Photos from the 6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market

Debbie Maciolek is the Official Photographer for Detroit Festival of Books

The 6th annual Detroit Festival of Books (aka: Detroit Bookfest) took place on Sunday, July 16, 2023 at Eastern Market Shed 5 in Detroit.

These photos are courtesy of Detroit photographer Debbie Maciolek and her company DEBOGRAPHY .

Debbie says:

“I had an absolute blast at Detroit Bookfest! Really enjoyed it, especially meeting the book dealers and authors and listening to all the great conversations. Thank you to all the people who interacted with me and helped me get great shots. It was a very diverse crowd of vendors and attendees and I loved seeing all the books, smiles, great food, records, hearing the funk music and I look forward to going next year!”

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6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

Darren McCarty @ 6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

Deon Forrest @ 6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

John King @ 6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

Ilana Berry @ 6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

Birdie’s Bookmobile @ 6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

Ryan M. Place and Lonni Thomas @ 6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

6th Annual Detroit Festival of Books 2023 @ Eastern Market Shed 5 (photo by: Debbie Maciolek, aka: Debography) Detroit Bookfest

These photos shot on the Bookfest pocket cam by the Committee

Top 10 Tips for Detroit Bookfest Attendees

Top 10 Tips for Detroit Bookfest Attendees!

The annual Detroit Festival of Books (aka: Detroit Bookfest) will be held on Sunday, July 16, 2023 from 10am-4pm at Eastern Market’s Shed 5.

FREE ENTRY for attendees!

Detroit Bookfest is a glorious day of BOOKS, records, comics, creative arts, food, drinks, funk music and exploring Detroit’s incredible Eastern Market District.

The district is anchored by the actual Eastern Market itself, which is a series of large consumer sheds.

Be sure to check out our Official Detroit Bookfest Afterparty from 10am-8pm, which is located a few blocks Southeast at Eastern Market Brewing Company

https://detroitbookfest.com/bookfest-afterparty-embc/

We encourage everyone to check out the Official Detroit Bookfest Festival Guide

https://detroitbookfest.com/detroit-bookfest-festival-guide/

Top 10 Tips for Detroit Bookfest Attendees!

Top 10 Tips for Detroit Bookfest Attendees

1.) Every vendor is on their own in terms of cash flow and providing change. There is no centralized market bank. Please help the vendors out by bringing small bills, if you can. $1’s, $5’s, $10’s will be needed. Yes, there are two nearby ATM’s (ie: Shed 5 northern exterior wall and also the Chase Bank across the street). Several vendors should have the ability to accept credit card payments on their smartphones, however, we are not sure that all of them will have this ability.

2.) There will be vendors inside Shed 5. And there will be the Community Activities area outside Shed 5 along Russell Street. Please check out both! There will also be music, food trucks, ping-pong, and more!

3.) Wear a pair of good, comfortable walking shoes. We encourage you to make a day of it and check out the fabulous Eastern Market District, which is packed with a ton of great eateries, bars and stores of all sorts. If you haven’t already, please read our Official Detroit Bookfest Festival Guide.

https://detroitbookfest.com/detroit-bookfest-festival-guide/

4.) This event is all-weather, so dress accordingly. Dress comfortably and casually. Watch the weather forecast and if you think you may need an umbrella, please bring one.

5.) Make sure you check out our food vendors on Alfred Street on the south side of Shed 5.

Bookfest Food Vendors

https://detroitbookfest.com/bookfest-food-trucks/

Top 10 Tips for Detroit Bookfest Attendees!

6.) Parking is plentiful, however, it is scattered around the Eastern Market district. Make sure you plan accordingly. You can drop people off, park, then get the car and pick them up, if you need to. Eastern Market oftentimes handles even larger events which get 150,000+ people at them, so there are places to park, just be prepared to walk a little bit.

7.) Public restrooms are located inside Shed 5 and spread throughout Eastern Market. If there are long lines at one, walk over to another bathroom.

8.) This event is all-ages. The love of books can start at any age, so parents, bring your family and always remember to keep an eye on your children. There will be several children’s activities going on in the Community Activities area outside Shed 5, including a book donation drive. If you have any kids books to donate, please bring them!

9.) Warning: grooveilicious FUNK MUSIC might make you feel the unexpected urge to boogie. If you feel like dancing, then dance!

10.) We are tremendously excited about this event and feel it is an important and positive happening for Detroit and Michigan and the world of books and many other things. Please help us spread the word on your favorite social media websites by posting photos and telling people about your experience.

THANK YOU! We love you all and hope everyone has a great time!

And pull out your calendars…

The 7th Annual Detroit Festival of Books will be on Sunday, July 21st, 2024.

Top 10 Tips for Detroit Bookfest Attendees!

Detroit Bookfest 2023 Festival Guide

Detroit Bookfest 2019 (photo by Ryan M. Place)

The Detroit Festival of Books, aka: Detroit Bookfest, is a FREE annual in-person event at Eastern Market in Detroit, Michigan.

Eastern Market

Shed 5

2934 Russell Street

Detroit, MI 48207

Sunday, July 16, 2023

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Facebook event page

https://www.facebook.com/events/540874824674576/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/DetroitBookfest

We are also hosting Virtual Detroit Bookfest on our website from July 15-17, 2022

https://detroitbookfest.com/vendor-application-2022/

Eastern Market Detroit map

The phrase “Eastern Market” refers to both the large district/neighborhood and also the series of Sheds owned by the city of Detroit and run by the Eastern Market Partnership non-profit organization.

Opened in 1891, Eastern Market is the largest historic public market in the United States.

Featuring 43 acres of space, Eastern Market is comprised of a series of indoor and outdoor sheds which function as thriving year-round consumer markets.

This year, Detroit Bookfest will be located inside Shed 5 where vendors will be selling all sorts of books (ie: used, rare, antiquarian, authors, children’s, new, unusual, ephemera, etc), comic books, vinyl LP records, creative arts, and more.

Detroit Festival of Books (photo by Debography)

DJ Seven Whales will be providing the vibes.

Debbie Maciolek will be documenting the experience with her keen and perceptive eye.

Two food trucks, Sonny’s Hamburgers and Treat Dreams will be on the south side of Shed 5 on Alfred Street (east of Russell Street)

Char’latte Coffee Company: Two Metro Detroit sisters are bringing their Mobile Coffee Cart to Detroit Bookfest

Brilliant Detroit will be in the DTE Plaza on the westside of Shed 5, along Russell Street

The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau’s D-Rover van will be outside Shed 5.

Pong Detroit, the ping-pong social club, will be wheeling some ping-pong tables over to Bookfest!

Deon Forrest (aka: Greektown Hotbox) Detroit’s own world-famous street performer will be live on Russell Street (at Alfred Street) outside Detroit Bookfest.

Detroit’s own Arts & Scraps is bringing the ScrapMobile to Bookfest! Kids will be able to build their own books here!

Birdie’s Bookmobile will be in the DTE Plaza outside Shed 5.

The Detroit Writing Room will be in the DTE Plaza outside Shed 5.

826michigan will be in the DTE Plaza outside Shed 5.

Detroit artist Rachel Quinlan created an exclusive painting for Detroit Bookfest

And more!

Health and safety is our #1 concern.

Whatever safety protocols are in place on Bookfest Day, we will be following them 100%.

We ultimately have no idea what to expect this year but we will do our absolute best to make it fun and safe.

JR Jones and Lonni Thomas, two of Eastern Market’s finest and also members of the Detroit Bookfest Committee (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Our festival footprint has grown to include:

The Official Bookfest Afterparty down the street at Eastern Market Brewing Company (runs 10am-8pm)

https://detroitbookfest.com/bookfest-afterparty-embc/

Please explore the Detroit Bookfest Festival Guide below.

We also encourage you to make a day of it and explore the entire Eastern Market district, which is packed with hundreds of fun shops, restaurants, and experiences.

Eastern Market’s Shed 5 Detroit (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Here’s our totally professional graphic designer-approved not flawed in any way screenshot MAP of the Bookfest Festival Footprint

Detroit Bookfest festival map

Eastern Market Brewing Company

2515 Riopelle Street

Located three blocks southeast of Shed 5, Eastern Market Brewing Company (EMBC) is one of the most popular destinations in Eastern Market.

Currently, the street they’re on, Riopelle, is closed to vehicle traffic. It is pedestrian-only and they have tables in the street, food tent, live DJ Sam Morykwas, and of course beer, glorious beer.

Some of their most popular beers are:

Elephant Juice, Market Day IPA, Mae Blanc, Wonderboy, and White Coffee Stout

Bookfest Afterparty

https://detroitbookfest.com/bookfest-afterparty-embc/

Beer list

https://easternmarket.beer/beers/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/easternmarketbrewing/

Special thanks to Dayne Bartscht (owner) and his team

Eastern Market Brewing Company Detroit (photo courtesy of EMBC)

EMBC Detroit (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Pong Detroit

This afterhours ping-pong social club is located inside Bert’s Warehouse (2739 Russell Street)

Pong Detroit

The brainchild of former Honolulu-based radio DJ and pong enthusiast Mal Lang, their slogan is “unplug and play.”

Mal says, “Soccer is # 1 and table tennis is the # 2 participant sport in world. Table tennis is huge in China, India, Europe (especially Sweden & Germany).”

Bert’s Warehouse also features a comedy club, kitchen, and bar, so you can drink and pong all night long.

Lessons are available and they will be doing wheelchair table tennis soon.

Their other slogan is “Food, drinks, music and pong.”

Hours

Tuesday-Thursday

5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Cost

$10/hr from 5-7pm, then $15/hr 7pm-11pm

Homepage

http://pongdetroit.com/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pongdetroit/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/pongdetroit/

Thanks to Mal Lang (owner)

Pong Detroit (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Pong Detroit

Pong Detroit inside Bert’s Warehouse (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Michigan shaped ping pong paddle (courtesy of Pong Detroit)

Bert’s Warehouse Detroit (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

The Dequindre Cut

Closest entrance located at 3017 Orleans Street.

“The Cut,” as it’s called is a lovely greenway/urban recreational pathway for walking, biking, jogging.

It is 2-miles long and runs from the Detroit Riverfront to the northern tip of Eastern Market.

Near the Wilkins/Orleans entrance, you can find the Freight Yard Bar, this is an outdoor bar made out of shipping containers.

To get to the bar:

Enter at Orleans St & Wilkins St, walk down to the Cut, make a right, then it’s down on your left.

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/DequindreCutFreightYard

Dequindre Cut (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Dequindre Cut Map

Dequindre Cut (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Dequindre Cut Freight Yard bar (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Dequindre Cut (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert @ Dequindre Cut Freightyard Bar (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Detroit City Distillery

2462 Riopelle Street

The Riopelle taproom of DCD is down the street from Eastern Market Brewing Company.

Here you will find a lively outdoor vibe, including music, cocktails and food from Midnight Temple, the Indian gastropub located above DCD. (hint: try the tandoori wings and gobi rollup).

Homepage

https://www.detroitcitydistillery.com/

Midnight Temple

https://www.midnighttemple.com/

Special thanks to JP Jerome (co-founder), Mike Forsyth (co-founder), Akash Sudhakara (Midnight Temple)

Detroit City Distillery (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Midnight Temple Indian food Detroit (photo courtesy of Yelp)

Detroit Hustles Harder shop

1353 Division Street

Detroit Hustles Harder is a globally recognized clothing store.

https://divisionstreetboutique.com/

Special thanks to Brendan Blumentritt (Detroit Hustles Harder)

The Eastern (event venue)

3434 Russell Street

The Eastern is a lovely 5,000-square foot industrial space you can rent out for special events.

Built in 1888, this is the old Hook and Ladder # 5 fire station. The Eastern has capacity for 300 seated or 600+ strolling and a 3,000 square foot outdoor patio.

Note: The entrance is not directly on Russell St, rather the main entrance is located on the north side of the building next to Wasserman Art Gallery.

Homepage

http://www.theeasterndetroit.com/

Virtual Tour

http://www.theeasterndetroit.com/virtual-tour

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/theeastern

Special thank you to Scott Rutterbush (owner).

The Eastern event space Detroit (courtesy The Eastern)

Elsewhere in the Eastern Market district….

Eastern Market sculpture at Orleans and Erskine (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Eastern Market graffiti on Orleans Street, north of Erskine (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Eastern Market graffiti on Orleans Street, north of Winder (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Eastern Market graffiti on Orleans Street, north of Alfred (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

J’adore Loft

2501 Russell Street, ste. 400

This fun event space is 2,000 square feet and has capacity for 50 seated or 125 strolling.

Great for meetings, weddings, photo shoots, events of all sorts.

Homepage

https://www.jadore-detroit.com/the-loft-1

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/jadoredetroit

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/jadoredetroit/

Special thanks to Candice Simons (owner).

J’adore Loft in Eastern Market (photo courtesy of J’adore Loft Detroit)

Dyno Indoor Climbing Gym

3500 Orleans Street

This place is really cool! Inside you will find 12-15 foot tall boulders and a 49 foot tall rope section.

You can get a day pass, punch pass, or membership.

Climbers must be over 4 years old and you have to be over 16 years old to belay.

Homepage

https://www.dynodetroit.com/

Special thanks to Dino Ruggeri (owner)

Dyno indoor climbing gym (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Dyno indoor climbing gym (photo courtesy of Dyno)

Dorais Park Velodrome

601 Mack Avenue

Located on the NW edge of the Eastern Market district, this is also another really cool place!

Inside the 64,000 square foot dome you will find an indoor wooden bicycle track.

Bicyclists beware, you can actually go up to 50mph on your bicycle inside here!

Homepage

https://lexusvelodrome.com/

Special thanks to Dale Hughes (owner)

Dorais Park Velodrome (photo courtesy of the Velodrome)

Dorais Park Velodrome (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

That’s not everything in Eastern Market.

Merely a small sampling of some of the fun and exciting things you can do.

Be sure to explore the entire district and enjoy your experience in Detroit!

Detroit Bookfest 2023 Food Trucks: SONNY’S HAMBURGERS and TREAT DREAMS ICE CREAM

Eastern Market Shed 5 map

The Detroit Festival of Books, aka: Detroit Bookfest, is a FREE annual in-person event at Eastern Market in Detroit, Michigan.

Eastern Market

Shed 5

2934 Russell Street

Detroit, MI 48207

Sunday, July 16, 2023

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Where will the Food Trucks be located at?

There will be two food trucks, Sonny’s Hamburgers and Treat Dreams Ice Cream on the south side of Shed 5 along Alfred Street, just east of Russell Street. (if you need to type in an address, plug in 1440 Alfred Street, Detroit, MI).

Sonny’s Hamburgers

Sonny’s Hamburgers Detroit (photo by Sonny’s)

Sonny’s Hamburgers has been a Detroit classic since 1957.

Owned by Mike Williams, Sonny’s specializes in slider-style hamburgers.

https://www.sonnyshamburgers.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Sonnyshamburgers/

https://www.instagram.com/sonnyshamburgers/

Sonny’s Hamburgers Detroit (photo by Sonny’s)

Treat Dreams Ice Cream

Treat Dreams Ice Cream is a phenomenal ice cream truck.

They will be selling ice cream scoops, ice cream sandwiches (aka: Super Sammies) and pooch pops.

Their top-sellers are: Kooky Monster, Double Chocolate Chip, Honey Lavender.

Treat Dreams was founded by Scott Moloney in Ferndale in 2011. They opened their Detroit location in 2015. And……they have a third location coming soon!

https://www.instagram.com/treat_dreams/

https://www.facebook.com/TreatDreams/

https://www.facebook.com/TreatDreams313/

Treat Dreams ice cream Detroit

Debbie Maciolek is the Official Photographer for Detroit Festival of Books

Iconic photo of Detroit Bookfest taken by Debbie Maciolek in 2018 (Eastern Market, Shed 5, Detroit)

Native Detroiter, Debbie Maciolek, runs Debography, a local photography company. She expertly photographed some early incarnations of Bookfest for us in the past. And now, thankfully, she’s back!

The quality of her work is superb, and we are immensely fortunate to have her documenting the event.

You will see her running around at Detroit Bookfest taking photos. Please treat her with courtesy and respect.

Debbie Maciolek self-portrait (photo by Debbie Maciolek)

Here’s Debbie:

“I’ve got lots of books to donate. I can’t throw out a book. It goes against everything I believe in.”

“My early years? Wow, well, I grew up on Detroit’s Upper Eastside. I lived on Lansdowne, between Yorkshire and Grayton and attended Guardian Angels at Kelly and Whittier and also Bishop Gallagher.”

“I attended Wayne State University, studying business and have my certificate of Photographic Arts from Macomb Community College.”

“For the past 28 years, my husband Bob and I have lived in Macomb. He’s a Colonel in the National Guard and we’ve owned a software business for 16 years now called Static Line Software.”

Abandoned Detroit building (photo by Debbie Maciolek)

“We have a son and a daughter, Blake and Claire, both finishing up college at Western Michigan and University of Michigan respectively and two furry kids. Our two dogs are Bella – a Lab-Pit mix, and Dexter – a Great Pyrenees-Siberian Husky mix.”

“I come from three generations of Detroit firefighters. My grandfather and father both retired as Chief of the city and my brother is a current Sergeant on the Eastside.”

“When I was young, my dad used to race stock outboard boats all over the state in short courses and marathons. This is actually how I started photography. To this day, I love photographing live sports, especially hockey, and capturing the raw in-the-moment action. Traveling frequently allowed us to camp all over the state. There is nothing like Michigan in the summer, the forests and lakes are incredible.”

“Debography was started November 2016. I was able to leave my job with a software services company and move into being a photographer full-time. I shoot senior photos, lifestyle, off the beaten path type stuff, abandoned buildings, nature photography, events, etc. Not weddings, never weddings.”

Detroit River photo (photo by Debbie Maciolek)

“My camera setup consists of a Canon 5D Mark IV and I use primarily Canon lenses, and Sigma Art lenses. My preferred editing software is Photoshop and I’ve found the absolutely best company for lighting supplies and support – Flashgear.net.”

“My advice for aspiring photographers is to understand the manual settings and remember that lighting is everything, it will always make or break your shots. Take the time to understand how light affects your subject.”

“As for hobbies, I love traveling, seeking out new adventures, experiencing off the beaten path type stuff. I’m an avid reader, mostly mysteries. I belong to a book club that’s…really more of a wine club, but hey, it’s fun. I’ve also been getting back into running, I’ve completed four half marathons and am looking to fit in a fifth one.”

“Michigan is a wonderful state, we love it here; there is always something new to do. My husband and I have a cottage in Gladwin on Secord Lake and have made some fabulous friends up there. I grew up going to Burt Lake and Indian River, which are about a half hour south of Mackinaw City, and will always be one of my favorite spots. The State Park is great and the swimming and hiking can’t be beat. Locally, we love spending time outdoors at Stony Creek Metropark and Dodge Park. Favorite restaurants near our house include Da Francesco’s Ristorante for Italian food and Golden Fleece in Greektown for Greek food.”

“Outside of Michigan, my favorite spot hands down is Ireland. Stunningly beautiful country. I recommend renting a car and driving around southern Ireland, especially the Killarney area. And yes, for some reason, the Guinness really does taste better over there, the rumors are true! It tastes like Irish Magic.”