Hayrides, sleigh rides and Van Gogh: 5 things to do in metro Detroit this weekend

Brendel Hightower, Detroit Free Press
·4 min read
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Even though cold weather is in the forecast, many are preparing for the warmer months, with shows dedicated to boating and fishing in metro Detroit this weekend. There's also a 40-foot dinosaur skeleton on display at Cranbrook, and hayrides and sleigh rides offered at Kensington.

Here are some things to do for the weekend of Jan. 13:

Progressive Detroit Boat Show

Hundreds of boats will be on display for this show returning for the first time since the pandemic, with more than 110 brands represented and 166 new models for 2023, Saturday-Monday and Jan. 19-22.

Exhibitors at the show will offer boating accessories and services including motors, dockage, water toys, skiing, fishing accessories, electronics and more. There will also be Tiki Bars with live music on the weekends, a giant indoor lawn with games, a Kids Zone with crafts and more.

Dealers will be rolling out new models and offering early-order discounts at the Detroit Boat Show.
Dealers will be rolling out new models and offering early-order discounts at the Detroit Boat Show.

New this year, dealers will showcase used 2021 and 2022 boats that are for sale.

11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays and Monday; 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Huntington Place, 1 Washington Blvd. in Detroit. $14 for adults; Children 12 and younger are free with an adult. Monday, Jan. 16 is Senior Day and people 65 and older will be admitted to the show for free.

Ultimate Fishing Show

Hundreds of new fishing boats, the largest ice fishing display in the state, seminars by some of the best anglers in the country and a variety of electronics, tackle gear and more will be on display at this show through Sunday.

Lake Ultimate, a 110,000-gallon indoor lake will be at the Ultimate Fishing Show.
Lake Ultimate, a 110,000-gallon indoor lake will be at the Ultimate Fishing Show.

Other highlights include hands-on activities like Lake Ultimate, a 110,000-gallon indoor lake; Hawg Trough, a 5,000-gallon fish tank filled with native Michigan fish; a stocked trout pond; a rock-climbing wall; a virtual fishing simulator, fish cleaning demonstrations, along with fly casting and fly tying instructions.

1-8 p.m. Thursday; noon-8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River in Novi. $12 for adults; $5 for children 6-14 years old; free for children 5 and younger. $5 parking.

Kensington Weekend Hayrides and Sleigh Rides

Enjoy a horse-drawn hayride or sleigh ride (weather permitting) through wooded trails around the Farm Center at Kensington Metropark.

Noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Jan. 21, 22, 28 and 29 at 4570 Huron River Parkway in Milford. Tickets are $5 for ages 13-61; $3 for children 3-12 years old; $3 for seniors (62+) and can be purchased at the Farm Center office. No pre-registration required.

SUE: The T. rex Experience

This traveling exhibit from the Field Museum in Chicago features an exact cast of SUE’s skeleton, measuring 40 feet from snout to tail and 13 feet tall at the hip. Through a new interactive and digital technology, visitors will be able to discover what SUE’s world was like at Cranbrook Institute of Science through April 30.

SUE: The T. rex Experience is at Cranbrook Institute of Science through April 30, 2023.
SUE: The T. rex Experience is at Cranbrook Institute of Science through April 30, 2023.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday; 10-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Sunday at 39221 Woodward Ave. in Bloomfield Hills. $10 for non-member adults, $9 for members, seniors 65 and older and children 2-12 are $8.

Van Gogh in America exhibition

Time is running out to see this historic collection of Vincent van Gogh works. There are two more weeks left to take in what many call a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, the “Van Gogh in America” exhibition, a historic gathering of 74 works by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter. The international attraction at the Detroit Institute of Arts is scheduled to close Jan. 22.

The 1888 Vincent van Gogh painting titled "The Starry Night Over The Rhone" is part of the new "Van Gogh in America" exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.
The 1888 Vincent van Gogh painting titled "The Starry Night Over The Rhone" is part of the new "Van Gogh in America" exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.

More:Art lovers flock to Detroit from around world for historic DIA Van Gogh exhibition

More:Judge orders DIA not to move Van Gogh painting after lawsuit claims it was stolen

Extended hours for this week are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday. Visit DIA.org for extended hours for the closing week at the museum, 5200 Woodward Ave. in Detroit. General Admission to the DIA is free for residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.

Brendel Hightower is an assistant editor at the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at bhightower@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hayrides, sleigh rides and an indoor lake: 5 things to do in Detroit