Festivals ... with Food

Metro Detroit and adjacent areas may not immediately spring to mind when you think "now there's a foodie town." That said, one of the things I like best about this area is the quality and variety of the food. Not to mention the food component to be found in most festivals.

Some interesting ones coming up are:

• Oxford Backyards & Burgers is in very cool downtown Oxford May 17-20. Times are 4-11 p.m. May 17-18, noon-11 p.m. May 19, 1-8 p.m. May 20. And again, it's free. Besides voting in the Best Burger Contest, enjoy entertainment and kids' activities.
• Want to live a greener lifestyle? Learn how at the Chelsea Green Fair and Home Show May 19-20 at Chelsea Fairgrounds, 20501 Old US-12 Highway, Chelsea. Times are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Once more, enjoy free admission and parking. The home show next door also includes the Washtenaw County Health and Wellness Expo as well as the second annual Chelsea Fine Art & Craft Fair and premiere Green Vehicle Showcase.
• Festival of the Nations, which started last weekend, takes placeat Warren City Hall, 29500 Van Dyke Ave., Warren, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 28. Admission and parking are free. All kinds of international, exotic food is available at this event, which also features world cultures and entertainment alongside a farmers market.

And, speaking of farmers markets, I risk repeating myself, but I'll say it again: these are a wonderful source of local food that can be cheaper than what you find in area supermarkets. At the very least, you know it's fresher than something trucked in from, say, Florida.