Motown Winter Blast Begins Tomorrow

In case you've been on another planet for the last week and have missed all of the news about Detroit's newest winter extravaganza - Motown Winter Blast - here's some information:

The Blast starts tomorrow, and will be open from 11 am - 11 pm Friday and Saturday, and from 11 am - 8 pm on Sunday. Several events will be going on throughout these times, including the following:

Ford Motor Company's Family Fun Zone: Located in and around Campus Martius Park/Ice rink and the Compuware building's lobby, Ford is putting on an outdoor winter wonderland, which includes ice skating; skating lessons and demonstrations by the Detroit Skating Club; a giant snow slide; Model T rides; and, more fun winter activities for the entire family.

GM's Snow Spectacular and Ice Show: Located just east of Campus Martius on Monroe, General Motors has brought in some of the world's most famous and decorated ice sculptors to compete in their craft over the three-day period. The world's largest automaker will also be providing laser light shows every evening starting at 5 pm and continuing on the hour through 9 pm. For more information on GM's events, click here.

Chrysler Jeep Dodge Taste of Detroit: Located in the Campus Martius Park area between Woodward and the Kennedy block, this event will feature 20 of Detroit's finest restaurants, as well as several musical performances. Marshmallow roasting will also be available. For a list of performers and restaurants appearing at this event, please click here.

Detroit Sports Bowl: This is the "Greek Week" for corporate employees. Anyone working at a Detroit area company/corporation was eligible to participate in this event, which will pit co-ed teams of six people (four men, two women) against one another in events such as soccer shot, pit crew challenge, hockey slap shot, and football throw. Teams with the most points at the end of the events will be given prizes like a suite to a Detroit professional sporting event, a membership to Lifetime Fitness health club, or dinner at an area restaurant. The first-place team will enjoy tickets to Super Bowl XL.

This event will run from 9 am - 10 pm at Detroit's Ford Field on Saturday only. Registration to participate in the event was closed on January 10, 2005. Please click here for more information.

Tour d'Art: For those out there that would rather be inside instead of out, several of Detroit's cultural venues will be conducting tours throughout the days of the Winter Blast. Admission is free to all and, by getting a stamp at institution visited, you are entered into a drawing for some fabulous prizes, including two tickets to Super Bowl XL. For information on the venues participating in this event, as well as contest rules, please click here.

For more information on any of the events above or for information about parking, please visit the Motown Winter Blast website. I hope to see you there!