Movement 2007: Detroit's Electronic Music Festival © The Beej

Wait for the weather to get warmer in Michigan, and the summer music festivals will come. While Detroit is rightly associated with Motown, the city, suburbs and state have a lot more to offer in terms of music, especially as the temperatures heat up and Michiganders head outdoors.

Downtown Detroit hosts several nationally renowned music festivals each year, including Movement: Detroit's Electronic Music Festival at Hart Plaza over Memorial Day weekend, the Downtown Hoedown (country music) at Comerica Park, Orion Music + More Festival on Belle Isle, and the Detroit Jazz Festival at Hart Plaza and Campus Martius. Several other communities within the Metro-Detroit area host music festivals as well.

If you are willing to travel farther within the state, you'll discover a lot more summer music festivals. Among the Michigan Summer Music Festivals scheduled annually are the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, Faster Horses in Brooklyn, FreeMusic Fest in Freeland, Founders Fest in Grand Rapids, Rockapalooza in Jackson, Island Fest in Kalamazoo, Hoodilidoo in Lacota, Common Ground Music Fest in Lansing, Coast West Music Fest in Muskegon, and Electric Forest in Rothbury.

The Memorial Day Weekend traditionally heralds the coming of summer; but more importantly, Memorial Day is about honoring fallen U.S. soldiers. There are several ceremonies and parades scheduled in 2013, including:

• Beverly Hills Memorial Day Parade and Carnival: The Village is hosting a parade, carnival and fun run on Monday (5/27). The Parade begins at Groves High School, and the Carnival is held at Beverly Park.
• Livonia Memorial Day Ceremony: The ceremony starts at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday (5/25) at the Veteran's Park Memorial Plaza at Five Mile & Farmington Road. The event includes military salutes, a wreath-placing ceremony and music.
• Royal Oak Memorial Day Parade: The parade is scheduled for Monday (5/27) from 9 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. in downtown Royal Oak.
• Rochester Hills Memorial Day Parade: The ceremony starts at 9:15 a.m. and the parade at 10 a.m. on Monday (5/27) at Mt. Avon Cemetery in the City of Rochester.
• Saline Memorial Day Mile & Memorial Day Parade: The Memorial Day Mile is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., while the parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday (5/27).

More Information:

• More Things to Do Over Memorial Day Weekend in Detroit

Here are a few more restaurants hosting a special brunch or menu on Mother's Day:

• Livonia: Sweet Lorraine's is hosting a Mother's Day Brunch from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM. The buffet includes soup, cheese, a carving station with Prime Rib and Ham, an omelet station, a Belgian waffle station, a salad bar, and a dessert table. Entrees include Farmhouse Quiche, Eggs Benedict, Hong Kong Salmon, Chicken Marsala, Stuffed Pasta Shells, and Ribs. The buffet also includes a children's station with several kid favorites, including Chicken Fingers, Pizza Sticks and Macaroni & Cheese. The costs is $36.95 an adult/$12.95 a child. Reservations are encouraged at (734) 953-7480.
• Novi: The Baronette Renaissance is also hosting a Mother's Day Brunch. The buffet will begin at 10:30 AM and will include a House-Made Porchetta & Prime Rib carving station, salad bar, omelet station, and dessert table. It will also include a special kids station with lots of kid favorites, including Waffles, Chicken Tenders, and Macaroni & Cheese. Entrees include Crab Cake and Traditional Benedict, Quiche, Grilled Salmon, Pasta, and Chicken Marsala.  The cost is $39 an adult/$25 a child. Reservations are encouraged at (248) 277-6000. Note: A photographer will also be available.
• Southfield: Sweet Lorraine's will be serving from a special breakfast menu that includes spring crepes starting at 8 AM. At 11 AM, the restaurant sets up a special Mom's Day Brunch with entrees that include Lamb Shank Osso Bucco, Jazzy Lobster and Grit Cakes, Corn Wafffles with Crispy Chicken Tenders, and Roasted Chicken. Smoothies are also available.

The new trend in restaurants in the Metro-Detroit area is comfortable chic. The furniture can be mismatched, the space from a different era or industry, and the floor cement, but give diners an unassuming atmosphere and some creative twists on comfort food and you'll have a line out the door.

The Vinsetta Garage Restaurant in Berkley operates out of a former gas and service station, but the restaurant capitalizes on the space in terms of both decoration and size. Whether or not the "76" balls in the window do anything for you, you'll be delighted with the large portions of diner favorites, including chicken wings, burgers, sandwiches, macaroni & cheese and pizza.

The Local Kitchen & Bar in Ferndale also makes use of a former gas station. Unlike Vinsetta Garage, however, Local Kitchen doesn't incorporate the gas station elements into the restaurant's theme. Instead, the building's unique architecture and location relative to Nine Mile Road are used to create a lot of vertical space, an all-season porch and a large patio. In addition to sandwiches and salads, the menu includes Americana favorites like Fried Green Tomatoes and Macaroni & Cheese.