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* Skating, Ice Sculptures, Music and the Snow Slide were popular at the Winter Blast *

 

PHOTO BY JENNIFER VUONG / ©AMERICAJR.com

The 200 foot long snow slide was popular at this year's Winter Blast.

 

By Jennifer Vuong

jennifer.vuong@hotmail.com

 

 

The fourth annual Detroit Winter Blast kicked off on Friday, Feb. 8 at Campus Martius Park. The downtown area was transformed into an event full of activities celebrating the coolest season, winter.

This year, festival goers were able to experience same favorite activities from the past years, along with new ones. The snow slide, a popular attraction, extends 200 ft. long. For $3, the ride is cool and icy. Both kids and adults can enjoy this ride. Festival-goer Noah Hopkins, 6, said he went down the snow slide twice and said it's the best thing to do at the Winter Blast.

Another traditional favorite included ice skating at the Campus Martius rink. Open skating was held in between professional skating shows and is free.

A most recent addition to the festival line-up was the Quicken Loans Ice Garden. Hand-designed ice sculptures showcasing the five coolest things about Detroit were displayed on a long pathway. Some of the sculptures included the Detroit Pistons, MGM Grand Detroit and a roulette wheel. At night, each carving was illuminated with a colored light to create a festive glow.

For those who preferred to stay warm, there were barrels of fire stations to warm their hands or roast marshmallows. Others were able to step inside heated tents to listen to bands play on one of four stages set up at the event. At the Michigan Lottery Stage, the genre of music included rock, blues and alternative. The next stage was at the Pure Michigan stage in the Compuware building. Jazz, R & B, and neo-soul could be heard at the Fifth Third Bank stage.

AmericaJR.com caught up with the band Phredley who performed for the first time at the Winter Blast. The band comes from the suburbs of Detroit and now resides in Southfield. Their members include Phred Brown on vocals and guitar, his sister Alesha Brown on keys and background vocals, Tobias Winn on bass and vocals and Paul Loos on drums and vocals.

Phred describes their musical sound as an "upbeat soul, thrown in with a mellow funk vibe, with a little rock edge." A small crowd gathered as they performed original songs as well as cover songs from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. at the Fifth Third Bank stage on Friday.

You can find more of Phredley's music on their web site at myspace.com/Phredley.

 

PHOTO BY JENNIFER VUONG / ©AMERICAJR.com

Phredley, a jazz band, poses for a picture at the Winter Blast.

 

PHOTO BY JENNIFER VUONG / ©AMERICAJR.com

Professional ice skaters performed in between FREE public skating.

 

PHOTO BY JENNIFER VUONG / ©AMERICAJR.com

The 2008 Detroit Tigers ice sculpture.

 

::: RETURN TO OUR COVERAGE OF THE DETROIT WINTER BLAST :::

 

::: BROADCASTING LIVE FROM DETROIT'S WINTER BLAST :::