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Motown Winter Blast (Detroit, MI)

Sunday, 13 February, 2011 1:17 AM


~~ GREAT TIMES AND COOL EVENTS ~~

* 2011 Motown Winter Blast wraps up today at Detroit's Campus Martius Park *

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

The 2011 Motown Winter Blast features the return of the 210-ft. snow slide.

by Jason Rzucidlo

americajr@americajr.com

WATCH: Interviews with musicians at the 2011 Motown Winter Blast

WATCH: Interviews with attendees at the 2011 Motown Winter Blast

DETROIT -- Attendance seemed to be a little lighter on the first day of the Motown Winter Blast with an earlier starting time of 11 a.m. However, the crowd definitely showed up in groves on Saturday. The 2011 Winter Blast features the return of the 210-ft. snow slide and dogsledding races. It also includes annual favorites such as free ice skating, free snowshoeing, free live music from 50 bands and lots of great food to enjoy.

"This is my first time," said Danielle Bullock, an attendee from Warren, Mich. "She likes ice skating and I've never been. I have a three-year-old daughter and she invited us to come out. The three-year-old didn't last very long. We're going to skate a few more rounds and then go to the snow slide. I had nachos and a hot dog. My daughter had a hot dog. But we haven't tried anything like around here yet. This is awesome, a lot of fun."

To enter the Winter Blast, simply bring a can of food, a book, a piece of clothing or a dollar. All proceeds from the festival will go to Matrix Human Services to help the less fortunate in our community.

"It's a day off, try to get out and do some skating," said Paul Newby of Wyandotte, Mich. "It's nice and smooth. They just ran the zamboni on it. We just came down to skate mostly. After we get done skating, we'll walk around and check out some of the other stuff. Just enjoy. It's been a fun day."

One of the most popular activities at this year's Winter Blast is the snow slide. The line seemed to be wrapped around three times with 50 people in line at almost all times of the day. Each ride is $3. This year, it is being sponsored by the Ambassador Bridge Company. The snow slide is located at the intersection of Woodward and Michigan avenues.

"I just wanted to skate" said Brittni Rimpela, an attendee from Clarkston, Mich. "We just came from the snack stand. I had nachos."

Another activity not mentioned in our preview articles before is the professional ice skating exhibitions. The Detroit Skating Club and Skate Company offered skating exhibitions on Friday and Saturday. The Peak Arena at Summit Academy and The New Edge Figure Skating Club will offer professional ice skating shows on Sunday at Noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and at 6 p.m.

"This my seventh year," said local country artist TJ Kelly, who has performed at every Winter Blast since it started. "We like to do a lot of the new country, so we're going to do some Toby Keith, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, the newer things, Jason Aldean. We are actually in the studio right now. I'm trying to put something new together. It's been about two years since we talked. We're putting together another one right now as we speak. You know how it goes, it takes time. Hopefully, summertime, we'll have something ready. Our next show is FireKeepers Casino in March, a casino in Battle Creek."

Attendees were treated to some great live music over the first two days. Larry Lee, Reverend Right Time, TJ Kelly, Black Irish, The Howling Diablos, Cliff Gracey and Frankie D'Angelo are just some of the musicians who performed on Friday and Saturday. Sunday's performers include Persuasion, The Longneck Stranglers, Jill Jack and The Reeferman, among many others. There is no cost to watch the music on all three stages.

"I've played music in the Detroit area for close to 30 years," said local Americana artist Carl Henry, who performed on Friday. "I play every Saturday at Butcher's Inn. Usually on Friday nights, you can catch me at a place in Taylor called Tree House. I'm a member of the Detroit Blues Society. I'm really happy to be here at Winter Blast. I think it's a great event for downtown. I'm real happy to see all of the positive things continue. To be a part of this event, it's mostly free. Yeah, there's a dollar donation. This was my first time performing at the Winter Blast."

Free ice skating is being offered all weekend long on the rink at Campus Marcus Park, courtesy of Charter One Bank. It is a great way to spend this Valentine's Day weekend with your sweetie. Bring your own skates or rent them for just $3 a pair.

For more information on the Motown Winter Blast, visit www.winterblast.com.

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

Danielle Bullock of Warren, Mich. and Brittni Rimpela of Clarkston, Mich. are taking advantage of the free ice skating.

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

A close-up of TJ Kelly as he performs.

Matrix Human Services is the designated charity for the Winter Blast.

Snowshoeing is a great way to stay physically fit while at the Winter Blast.

Marshmallow roasting

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

::: BROADCASTING LIVE FROM THE MOTOWN WINTER BLAST :::

The Motown Winter Blast, produced by Jonathan Witz & Associates, features hip and cool winter events centered around Campus Martius Park and great city attractions throughout Detroit. Our signature winter activities are returning with free ice skating in Campus Martius Park, Professional skating demonstrations from the Detroit Skating Club sponsored by Charter One Bank, the Michigan.org 200 ft. snow slide, Quicken Loans Ice Garden, the Meijer Kid’s Family Fun Zone and more.

Visit the official site of The Motown Winter Blast.

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