Community Events

This month we'll explore the cemetery's memorial art and architecture, highlighting works by Marshall Fredericks, Rudolph Evans and Randolph Rogers, and get to know some of the artists and architects buried here, from Gothic masters Albert Jordan and Gordon Lloyd to modern legends like Nathan Johnson and Gilda Snowden. Sunday, September 14 at 10 a.m. The tour is free, but please sign up here! 

You'll find some of the biggest names in Detroit beverage history at Elmwood Cemetery, from Stroh and Goebel to Hiram Walker, whose Canadian-made "club whiskey" became an international sensation. Hear their stories and more at History & Hops as historian and author Mickey Lyons leads a walking tour of the cemetery's beer, wine and spirits history. After the tour, we’ll enjoy a beer tasting at a scenic spot on the grounds with beverages provided by Brewery Faisan and wine by Grandeur Cru. Drinks and light snacks are included in the price of your ticket! So popular last year, we're offering two time slots this year: Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, both at 2 p.m. More details and tickets here.

Join the Detroit Bird Alliance and the Historic Elmwood Foundation for a birding walk at the cemetery! This is a great field trip for birders of all ages and experience levels. We'll walk the grounds to identify the species we see throughout the cemetery and discuss bird migration, habitats and a few Elmwood history highlights. Bring your own binoculars, or Detroit Bird Alliance will have some on-hand to borrow. After the walk, we'll gather in the chapel for refreshments and discussion. Saturday, October 11 at 8:30 a.m. Register with the Detroit Bird Alliance at their Eventbrite. 

Le Run for Le Rouge returns to Elmwood! This 5K run/walk kicks off next door at the Detroit City Fieldhouse and loops through our gorgeous grounds. Proceeds support Detroit City FC's youth soccer programs. Race starts at 10:30 a.m. Learn more and sign up here! 

Elmwood Cemetery has been integrated since its founding in 1846, making it one of the oldest integrated cemeteries in the Midwest and a rich site of Detroit’s Black heritage. Join Jamon Jordan, Official Historian for the City of Detroit, for a tour of that heritage on October 25 at 11 a.m. From abolitionists William Lambert and George DeBaptiste to Mayor Coleman Young and Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg, we’ll visit notable Black leaders, luminaries, activists, entrepreneurs, artists and more who made Detroit the city it is today. This tour is free, but please sign up here.

All are welcome to gather at Elmwood Cemetery for our 41st annual Veterans Day Observance in partnership with the Detroit Historic Civil War Society on November 11 at 11 a.m. (Please note the time change from last year!) The event honors all Veterans with special recognition for members of the 102nd U.S. Colored Troops, the first Black regiment to fight for the Union from Michigan.  

The program will be held on our Civil War lot in Section S and includes a flyover by the Tuskegee Airmen Flying TG-7A, a flag-raising by Junior ROTC cadets from the Detroit Public Schools Community District, and a performance by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School marching band. Living history groups and Civil War re-enactors from across the state will be in attendance. Free and open to the public. For more details or media inquiries, contact Amy Elliott Bragg: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.