DETROIT — Quicken Loans Winter Blast Weekend presented by Soaring Eagle returns for a 15th year in downtown Detroit. This annual tradition is now a single-weekend event, from Friday, February 7 through Sunday, February 9, 2020.
Jon Witz, Festival Producer, noted that the Winter Blast started in 2005 as a preview for the Super Bowl XL held here in Detroit. “We’re excited to keep it going,” says Witz. “Quicken Loans have been with us every step of the way in planning, volunteering, etc.”
This family-friendly festival will include free ice skating at the Frankenmuth Rink at Campus Martius courtesy of Delta Dental. Lisa Ermak Nguyen, representative of Delta Dental, noted that her company has donated five million dollars to the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, so we can build communities where families can thrive.
“There were 400 bands that applied to join us,” says Jon Witz. “Lots of sounds, and the entertainment will be strong.” There will be quite a variety of sounds such as Reggae/Rock, Jazz/Pop, Funk/Soul, Acoustic/Pop, Country/R&B and Classic Rock.
Latrice McClendon, VP & Director of Community Relations at TCF Bank, says the festival collaborates with the residents of Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood in northwest Detroit, bringing the neighborhood downtown. “TCF will feature kids’ performances, puppet shows, arts & crafts and science experiments. All activities are free,” says McClendon.
A new festival sponsor-Mt. Brighton will offer ski lessons and a snowboard experience. Beth Lohman, General Manager of Mt. Brighton, notes that we will have world class instructors to help learn to ski and snowboard gear to go down a beginner-level slope.
The legendary winter slide is also back. Ice carving demonstrations will be taking place provided by US Ice. The Ice Garden will feature plenty of the company’s carvings along Campus Martius and Cadillac Square. The zip line is also back along with marshmallow roasting stations.
The Soaring Eagle will feature the return of the Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics. Tim McCullough, Guest Service Performance Development Specialist at Soaring Eagle, says there will be fun giveaways at our booth.
“The cuisine consists of brisket, shrimp tacos, breakfast grilled cheese and bread pudding. So come out early,” says McCullough. “At Soaring Eagle Casino, we present musical entertainment such as Luke Bryan and Keith Urban.”
“The food trucks will be circled around Campus Martius so you can get to them easily,” says Jon Witz. The mouthwatering cuisine is sure to please everyone’s taste buds. Participating in the food truck rally is The Lobster Truck and Imperial Ferndale, which had food for the media to sample. Also participating is Big Mike’s Mexican Trailer, Chick-A-Dee Fried Chicken, Detroit Panzerotti, Niko’s Gyros, just to name a few.
“The Winter Blast festival builds inclusivity to the downtown community, says Laura Grannemann, VP of Quicken Loads Community Fund. “We’re so excited for making this event enjoyable for the community.”
So come on out to the Winter Blast for some great family-friendly fun.
For more information about Quicken Loans Winter Blast Weekend, visit www.winterblast.com.
The Cadillac Lodge in downtown Detroit 
Snowboarding kid ice sculpture 
Quicken Loans Winter Blast Weekend ice sculpture 
The Raye Williams Trio 
The Raye Williams Trio 
The Main Bar 
Seating inside the Cadillac Lodge 
Malinda Jensen, Senior VP Board Administration & Government Affairs, Downtown Development Authority 
Jon Witz, Festival Producer 
Laura Grannemann, VP of the Quicken Loans Community Fund 
Tim McCullough, Guest Service Performance Development Specialist at Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort 
Latrice McClendon, VP & Director of Community Relations at TCF Bank 
Beth Lohman, General Manager of Mt. Brighton 
Lisa Ermak Nguyen, representative of Delta Dental 
Fire & Ice demonstration 
The Lobster Food Truck 
Imperial Ferndale food truck 
AmericaJR’s Gloria Rzucidlo roasting marshmallows (Photo by Jerome Rzucidlo)