Concert of Colors
Concert of Colors is an annual music festival held in Detroit, Michigan presented by New Detroit, Inc., the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), Arab American National Museum and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1993, this festival celebrates the ethnic and racial diversity of metro Detroit with diverse offering of music including African, pop, Celtic, soul, indie rock, bluegrass, Latino, etc. It was formerly held at Chene Park on the Detroit River and more recently at the Max. M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit, the newly expanded home of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Over 100,000 people come to Detroit from all over the country to hear music and participate in other activities observing the different customs of the citizens of Detroit.
Paid for by sponsors and vendors, the event is offered for free to the public. The festival is sponsored by The Arab American National Museum, ACCESS, New Detroit Inc. and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Organized into three stages, the DaimlerChrysler Main Stage, Comerica Diversity Stage and the Rhythm Stage, the shows run non-stop featuring international and local groups with the biggest acts usually performing on the Main Stage at night. The Concert of Colors is located at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit, Michigan. The location offers indoor and outdoor arenas. The Max M. Fisher Music Center has three stages, two indoor and one outdoor, that the musical acts perform on.
The Concert of Colors features over 35 musical acts. The concert also offers many other activities for people of all ages. Kids can experience cultural diversity in the children’s area. The children’s area provides many activities including, traveling entertainers, balloon creations, and music. There are also workshops sponsored by Arts and Scraps. For the older crowd there are music-led workshops. There is also, an annual Forum on Community, Culture, and Race in which people discuss how art brings together different cultures. Other cultural activities include ethnic foods and merchandise vendors. There are over 40 local cultural groups represented that provide activities.
The Concert of Colors started in 1993. At the time it was a one-day event located at Chene Park on Detroit’s riverfront.