|
2015
Winter
Blast
brings
"Thrills
and
Chills"
to
downtown
Detroit
Fun
and
excitement
take
center
stage as
the Snow
Slide
returns
plus zip
lining
on
Woodward
Ave!
DETROIT
–
Detroit’s
premier
winter
festival,
Winter
Blast
returns
to
Campus
Martius
Park,
Friday,
February
6 -
Sunday,
February
8. The
wildly
popular
snow
slide
returns
and the
Bedrock
Zip Line
Adventure
makes
its
debut on
Woodward
Avenue,
putting
the
thrill
into the
downtown
winter
chill at
the 11th
annual
festival!
Towering
more
than 30
feet
high,
the snow
slide
will
continue
its
tradition
as a
festival
favorite
with
three
lanes
delivering
an
exhilarating
200 foot
ride in
seven
seconds,
the
Snow
Slide
will
again be
a main
attraction
not to
be
missed!
This
year's
Winter
Blast
will
also
launch
the
Bedrock
Zip Line
Adventure
in 2015,
providing
daredevil
festivalgoers
the
coolest
20
seconds
of their
lives
with the
first
zip line
EVER in
downtown
Detroit.
Thrill-seekers
will be
lining
up to
experience
the
ultimate
rush of
flying
300 feet
across
the sky
-- the
length
of a
football
field!
This new
festival
feature
is the
longest,
fastest
mobile
zip line
available
and
allows
two
people
to zip
simultaneously
on two
lines 34
feet in
the air.
“The
Bedrock
Zip Line
is an
exciting
new
addition
to the
Winter
Blast,
which
attracts
tens of
thousands
of
visitors
to the
city’s
urban
core
each
year,”
said
Bill
Emerson,
CEO of
presenting
sponsor
Quicken
Loans.
"Whether
its zip
lining,
ice
skating,
dining
or
shopping,
there is
something
for the
entire
family
in the
city
during
this
festival
weekend.”
Guests
will
also
enjoy
marshmallow
roasting,
a
weekend
of free
ice
skating,
a
variety
of food
choices,
live
music
and
plenty
of other
“cool”
winter
activities.
Winter
Blast
hours
are
Friday
11
a.m.–11
p.m.;
Saturday,
11 a.m.
–11
p.m.;
and
Sunday,
11
a.m.–9
p.m.
AN
“EVEN-ODD”
FREE
WARM UP
WITH TIM
HORTONS
All
festivalgoers
will be
able to
get
something
for FREE
courtesy
of
Winter
Blast’s
new
event
partner
as they
"Warm Up
with Tim
Hortons."
Complimentary
hot
chocolate
and
regular
coffee
sampling
will
take
place
each
afternoon,
with hot
chocolate
served
for free
at noon,
2 p.m.,
4 p.m.
and 6
p.m.,
and
coffee
on the
odd
hours of
1p.m., 3
p.m., 5
p.m. and
7 p.m.
More
than
2,500
free
cups of
warm
beverages
will be
available
each
hour on
a
first-come,
first-served
basis
inside
of two
Tim
Hortons
Comfort
Zones.
The
warmth
and
giveaways
continue
after
the
festival!
Each
guest
will
receive
a
guaranteed-to-win
RRRoll
Up The
Rim To
Win cup
when
exiting
the
festival.
RRRoll
Up The
Rim To
Win runs
at Tim
Hortons
Cafe &
Bake
Shop
restaurants
across
the
United
States
starting
February
2, 2015
and will
run
throughout
the
month,
or until
cup
supplies
last.
Prizes
include
coffee,
cars,
gift
cards
and
more!!!
Every
Cup
handed
out at
Winter
Blast is
a
winning
cup!
Finding
warmth
will be
no
problem
at the
festival
with Tim
Hortons
Comfort
Zones
providing
heat
every
150 feet
along
with a
variety
of
cuisine,
music
and
kids’
activities.
These
respites
insulated
from the
winter
chill
will
include
the
Compuware
Building
Atrium
and
large
tents on
Monroe
Street
and
Cadillac
Square
that
both
feature
great
food and
live
music.
KIDS
STAGE,
SCIENCE
PROGRAM
AND MORE
All
family
fun and
activities
will
unfold
inside
the
Compuware
lobby.
New this
year is
the
science-themed
“Winter
Fun Lab”
presented
by the
General
Motors
Foundation.
Organized
by
Winter
Blast
and The
Michigan
Science
Center,
activities
will
include
“Frostology,”
LIVE
dramatic
demonstrations
on the
Kids
Stage of
how
different
materials
react to
extremely
low
temperatures;
hands-on
activity
stations
with
slime;
science
of
sound;
static
electricity
demonstrations;
and
more,
with
giveaway
offers
including
family
four-packs
to the
Michigan
Science
Center.
FLAGSTAR
BANK
SPIRIT
OF
DETROIT
CONTEST
Flagstar
Bank is
providing
a brand
new
opportunity
to win
some
downtown
winter
fun with
the
Spirit
of
Detroit
Contest.
One
lucky
winner
will
receive
a prize
package
of
Detroit
delights
including
a
two-night
stay at
the
Westin
Book
Cadillac,
four
tickets
to see a
Detroit
Red
Wings
regular
season
home
game, a
dinner
certificate
for four
at
Santorini
and
Fountain
Bistro
and a
party
for 20
at
Bookies
Bar &
Grille.
Contestants
can
enter
online
at
www.winterblast.com
or in
person
during
the
Winter
Blast at
any of
the
festival
information
booths.
Rules
and
information
are
available
at
www.winterblast.com
WINTER
BLAST
INTERACTIVE
ACTIVITIES
It’s all
fun and
games at
the
Winter
Blast –
free
fun!
Festival
patrons
can ice
skate
for free
at
Campus
Martius
Park for
the
entire
festival
weekend
courtesy
of St.
John
Providence
Health
System.
Once
again,
Winter
Blast is
the only
weekend
all year
long
when
visitors
can
skate
for
free.
Attendees
can also
watch
live
skating
demos at
the
Skating
Exhibitions
presented
by WH
Canon
from
synchronized
ice-skating
teams to
up-and-coming
couples.
Five
distinct
ice
skating
clubs,
including
the
legendary
Detroit
Skating
Club,
will
perform
and
entertain
crowds
at
Campus
Martius
Park
throughout
the
entire
weekend.
The
hockey
competition
is back:
the
Winter
Blast is
once
again
challenging
festivalgoers
with a
Hockey
Shot
competition,
presented
by Great
Expressions
Dental
Centers.
Throughout
the
weekend,
attendees
will
have a
chance
to shoot
and
score
cool
prizes
from
Great
Expressions,
the
Winter
Blast
and
Detroit
Red
Wings.
The
grand
prize
winner
will get
a choice
of a
free set
of
braces
or a
dental
care
package
from
Great
Expressions
Dental
Centers
valued
at
$5000.
Each
person
who
participates
in the
competition,
taking
place on
the ice
rink on
Friday
and
Saturday
at 6
p.m. and
Sunday
at 4
p.m.,
will
receive
a GEDC
t-shirt
and
smile
bag for
all
their
mouth-care
needs.
The
Flagstar
Bank Ice
Garden
will
once
again
present
a
variety
of
expertly
crafted
and
lighted
ice
sculptures
including
a large
rendition
of “The
Spirit
of
Detroit”
statue,
always a
crowd
favorite.
On-site
ice
carving
demonstrations
will
take
place
during
festival
hours on
Friday.
Patrons
can also
visit
the iced
Eskimo
family
exhibit
as well
as take
pictures
posing
in any
of the
four
open
faces.
Also,
interactive
and
great
for
photos
will be
ice
chairs
and an
ice bar.
Among
many of
the
one-of-a-kind
sculptures
on
display
will be
wildlife
and
aquatic
scenes,
as well
as
hockey
players
sculpted
in honor
of the
Detroit
Red
Wings.
Snowmaking
also
returns
to
Winter
Blast
with
special
snow
cannons
from
Shanty
Creek
Resort
and
Huron-Clinton
Metroparks
that
will add
to the
festive
winter
environment
already
in place
due to
this
season’s
snowfall.
There
will be
plenty
of snow
created
to
ensure
Snowshoeing
and
Dogsledding
Exhibitions
will
again be
a part
of the
fun.
Sponsored
by
Health
Plan,
guests
will
enjoy
snowshoeing
and can
grab a
pair of
snowshoes
and step
into
winter
fun with
the
entire
family
at no
charge.
Snowshoes
are
available
in a
variety
of sizes
for both
adults
and
children.
Visitors
will be
able to
get up,
get
moving
and get
fit in
the
festival’s
winter
wonderland
of snow.
Dog
Sledding
Exhibitions
presented
by US
Park
will
once
again
give a
firsthand
look at
the
challenging
winter
sport of
dog sled
racing
with
scheduled
demonstrations.
Presentations
will be
led by
professional
sled dog
racer
and
Michigan
native
Amanda
Vogel
and her
Snomad
Racing
Sled
Dogs,
making
their
sixth
appearance
at the
festival.
With
more
than 10
years
training
and
racing
sled
dogs,
Vogel is
one of
the top
competitors
in
mid-distance
sled dog
racing
in the
lower
48. The
Snomad
Racing
Sled
Dogs
travel
throughout
the U.S.
and
Canada
to
compete
against
other
teams
and will
be
participating
in the
upcoming
UP200
Sled Dog
Race on
Feb. 12
in
Marquette,
Michigan.
Warm up
with
your
family
at one
of the
many
roasting
stations
situated
throughout
the
festival.
For a
toasty
treat,
marshmallow
and
s’more
kits
will be
available
for
purchase.
MUSIC
AND
ENTERTAINMENT
Winter Blast is pleased to announce its best ever music lineup on three
different
stages.
The
voices
and beat
of music
from
many
genres,
including
country,
rock,
blues,
pop,
acoustic,
Americana,
funk and
soul,
will
resonate
from
three
stages
located
in the
Compuware
Lobby
and
throughout
the
festival
in the
Tim
Hortons
Comfort
Zones,
which
provide
a warm
and cozy
environment
for
listening
enjoyment.
Popular
bands
slated
to
perform
are The
Reefermen,
Stone
Clover,
and
Orbitsuns
along
with
Detroit
jazz
legend
Thornetta
Davis.
Also
scheduled
to take
the
stage is
the Pop
R&B
group
Hot
Sauce,
high
energy
band
Persuasion,
Ska band
1592,
and many
others.
CHOW
DOWN AND
THAW OUT
WITH
GREAT
TASTES
A wide
variety
of
tummy-warming
foods
and
thirst-quenching
drinks
will be
featured
from
local
restaurants,
eateries
and
caterers
at
locations
throughout
the
Winter
Blast
grounds.
New to
the
lineup
this
year
will be:
The
Whitney,
famous
for its
contemporary
tastes
and
award-winning
cuisine;
and
Detroit
Seafood
Market,
known
for its
seafood
delicacies
and
more.
Other
newcomers
include
Golden
Fleece,
Andiamo
Italia/Ren
Cen and
Mystic
Kettle.
Returning
eateries
include:
Mercurio
Foods,
Jackson’s
Five
Star
Catering,
The
Almond
Hut, Bed
Rock
Turkey
Legs and
more.
SPEND
A NIGHT
IN THE
CITY
With all
of the
excitement
of
Winter
Blast
festivities,
why go
home?
Organizers
are
offering
festival
patrons
the
opportunity
to
“Spend
the
Night in
the
City” at
Westin
Book
Cadillac
Hotel
Detroit
at
special
Winter
Blast,
discounted
weekend
rates.
Located
just two
blocks
from all
the
Winter
Blast
excitement,
the
iconic
Westin
Book
Cadillac
provides
a warm
and
refreshing
retreat
after a
long day
of
festivities.
In
addition
to the
convenience
of a
mini-vacation
downtown,
the
hotel
indulges
the
senses
with
amenities
such as
contemporary
rooms,
flat
screen
TVs,
guest
room
services,
valet
parking,
indoor
pool
fitness
center
and spa.
The
Westin
Book
Cadillac
Hotel
stays
are $149
and
include
complimentary
overnight
valet
parking
for one
car.
Festivalgoers
must
book by
January
31, 2015
to
receive
this
special
rate.
FESTIVAL
ADMISSION
AND
CHARITABLE
GIVING
For the
sixth
consecutive
year,
Winter
Blast
has
teamed
with
Matrix
Human
Services
to help
those in
need
during
the
winter.
Admission
to the
2015
Winter
Blast is
$2,
three
canned
goods/non-perishable
items or
a
children’s
book,
which
will go
toward
helping
to fight
hunger
in metro
Detroit
and
continue
the
festival’s
commitment
to
fostering
literacy.
Founded
in 2005,
as the
backdrop
of Super
Bowl XL,
the
signature
wintertime
event
debuted
in
January
of that
year to
kick off
the
official
countdown
to Super
Bowl XL
in
Detroit.
This
first
time
event
attracted
more
than
200,000
people
and
featured
a
combination
of hip
and fun
seasonal
events
that
celebrated
all
things
Detroit.
The 2006
event
was an
even
bigger
hit,
attracting
nearly
one
million
metro
Detroiters
and out
of town
guests
during
Super
Bowl XL.
Continuing
as
Detroit’s
premier
winter
festival
drawing
tens of
thousands
every
year, it
has
become
an
annual
tradition
reflecting
the
rebirth
of the
downtown
area.
Winter
Blast is
Detroit’s
celebration
of
winter
experiences,
dining,
music
and
family
fun to
be held
in
downtown
Detroit’s
Campus
Martius
Park
from,
Friday,
Feb. 6 -
Sunday,
Feb 8.
Originally
created
as the
backdrop
for
Super
Bowl XL,
the
festival
attracted
more
than
75,000
people
last
year.
Festival
hours
are
Friday
11
a.m.–11
p.m.;
Saturday,
11 a.m
–11
p.m.;
and
Sunday,
11
a.m.–9
p.m. For
additional
information,
visit
www.winterblast.com
or call
(248)
541-7550.
|