“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
– Henry Ford
2020 is a leap year, and we’d love it if you took the extra day this month and leap into visiting our local gems.
We are all moving forward together in our corner of Michigan, and as I type this, we are putting the final touches on our Business Resource Guide for 2020. Serving both Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, this is a great resource for citizens, tourists and businesses to find chamber news, municipal contacts, reliable vendors and events.
This directory is also available online and enjoyed over 9000 views in the last six months of 2019. You can “take it with you” at www.harborhouse.com/digital/dearborn. I’m including in this article some of the things we provide tourists too; our assets are the best kept secret in southeast Michigan.
We are culturally rich, and affordable, be sure to check out our museums. While we try to share all events, you should still check out their websites and social media.
The Dearborn Historical Museum (are you checking out their “Fatal Romance” murder mystery event on Valentine’s Day?) including the Commandants Quarters is free. Our Arab American Museum (a Smithsonian Institution) showcasing notable contributors Danny Thomas, Jamie Farr, Casey Kasem, our immigrant journey around the Ford Rouge Plant and more is just an $8 entry and the reading room is open for free daily.
And our jewel, The Henry Ford, entertains over 1.8 million visitors each year. If you haven’t seen it lately, take the Ford Rouge Factory tour; it is jaw dropping. Taking you through two theaters, car museum, and the living roof which keeps the plant 10 degrees cooler in the summer and 10 degrees warmer in the winter — it was an energy first in the world. Home to herons, grass, trees and more species, it is a lovely sight in the spring. Close your tour with the cat walk over the F150 assembly line—which is like a surgical suite.
Host of the Emmy-winning “Innovation Nation” seen on Saturdays on CBS TV with Mo Rocca, plus Maker Faire, the Marvel exhibit coming this March and tons of other annual events, there’s even a new Plum Market Kitchen on site to fuel your body as you fuel your mind at The Henry Ford.
Another great resource is our website, we have more than 9,000 unique views per month with a live newsfeed and more on the front page; we encourage everyone to check out our Facebook page as well that sports 35,000 views per month. Sharing and inviting others has made us a hub of information and fun facts for your enjoyment.
Visit Downtown Dearborn via their website and Facebook sites for even more offerings. Everything from Jazz on the Ave, Food Truck Rallies, the Farmers Market, Perennial Exchanges and Kids Days, our downtown development authorities deliver fun and value for our area.
You can follow the city of Dearborn Heights Facebook page for all the news you can use, check out the events at the Caroline Kenney and John F. Kennedy Jr. libraries, Spirit Fest and more — enjoy your local neighborhoods.
The chamber provides a built-in network and key demographic audiences for our members. We support our communities through our signature events bringing thousands to explore our offerings. We offer 35 to 40 business and public events, meetings and trainings each year.
Some of those great days include Tale of Our Cities, Taste of Dearborn, Family Fitness and Safety Day, Cruisin’ Dearborn Car Cruise, Special All Stars Day, Sculpture Fest, Teacher of the Year and more. This year we are premiering a .5 K Race for the Rest of Us (with a comical theme) and an Executive Beer Tasting in November.
Our goal is to bring our members their customers — and the public new fun offerings.
Over the last seven years we continue to see reinvestment, growth and improvements from business owners and corporate anchors alike. We are excited to join in the optimism and interest for our corner of southeast Michigan. Thank you for being such an involved and giving community. We love our role.