Oh my deer! Art Parade leaving from Hatch art collective.

The 2013 Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival really outdid itself this year, with nearly 30 locations and dozens of events taking place throughout the city on Saturday, October 5th. There were open studios at numerous galleries, including festival cornerstone Public Pool, which featured an international collaboration curated by artist Chido Johnson in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Cultural Center of Detroit. “Kumusha” had a number of cross-cultural works, including a live DJ battle between local artist and DJ George Rahme and a Zimbabwean counterpart.

Half Hamtramck and half Zimbabwe, going down in real time. George Rahme, pictured center, at Public Pool

We arrived at Hatch in time to catch the departure of the “Creature Comforts” art parade, organized by Interstate Arts, wherein participants built wearable art to walk through the streets on a short parade route. On display in Hatch’s main gallery is “Santos Y Milagros” by Adrienne Lesperance, stunning large scale paintings in the milagro (or ex-voto) tradition, a kind of folk art utilized in healing around traumatic experiences. Upstairs it was open studios, where we had a chance to speak with Addie Langford and see examples of her ceramic vessels and collage/painting work.

“Maria’s Saving Grapes” (left) and “Crystalline, Adina, and The Wolf,” two of Adrienne Lesperance’s “Santos y Milagros” at Hatch’s main gallery.

Artist and sculptor Addie Langford, and a few of her ceramic animal skull interpretations.

Following a stroll down Joseph Campau to Lo & Behold and Detroit Threads—two hidden bonanzas of recycled records, fashion and ephemera—we headed over to the northern end of town, to drop in on several open houses.

Lo & Behold, always a pleasure.

The Playhouse is the new hangout of experimental theater notables, The Hinterlands Ensemble (a Knight Arts grantee), who were recuperating from the previous nights’ performances of their new variety show, “The Circuit,” at Trinosophes by screening videos from the Internet in their new space. 2013 Kresge Grant recipient Jon Brumit was within earshot down the block, holding court at his Sound House. In the other direction, we met artist Charlie O’Geen at 12527 Klinger, who disputes the nomenclature of “The Floating House” for his residence-in-progress, though the fact that it is suspended above the ground on steel risers is more or less indisputable. We also dropped in on Klinger Studios, headed up by artist Jonathan Rajewski, and featuring more wonders than I have space to enumerate.

Richard Newman (standing center) and the rest of Hinterlands (left), chill with visitors at The Play House.

Jon Brumit’s Sound House.

It’s 12527 Klinger, and it’s pretty impressive. And then you see the garage.

And that was just a fraction of the offerings at another great HANF. Hats off to organizers Steve Hughes of Public Pool and Steve Panton, who was mostly to be found at 2739 Edwin, hosting the closing of “Natural Life.” A new show, “.” by Robert Bailey, will be opening at 2739 Edwin this Saturday, October 12—mark your calendars, because it’s never too late to get in on the hot and heavy Hamtramck action.

2739 Edwin Gallery: 2739 Edwin St., Hamtramck; 2739edwin.com Public Pool: 3309 Caniff St., Hamtramck; 313-405-7665; apublicpool.com