot paintballs at targets and more.
Memorial Day Parade
Memorial Day (May)
MEADOWBROOK COMMONS TO NOVI CIVIC CENTER
45175 W 10 MILE RD, NOVI, MI 48375
Kicking off summer each year is the Novi Memorial Day Parade. After the parade being on hiatus during the pandemic, it returned in 2022 with a new route beginning at Meadowbrook Commons and ending at the Novi Civic Center where a memorial ceremony takes place celebrating the lives and sacrifices made by fallen service members both from Novi and across the nation. This is a completely free event for the public to attend, or to be a part of the parade, contact the City of Novi. Kids also have the opportunity to decorate their bikes and march along in this parade. The parade itself begins at 10AM, but there are also a couple of fun run options which take place before the parade, including a one mile children’s run, a 5K run/walk and a 10K run.
International Gem and Jewelry Show
August
SUBURBAN COLLECTION SHOWPLACE
46100 GRAND RIVER AVE, NOVI, MI 48374
If you love shiny things or hold a special place in your heart for sparkly things, you won’t want to miss the International Gem and Jewelry Show held each August at the Suburban Collection Showplace. Running for 55 years, this is the longest running direct to consumer jewelry show in America. With hundreds of vendors on hand offering quality merchandise at rock bottom prices directly from wholesalers, manufacturers and designers, this is the place to score a great deal on everything gem and jewelry related for individuals searching for their next piece to licensed business owners interested in shopping the designated wholesale only sections. Children under the age of 9 are not permitted at this expo, so you’ll need to leave the little ones at home.
Novi Fine Art Fair
August
TWELVE MILE CROSSING AT FOUNTAIN WALK
44175 W 12 MILE RD, NOVI, MI 48377
Also taking place each August is another local favorite summer event - the Novi Fine Art Fair, located at Twelve Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk. This juried art fair draws award winning artists from across the Midwest where visitors have the chance to shop their unique handmade items that can’t be found anywhere else. From paintings, jewelry, sculptures and everything in between, this is a fantastic chance to pick up a gift for birthdays, anniversaries, or to get yourself a little something special. In 2022 the Novi Fine Art Fair coincided with the Novi Taco Fest, with dozens of taco trucks on-site dishing up classic tacos, interesting new twists on the iconic handheld, and tequila & margaritas to the sounds of Latin music. We can only hope this will be an ongoing combination, because there’s never a wrong time for tacos.
Michigan State Fair
August/September
SUBURBAN COLLECTION SHOWPLACE
46100 GRAND RIVER AVE, NOVI, MI 48374
Back at Suburban Collection Showplace, taking place during Labor Day Weekend each year (August 31 - Sept 4 in 2023) is one of the largest events in Novi, being the Michigan State Fair. Steeped in history and dating back to 1849, the Michigan State Fair is one of the oldest state fairs in the country. In 1905 it moved to the fairgrounds at 8 Mile and Woodward Avenue where it remained until 2009 until the state government discontinued it. In 2012 it reemerged as a private venture and in 2022 celebrated its 10 year anniversary at the Suburban Collection Showplace grounds. A fun experience for the whole family with a large selection of carnival rides, games, food, entertainment, music, vendors, animals, contests, farmers market, beer garden and more, the state fair continues to attract massive crowds each year and is definitely one to add to your calendar.
Motor City EGGfest
September
MSU TOLLGATE FARM & EDUCATION CENTER
28115 MEADOWBROOK RD, NOVI, MI 48377
2022 brought yet another fun and delicious festival to Novi with the first annual Motor City Eggfest. This festival revolves around cooking on a Big Green Egg, a versatile all in one Kamado-style grill also capable of roasting, smoking, and baking a wide variety of foods. Cooking teams both local and national put their chops to the test as they face off and demonstrate the capabilities of the Big Green Egg. In 2022, tickets included admission, one free soda/water and unlimited BBQ samples as well as music, games and more. 50% of ticket sales also went towards supporting Beaumont Children's Miracle Network Hospital and Tollgate Farms, making this an all around great event to attend.
Jurassic Quest
October
SUBURBAN COLLECTION SHOWPLACE
46100 GRAND RIVER AVE, NOVI, MI 48374
Gather up the kids and head to Suburban Collection Showplace in October for a roaring good time at Jurassic Quest! As the largest, most popular dinosaur experience in the nation featuring life size animatronic beasts that are hand painted to be “realer-than-real.” Some of the dinosaurs on hand include the Spinosaurus, T-Rex and a 50 foot long megalodon. Children can also ride a dino, explore bounce houses, take part in dino themed crafts, dig for fossils, meet baby dinos, do a dino walk and discover ancient oceans. No matter your age, this is a one of a kind fun and educational experience for everyone to enjoy.
Motor City Comic Con
May & October
SUBURBAN COLLECTION SHOWPLACE
46100 GRAND RIVER AVE, NOVI, MI 48374
Not all heroes wear capes, which you can see for yourself at the iconic Motor City Comic Con every May & October at Suburban Collection Showplace. This comic con began in New York in 1964 and has grown exponentially both in size and popularity over time attracting millions of people each year. With countless vendors, comic book creators, writers, illustrators, and special guests from movies & TV each year, you may need to take more than one day to appreciate the scale of this event. Items for sale include nearly a million comic books, toys, collectibles, pop-culture, crafts, games and costumes. Many visitors dress in cosplay as one of their favorite characters, adding to the overall experience and special guests from past years include William Shatner, Alice Cooper, Adam West, Ernie Hudson, Stan Lee, Neve Campbell, Lou Ferrigno, Val Kilmer, Charlie Hunnam and many more. The next upcoming comic con will take place May 19-23, 2023. Tickets are on sale now with special guests to be announced.
Holiday Arts & Crafts Show
October
NOVI HIGH SCHOOL
24062 TAFT RD, NOVI, MI 48375
Organized by Novi Athletic Boosters, the Novi Holiday Arts & Crafts show takes place each October at the Novi High School and is the perfect place to pick up some gifts for the upcoming season. With over 200 booths at this juried art show, visitors will find an array of items from local artists & crafters including artwork, jewelry, accessories, metal work, home décor, garden, embroidery, quilting, paintings, clothing, wood crafts, candles, bath and body products, pet accessories, children’s clothes and toys, doll clothing, delicious foods, and much more. The popularity has been growing each year and ticket sales from this event benefit Novi athletic programs.
Fuerst Festive Nights
December
FUERST PARK
45325 W 10 MILE RD, NOVI, MI 48375
Rounding out our list of top Novi fairs and festivals is Fuerst Festive Night, a three day event to begin the holiday season. Typically on the first weekend of December, Fuerst Park comes alive with a holiday light stroll, food vendors, visits with Santa, marshmallow roasting, hot chocolate, carolers singing the classics and nature-friendly crafts, all designed to boost the holiday spirit. Once the festival is over, the Christmas lights remain up on the 30+ trees for the remainder of the month for those who wish to take a walk through the park leading up to the new year.
That wraps up our list of top fairs and festivals in Novi! There are many more events held throughout the year, along with fantastic dining, shopping and other entertainment options. Suburban Collection Showplace is host to numerous expos on various weekends, so if you’re ever searching for something to do it is worth checking to see if they have any events scheduled.
To learn more about Novi and to see a list of homes currently for sale, visit our page HERE, or visit our YouTube to watch one of our many videos about the city.
Posted by Michael Perna on
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