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Frosty Outdoor Fun At Detroit's Motown Winter Blast


Date: Feb 10th - Feb 12th
Hours: Fri to Sat - 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Sun - 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Price:  Bring a donation item to any gate (canned food, children's book, $1) some events may have additional charges.

The cold weather will be no match for the awesome energy outside, as people will be bundling up and making their way to  the Motown Winter Blast, which returns to Campus Martius Park. The Ambassador Bridge will join festivities in 2012 as presenting sponsor of Detroit's perennial outdoor event. Originally created in January 2005 as a promotional event for Super Bowl XL, the festival was tipped to attract more than 75,000 people last year and organizers are betting on a great turnout for this year's festivities.

Related: Best cold weather activities for kids in Detroit. 

Here are some of the top events and exhibitions at this year's Winter Blast:

Motown Winter Blast
Skaters make their way around an ice rink at the Motown Winter Blast in downtown Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

Free ice skating at Campus Martius skating rink
800 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48226
Price: Free to skate, $3 skate rental

Lace up your skates or rent a pair for $3 and get out onto the ice at the Campus Martius skating rink. Bring your children or a date and take advantage of the only time of year that offers free ice skating in the park.

Greektown Casino Ice Garden
Cadillac Square
Detroit, MI 48226
Price: Free

Cadillac Square will be transformed into a winter-wonderland complete with illuminated ice sculptures during Winter Blast. Take a stroll through the ice garden while snapping photographs, sit on ice benches and other ice structures and even watch live ice carving demonstrations on Friday, Feb. 11.

Taste of Detroit
800 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48226

Let your taste buds join in on all the fun at this all new addition to the Motown Winter Blast. The Taste of Detroit showcases restaurants from across the metro area. Find the Taste located at  the GM tent next to the Michigan Lottery Stage.

Kid Zone
800 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48226

Parents and children will enjoy an exciting, fun-filled, energy-exhausting day in the park at Motown Winter Blast. Have your kids strap on some snowshoes and run wild on the snowshoe course provided by the Winter Blast's "Get Fit" campaign. They can rush down the much anticipated, Ambassador Bridge Snow Slide or enjoy lots of fun and games at the various Winter Carnival locations around Campus Martius.

Be sure to take a break from all the physical exhaustion and visit the Campus Martius skating rink for demonstrations by professional and amateur ice skaters. Or grab a cup of hot cocoa and watch the Snomad Racing Sled Dogs, led by Amanda Vogel, dash across the park.

If you are feeling a little frosty during all of this fun, don't miss any one of the warming tents set up around the park. According to festival organizers, Comfort Zone warming tents are erected every 150 feet.

Finish off an event-filled day with a little comfort food. Visit the marshmallow roasting stations located next to the ice skating rink and purchase yourself and your kids all of the great fixings for a fabulous s'more.

Breaking the ICE on the cycle of Poverty program
800 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48226

For the 3rd consecutive year, Winter Blast has partnered with Matrix Human Services and the Grosse Pointe Rotary to organize this charitable event. Volunteers from each organization will help collect nonperishable food items and children's books at the festival gates as part of a special Motown Winter Blast "admission fee." All donated items will be used to support a major service project that will fight hunger and promote literacy in metro Detroit. Donations will be accepted at all Winter Blast entrances.

There are several preferred areas for parking during the Motown Winter Blast.  Click here http://www.winterblast.com/transportationparking/ for rates, hours and directions.

Related: Reasons To Visit Detroit In 2012

Tom Santilli is a freelance journalist living in Detroit. He is covering Travel & Outdoors. His work can be found at Examiner.com.


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