Special Events

Prom Night Pictures

If you're looking for some local scenic backgrounds for your prom photos, stop by Greenmead Historical Park anytime 4-6:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, May 25-26. We'll have the village and rest of the park open with special vignettes and props scattered throughout so you can snap some fun photos on the way to the big dance. Make sure to use the #GreenmeadPromPics hashtag when sharing your photos on social media.

This event is free, requires no registration and will take place rain or shine.

Flower Power!

The Stories, Snacks and Crafts series is back 2-3:30 p.m. Friday, May 26, with Flower Power! at Greenmead Historical Park. Best for ages 4-10, come by the Newburg Schoolhouse for storytime, snacks, crafts and more!

Register in advance here.

Memorial Day Ceremony

The City of Livonia cordially invites you to participate in a special Memorial Day Ceremony. Come join your fellow neighbors and friends and pay homage to our Veterans 9 a.m. Saturday, May 27, at the Veteran’s Park Memorial Plaza (NE corner of Five Mile and Farmington Roads). It will be a tribute to our Veterans complete with military salutes, a wreath-placing ceremony, special guests and music.

Afterward visit the Memorial Wall that honors those Livonia veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice, were Killed in Action, Wounded in Action, Missing in Action or a Prisoner of War. Their names are etched forever on its rich black granite surface and are listed by the war in which they served, beginning with the Civil War. Call (734) 466-2418 for details.

No registration required for this FREE event.

REC CENTER READERS BOOK CLUB

Our new Rec Center Readers Book Club kickoff event went great in March! The club will meet again 7 p.m. Wednesdays, April 26 and May 31, at the Kirksey Recreation Center. Our April selection is "Beautiful Music" by Michael Zadoorian and our May selection is "Conjure Women" by Afia Atakora.

This event is free to members, but there is a small cost for non-members. Register here. There is also an optional $15 materials fee for the book.

Summer Flea Market

Our popular Summer Flea Market returns to Greenmead Historical Park 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 4. Bring your wagon or cart and shop from 160 vendors offering a wide variety of items. You never know what you'll find at the Flea Market!

Admission is $3 per person for adults and all ages 12 and older. Ages 11 and younger are free. No dogs permitted.

Vendor registration opened March 28 and sold out shortly after. Click the link for details.

ABOLITION ACTIVISM SERIES

Save the Dates for our Abolition Activism series! 

Join us 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at Greenmead Historical Park to learn about "Hicksite Quakerism and Abolition Activism in 19th Century Livonia Township." FREE to attend.

Then meet up 6-7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 4, at Trinity House Theatre (38840 Six Mile Road, NW of I-275) to learn about "Livonia Abolitionists, Garrisonians and the Story of the Union Meeting House." $5 tickets available at TrinityHouseTheatre.org.

HEALTHY LIVONIA'S 100 DAYS TO HEALTH

The Healthy Livonia 100 Days to Health is back! Registration is now open for the 100-day event that kicked off 9-11:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, with two educational seminars and a lot of free giveaways.

The event provides daily classes that participants (even nonmembers) can take along their 100-day health journey, concluding with the June 5 closing event.

This is a great chance to work on your health and get a taste of the Kirksey Recreation Center if you’re considering a full membership. The 100 Days to Health is open to all ages and fitness levels. Register here.

All the details our available in our kickoff packet (PDF). Or, if you're just looking for a specific piece, check out the kickoff flyer (PDF), tips (PDF), weight loss fitness challenge (PDF), class calendar (PDF) and class descriptions (PDF).

Sponsored by Healthy Livonia, Christian Financial Credit Union and Dick's Sporting Goods.

Irish Rose Tea

Get a taste of the Irish with our Irish Rose Tea from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at Greenmead Historical Park's Alexander Blue House. Taking place during the Motor City Irish Fest, this tea party will feature traditional Irish fare, scones, tea and Irish-themed entertainment.

Advance registration required.

A Star-Spangled Celebration!

Enjoy Flag Day-themed stories, snacks and crafts 2-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, during our Star-Spangled Celebration! at Greenmead Historical Park. Best for ages 4-10, come by the Newburg Schoolhouse for storytime, snacks, crafts and more!

Register in advance here starting May 16.

8th annual Ice Cream and information

S'mores and Stories

Everyone loves a good bonfire. Get a feel for the camping life with our monthly S'mores and Stories event 7-8 p.m. one Friday per month June-August at Greenmead Historical Park's Newburg School Field. Geared toward children ages 5-12, all children must be accompanied by an adult (parents don't need to register) as we enjoy roasting s'mores, telling stories and enjoying a variety of activities around the campfire. Each month's event will also feature a unique theme:

Friday, June 23 - The Great Outdoors
Friday, July 21 - Beach Days
Friday, Aug. 18 - Camping

Advance registration required, starting 30 days before each event.

Garden Walk

Start your summer off with a walk through five of the prettiest gardens in the city with Livonia's 33rd Annual Garden Walk 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 24.

Tickets are available in advance online, and can also be purchased the day of the event at the Greenmead Historical Park Simmons-Hill House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Bennett Civic Center Library from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The booklet will be available the day of the walk only.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Friends for the Development of Greenmead, who help fund the maintenance, upkeep and renovations throughout the park's historic structures.

FREE Music Nights in Livonia

Our annual free summer concert series is back in 2023 with 15 shows throughout July and August. All held on the east lawn at the Kirksey Recreation Center, stop by 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, July 11-Aug. 15, for children's shows and 7 p.m. Thursdays, July 6-Aug. 31, for Music From the Heart shows.

No tickets or registration required. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. In cases of questionable weather, make sure to call the weather hotline at (734) 466-2299 for updates.

The Tuesday concerts are funded in part by the Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Thursday concerts are co-sponsored by the Livonia Arts Commission.

Dining With Yesterday

Learn history, have fun, eat food. Sounds like a recipe for a good time, right? Join us for the following upcoming dates in our Dining With Yesterday series at Greenmead Historical Park:

3-5:30 p.m.  Saturday, July 15 - Take a fun twist on history with the "Death of a Gangster Murder Mystery." This interactive dinner invites you to the Dunn Speakeasy for the wedding of the year! In this "married to the mob" vent, you'll never know who to trust. With the two families merging together, someone is bound to lose power, which means someone else will lose their life! Come ready to solve the case.

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Saturday, Nov. 18 - The Huron Carol is Canada's oldest Christmas carol, written in 1642 by Jean se Brebéuf, a Jesuit missionary at Sainte-Marie to the Hurons. Come learn about this song's history from Dr. Catherine Cangany, PhD.

Advance registration required for each event, starting 30 days before the event. 

Shakespeare in the Park's "Henry V"

You don't have to go far for quality theatre, you just need to get over to Stymelski Veterans Park 6 p.m. Fridays/Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays for the weekends of July 21-23 and 28-30 for a FREE Shakespeare in the Park production of "Henry V." Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the show!

A food truck will be onsite an hour before each show begins.

No registration required for this FREE event.

Sponsored by Hardies Family Trust and Theatrica Gladiatoria in partnership with Livonia Parks and Recreation and Livonia Community Theatre.

The BIG Picnic

After a fun first year, The BIG Picnic is back! Bring your own picnic food and blanket and head to Greenmead Historical Park Noon-3 p.m. Saturday, July 29, for an afternoon of fun with live music, storytime, lawn games, face painting, fitness classes, historical building tours and more!

This is a FREE drop-in event and no registration is required. Come check out Greenmead while enjoying a picnic with your neighbors.

Garden Party

Join us for a swingin' good time with a 1920s Garden Party 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at Greenmead Historical Park's Simmons-Hill House.

Take a stroll through the gardens, learn how to the Charleston, play games and visit our secret speakeasy for some prohibition-themed mocktails! Your ticket will include four mocktail tastings, tea, sandwiches, pastries and all the games, activities and other beverages.

1920s-era apparel is encouraged, but not required. Tickets cost $20 per Livonia resident and $25 for non-residents, and can be purchased online.

Touch-a-Truck

The annual Touch-A-Truck event is back from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at Greenmead Historical Park. The 8:30-10:30 a.m. block is a quieter time for children sensive to loud noises, so the sirens and sounds of the trucks will be turned off.

This free hands-on family event that provides a unique opportunity for children and adults alike to explore vehicles of all types including public service, emergency, utility, construction, landscaping, transportation, and delivery all in one place.  

A $1 parking donation will support local organizations while the Churchill Rotary Interact Club and Rotary Club of Livonia AM host parking in the Special Events Parking Lot.

Family-to-Family Sale

The weather didn't cooperate with us in the spring, so we're utilizing the Kirksey Recreation Center south parking lot 5-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, for our inaugural Family-to-Family Sale. (We also have a 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29, rain date, if needed.)

We’ll have more than 50 vendors ready to go. Find some gems in our array of gently-used clothing, books, toys, decorations, household items and more! FREE admission for shoppers!

Interested in selling items at the event? You can get two parking spaces for $20, or add additional spaces for $10 each. A vehicle must occupy one of the spaces. Register to be a seller, starting July 10.