By Evelyn Cairns
A 1-mile youth run at 6 a.m. and a walk with Southgate Mayor Joseph Kuspa and a half-eight run at 6:30 a.m. Friday will be the kickoff events for the 39th annual Southgate Heritage Days Festival, which will continue through Saturday at the Southgate Municipal Complex, 14400 Dix-Toledo.
Other Friday activities include gambling, open ice skating and arts-and-crafts workshops. In addition, the popular band Fifty Amp Fuse will perform beginning at 7 p.m.
A highlight of Saturday events will be the annual Joe vs. Joe (Kuspa versus Wyandotte Mayor Joseph Peterson) Burger-Eating Contest at 4:30 p.m., fol-lowed by a Police vs. Fire Volleyball Match.
Also planned are a Heritage Classic Car Show, Taste of the Town, and a reunion of Schafer, South-gate, Aquinas and Anderson high school graduates.
More attractions are carnival rides, free face painting and pony rides, a Kid-O-Lympics, gambling and raffles.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Little Davy & The Diplomats, Boogie Dynomite and Mega 80’s.
For additional information, go to www.Southgateheritagedays.com.
Works of art being sought
The Lincoln Park Downtown Development Authority is accepting works from Downriver art students and artists for an exhibit to be coordinated by the DDA and the Downriver Council for the Arts to complement the DIA’s Inside/Out street art program to be installed at Lincoln Park locations this summer.
Works in mediums including painting, sculpture, photography and fabric art will be accepted for the DDA/DCA exhibit between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. June 18 at 1681 Fort St., next to the Park Restaurant.
A panel of artists will select works for display in store windows on Fort Street, south and north of Southfield Road.
Additional information is available from Madhu Oberoi at 313-386-1800, Ext. 1289, and Tammy Trudelle at 734-720-0671.
Henry Ford talk planned
Ford historian Mike Skinner will give a talk titled “Henry Ford: A Historical Perspective After 150 Years” at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Lincoln Park Historical Museum, 1335 Southfield Road.
There is no charge for the talk, which is sponsored by the Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance and Historical Society. The program is part of the Henry Ford 150 Celebration.
Skinner, who has been preserving the legacy of Ford for most of his adult life, was a tour guide at the Henry Ford Estate – Fair Lane for 34 years. He is the owner of a Model T Touring Car.
Coming up . . .
Through July 7 — Play, “Ernie,” by award-winning author Mitch Albom; dedicated to the late Hall of Fame Detroit Tiger announcer Ernie Harwell; at the City Theatre, inside Hockeytown Café; tickets are $20 and $25; show times will allow fans to see the play and attend a Tiger game the same day; for tickets and more information, call 800-745-3000 or go to www.OlympiaEntertaiment.com, www.ticketmaster.com or TicketMaster outlets.
June 13 — International Buffet luncheon, “Old World” Cuisine,” featuring the foods of Scandinavia and Central and Eastern Europe; seating from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the Henry Ford Community College’s Fifty-One O One Restaurant; the cost is $14; for reservations, call 313-206-5101.
June 14, 15 — “Girls’ Night Out” dinner and show packages are available for “50 Shades! The Musical”; the cost is $70 to $104 per person (dining only options are available for those who have already purchased tickets); for a list of participating restaurants and additional information, call 313-872-1000 or go to www.broadwayindetroit.com.