ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Winter Blast will look different this year because it’s in a new city.
The festival moved from Detroit to Royal Oak and it’s all taking place near the farmers market.
“Seeing it come together piece by piece has been exciting and I’m really looking forward to showcasing our downtown,” Royal Oak Mayor Melanie Macey said.
Read: Winter Blast festival is returning in 2022 -- but it’s moving from Detroit to Royal Oak
The event brings in a variety of food trucks, but it’s the local restaurants that are the most excited about this year’s change of location.
“It’s literally right outside our doors, so we’re the perfect spot for people to stop in, grab a bite to eat, a cocktail,” the general manager of Lockhart’s BBQ, Sandy Kish, said.
Kish opes the extra foot traffic will provide a boost in their sales while those visiting the festival will get to experience things for free, like ice skating.
A giant slide is back again this year. It stretches 30 feet into the air and drops at a 45-degree angle.
It all kicks off on Friday, Feb. 18, at 4 p.m. The slide costs $3, but most of the activities are free.
You can park in the parking garages in town for free for the first two hours, after that it’s 75 cents per hour.
Read: More local festival coverage
Admission to Winter Blast Royal Oak is free and open to the public.
- Feb. 18 from 4 p.m. - 11 p.m.
- Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
- Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Click here to learn more about Winter Blast Royal Oak.