Detroit’s Party of the Summer Is House Night at the Congregation

June in Detroit means sweltering heat and blinding sunshine one minute — and the heaviest rain clouds delivering torrential downpours the next. But there’s one constant when the temperatures begin to rise each summer: House Night at the Congregation.

By day, the Congregation — a gorgeously renovated 1920s-era church surrounded by stately homes in the historic Boston Edison district —is the Eater Award-winning cafe-bar destination for smart business meetings and co-working, where you can while away the day on your laptop while sipping on an orange spice espresso tonic and munching on a seasonal salad. Each Thursday, though, you’ll get a treat if you stick around into the evening, order a cocktail or n/a beverage, and make your way to the cafe’s sprawling yard where around 5 p.m. that outdoor space becomes a community dance floor. The wooden deck, the mezzanine, and the otherwise tranquil garden area make for a whimsical music-festival-meets-farmers market vibe complete with a lineup of DJs spinning some of the very best in Detroit techno and house.

Guest food trucks pop up on the lawn and the bar opens up a stall outdoors, selling drink specials. Outside food or drinks, smoking, vulgar behavior, or large tents are not allowed. Just positive vibes and personal lawn chairs or picnic blankets at this family-friendly event. The event wraps up promptly at 9 p.m., and because the cafe is situated in a residential area with limited street parking, visitors are encouraged to carpool, ride their bikes, walk, or find other means to get there.

The Congregation property sat unused for years until co-owner Betsy Murdoch, alongside neighbors in the surrounding district, spearheaded a years-long restoration process. The result — an interior that maintains many aspects of the church’s past including a Casavant Freres pipe organ and antique pews that serve both as seating and as the basis for a custom countertop. Outside, a multi-level deck, overlooking Gordon Park and a large green space, bordered by a garden. When weather allows it, the outdoor area provides the ideal backdrop for weekly farmers markets, yoga classes, live music from the spot’s outdoor pergola stage, and, of course, House Night. The cafe partners with local bakers to supply its pastry case, and also offers a selection of sandwiches, flatbreads, and salads. The venue also has a full bar, featuring seasonal cocktails, beer on draft and by the can or bottle, hard ciders, mocktails, wine, and boozy barista specials.

The Congregation swung open its doors in March 2020, just days before much of daily life was disrupted by statewide lockdowns at the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. During the grand opening,

Detroiters and childhood friends John Spears and Marvin Prather visited and introduced themselves to Murdoch during the grand opening, and a few weeks later, as restrictions on dining in restaurants became a reality, the pair reached out to the co-owner again and proposed doing livestreams of their DJ sets inside the space. As temperatures rose that year, Murdoch tells Eater, she had the idea to take the music outside. That deck and green space allowed the cafe and gathering place to gain its footing, to the relief of pent-up Detroiters, anxious to get out of the house and connect with others, but still keeping social distancing in mind.

Spears, Prather, and Tony Dennis continue to organize the weekly event, and when they aren’t performing themselves, they typically host a special guest. Food vendors for this season include Belly It, Nu Deli, Konjo Me, as well as an ice cream cart from MJ’s Ice Cream in the North End neighborhood.

House Night at the Congregation has gone on to become somewhat of a tradition in Detroit since, with hundreds of visitors who flock to the green space each week, offering a safe space to dance, people-watch, and congregate. Attendees often dress in their festival best; it’s not uncommon to see headdresses, feathers, and fashionable jumpsuits in the crowd.

Eater Detroit sent its newest contributing photographer Quinn Banks to the Congregation on the evening of Thursday, June 13 to capture some of the scenery. His photo shoot was cut short by a pre-summer downpour, but amid the stormy weather, a dedicated crowd showed out, undeterred by whatever Mother Nature had in store.