Westland, MI Indoor Activities

Perfect for ringing in autumn with the calming clack of lobster shells, the Back East Feast offers a taste of Atlantic seafare in the heart of Michigan. The feast itself starts at 5:30 p.m., so before getting in line to load up on corn on the cob, guests can stretch their hunger muscles while listening to the live tunes of Hidden Agenda Band and drinking one of the house wines or a Miller Lite.

The 17th-annual festival boasts an impressive lineup of esteemed musicians and emerging artists performing work from the classical chamber repertoire as well as contemporary compositions. The festival’s theme this year is “The Poet Speaks,” and the June 12 performance features the music and poetry of Lera Auerbach in a piano, cello, and soprano trio, as well as the Haydn Piano Trio in C Major and Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major. Forty-five minutes prior to the concert, which begins at 8 p.m., Auerbach will present an educational prelude about her music and writing.

When Kelle Ilitch turned her dream Pilates studio into a reality, she spared no consideration. The airy blue space is instantly calming, although its abundance of high-tech Reformer machines makes it clear that she and her fellow instructors mean business. The space accommodates many class styles, from classic mat Pilates lessons—including specialized sessions for seniors and kids—to ballet-barre-based workouts. Like Pilates and cummerbunds made of cement, the barre workouts strengthen cores while lengthening and toning thighs. The staffers also teach Kinesis, a form of strength training that allows for an entirely free range of motion, making it easier to tone muscle groups across bodies simultaneously.

Andiamo Novi combines the eloquence of upscale Italian cuisine with the spontaneity of live entertainment. Dinner in the Andiamo Novi restaurant starts around 8:30 p.m., and pasta-covetous guests can choose any entree from the dinner-show menu. Order the farfalle con bocconcini di pollo to find chicken tenderloin scintillatingly cloaked within bowtie pasta with wild mushrooms, or set course for seafood with the pesce bianco alla Sicilianna, a thinly breaded whitefish sautéed in olive oil. After they've filled up on Italian cuisine, diners can head to the upstairs theater for an evening of golden wits and guffaws, courtesy of the restaurant's Late Night Comedy Series. Each show lasts about 80 minutes and features a changing lineup of comics provided by Heffron Talent International. Even humor skeptics who proclaimed comedy dead when president/ventriloquist William McKinley was assassinated by his anarchist dummy should find ample opportunity to chuckle.

The energetic hosts at My Girly Party plan lavish birthday parties and events chock full of entertainment and interactive fun. Their roster of parties—which range in theme from princess to pajama party and can be held in their private party space or on location—incorporate high-energy karaoke, tea parties, and fashion shows. The hosts also pamper their pint-sized guests with mini facials and manicures. My Girly Party also hosts soirees designed specifically for Girl Scouts, enriching their scout experience with activities like dance parties, photo shoots, and tying up stuffed animals with complex square knots.

As early as 6 a.m., students of all skill levels gather at each of Center for Yoga's four locations, prepared to wake up muscles and minds with stretches and meditation in a variety of yoga classes. During Vinyasa-style classes, the Center's dedicated instructors lead groups through a sequence of poses, linking one to the next with continuous movement and mindful breathing. Students looking for deep stretching flock to Yin yoga classes, in which they hold poses for five to seven minutes at a time to relax the body's connective tissues and fool confrontational T. rexes’ movement-dependent eyesight. Members of the studio's teacher-training program lead Saturday community classes, in which patrons can revitalize their minds, bodies, and spirit animals with a complimentary slow-flow session suitable for newbies and students nursing injuries. Meditation rooms and showers help yogis shift back into their daily routines after their mind-body practice.