Detroit's 15th annual Winter Blast keeps it chill with free weekend of family fun

Staff Pick

Feb 5, 2020 at 6:40 am

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard - Inline - Content",
            "component": "35519556",
            "insertPoint": "5th",
            "startingPoint": "3",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "3",
            "maxInsertions": 100
          }
          
        ]

click to enlarge

Detroit's 15th annual Winter Blast keeps it chill with free weekend of family fun

Eighteen Photography

Winter might be a pain in our Vitamin-D deprived asses, but it can also be a total blast — at least for one weekend in February when Winter Blast rolls through town.

For 15 years, some version of Winter Blast has done its best to scare away the seasonal doldrums. This year, however, it’s enduring a few more changes. The festival will return to a single-weekend format, a change from 2018’s four-weekend event, but once again, the event is totally free.

Quicken Loans' 2020 Winter Blast will see the return of some festival favorites like ice sculptures, marshmallow roasting, food trucks, and live music, which will include performances by Sara Marie Barron, Leaving Lifted, Ben Sharkey, Alise King, and more. Event mainstays like the Winter Slide, zip lines, and free ice skating at the rink at Campus Martius will be available, too. There will also be skiing and snowboarding demonstrations by Mt. Brighton ski resort, as well as the return of the Polar Plunge, which raises money for the Special Olympics.

Event runs from 5-11 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9, at Campus Martius; 800 Woodward Ave., Detroit; winterblast.com. Event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public.

Get our top picks for the best events in Detroit every Thursday morning. Sign up for our events newsletter.