ROYAL OAK — The Arts, Beats & Eats festival took place Sept 1-4 in downtown Royal Oak, attracting hundreds of thousands of people to the event over the course of the Labor Day weekend.

WEST BLOOMFIELD — Although summer is nearly over, plenty of opportunities still exist to have fun this year.

WARREN — Ukrainians gathered in Warren to celebrate Ukraine’s independence in a joyous yet solemn ceremony Aug 24, to commemorate freedom and pay homage to fallen heroes.

STERLING HEIGHTS — A new church food pantry is ready to reach out to the three H’s: the hungry, the hurting and the homeless.

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Enjoy fine art and shop around at the Lac Ste. Claire Fine Art Fair on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17.

BIRMINGHAM — The Birmingham Village Players are starting their 101st season with Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin In The Sun.”

ROCHESTER HILLS — Stoney Creek Village is celebrating its bicentennial this year, and the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm is planning to commemorate the occasion with a special event for the public Sept. 17.

NOVI — Oded Fehr, known for his acting roles in “Resident Evil” movies, “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns,” will be a celebrity guest at the Motor City Comic Con this fall, as well as comic artist Sweeney Boo.

TROY — Step right up! The city of Troy is preparing for its 63rd annual Troy Family Daze celebration.

FERNDALE — The Funky Ferndale Art Fair and DIY Street Fair will be held later this month.

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — Boaters, anglers and maritime enthusiasts have plenty to look forward to as Lake St. Clair Metropark hosts the Metro Boat Show Sept. 14-17.

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — When Amanda Koss paints, many of the tools and supplies she uses are what anyone would use. But among her acrylic paints and brushes and canvases, Koss has discovered a new tool to work with — vacuum cleaner robots.

FARMINGTON — VegMichigan’s seventh annual Fall VegFest is set to take place 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 10 at Riley Park in downtown Farmington.

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — The St. Hubert Catholic Church is hosting its 37th annual Fall Festival on the afternoons of Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10.

NOVI — The Michigan State Fair in Novi has become a holiday tradition for many people throughout the state.

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Artist Charmaine Kaptur has a master’s degree in painting from Wayne State University and is known by many collectors for her distinctive watercolor paintings, but she once said she doesn’t consider herself a watercolorist.

BIRMINGHAM — Until Sept. 28, the juried works of the Birmingham Society of Women Painters will be on display at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center.

ROCHESTER — Fall is just around the corner, which means Rochester Municipal Park will transform into one of the nation’s largest juried fine art festivals this weekend.

NOVI — The second annual Novi Taco Fest attracted foodies from across metro Detroit when it took over a section of the Twelve Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk parking lot Aug. 25-27.

METRO DETROIT — A lot goes into estate sales, and in addition to the planning and pricing, compassion and understanding are also important.