DETROIT (WWJ) -- After 15 years, Detroit’s annual “warm-up to winter” event could be moving to the suburbs.
According to festival organizers, the Winter Blast may set up shop in Royal Oak come February 2022 after a funding issue with the city of Detroit.
The Royal Oak city commission has already reportedly agreed to spend $100,000 annually to make the move happen in 2022 and 2023. Another $60,000 per year would be added if approved by the Downtown Development Authority during a vote scheduled for next Wednesday.
Jon Witz, the festival’s director, says they were unable to secure funds from the city of Detroit and previous sponsors, due in part to the pandemic, so they turned to Royal Oak.
If the event is approved and goes well in the Oakland County city next year, Witz says he would like to extend the commitment moving forward.
The Winter Blast is still expected to offer up many of the same activities it did in Campus Martius Park, such as ice skating, live music, the giant snow slide, refreshments and more.
The move would make Royal Oak the host of two of the top 10 annual festivals in metro Detroit, with Arts, Beats & Eats on Labor Day weekend and the Winter Blast during the first weekend in February.
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