DIY Festival in Ferndale Thrills Again
(Sam Gurwin, Sept. 23, 2018)
Ferndale, MI – Ferndale’s DIY Festival with over 65,000 annual visitors and 150 Art Vendor just gets bigger every year- literally. This year’s Do-It-Yourself celebration extended further up East Nine Mile Road, and had more fun bands than ever.
Sponsored by Woodward Avenue Brewers, DIY is the traditional end of summer fling that includes dozens of artists, live music, food trucks, booze, carnival games, a live DJ and of course the best variety of local creators who make their own wares.
Taylor Clark of Rochester Hills owns “Theme Crème,” a line of skin & health lotions and creams. “It’s a ton of fun and I recognize a lot of people from other shows,” she said, calling DIY “a success.”
A nearby booth was stuffed with furry little monsters called “Cool Critters.” Their creator, Jess Sheeran of Cleveland, Ohio is a regular at DIY. “I like the look of people who come up and kinda snicker and smile,” Sheeran said.
In a large white tent marked “Postergeist,” ten poster artists were featured. Among them was Jeremy Wheeler of Ann Arbor. “The DIY is always good,” Wheeler said as he showed off his groovy 1960s and 70s style posters.
As the day turned into evening, people started sporting jackets and the crowds by the stages grew. Musical acts were hopping, with sounds that ranged from laid back rock, to hip hop and even Irish music. A DJ rocked East Nine Mile, while performers took the main stage on East Troy.
Performers included The Dam Leslies, Black Tie Circus, Honeybabe, Stone Clover and Too Many Zooz. On the schedule for Sunday are Ancient Language, Tunde Olaniran and Reverend Peyton and His Big Damn Band. Learn more about this celebration of all things locally created at www.FerndaleDIY.com