Presented by the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, the APBA Gold Cup features hydroplane races along the Detroit River. These watercraft are built for speed, powered by engines that allow them to go more than 200 miles per hour. The Gold Cup is held on a weekend in early July; Friday is a practice and qualifying day, and Saturday and Sunday are race days. When the boats are not in use, spectators are able to see the boats and teams up close.
The Environmental and Conservation section of Belle Isle offers "Stewardship Saturdays" where volunteers can help remove invasive plant species, such as Honeysuckle and Privet, from the island to preserve its biodiversity. In particular, migratory birds need a healthy plant diet from the island's vegetation to thrive. The work is relatively easy and children over six are welcome to participate. Summer stewardship days happen once a month between June and August.
The Botanical Society maintains a vast array of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. The collection is housed in a statuesque Horticulture Building that was modeled after Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. The adjacent lily pond is an attraction within itself. Every Memorial Day, the Botanical Society holds an annual plant sale with an unusual variety of plants grown in its gardens. Proceeds from the sale go to the maintenance and upkeep of the society's facilities.
Opened in 1950, the Jerome H. Remick Music Shell holds occasional outdoor concerts during the summer. In past years, the shell regularly featured the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Concert Band and many other groups. The band shell is not far from a waterway so audiences often listen to the concerts in their own canoes. Though the band shell is not used as much as in previous times, concerts still happen there on occasion. Consult the BOTS entertainment website for future events.
