ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Winter Blast Royal Oak returns for its 19th year to welcome Michigan's winter temperatures and new activities for the whole family.
The festival is a free admission community event that takes place Friday through Sunday in and around Centennial Commons and the Royal Oak City Center.
The event features live music, free ice skating, a zip line, food trucks and a medieval village, with this year's theme being "Knights of the New Order."
Deloris Anderson and her 11-year-old son Michael stopped by the ice skating rink for his first time on the ice Friday.
"Very first time coming out here, nailed it. He only fell once," Anderson said. “We love the Winter Blast.”
While Michael enjoyed some fun on the ice, Anderson enjoyed the fact that temperatures are seeing a slight warmup.
“We didn’t have to put snowsuits on this year, so I’m excited about that," she said. “Being that it’s 39 degrees in Michigan, we’ll take it. That’s like Florida weather for us!"
Organizers and sponsors had an ice cutting ceremony to welcome in the festival and sunny weather Friday afternoon. Doors opened for guests at 4 p.m.
For small local businesses, the festival is also a great opportunity to get some much-needed foot traffic during the winter months. Belinda Beard from Southfield, owner of Egg Roll Diva food truck, is back for her second year at the event.
“It’s a lot of people that come up that might not have seen us anywhere else and when they come to these types of festivals, then we get better exposure, more customers. So it’s everything for my small business," Beard said.
The hours for Winter Blast Royal Oak are below:
- Friday, February 2 from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Saturday, February 3 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sunday, February 4 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Related: 2024 Plymouth Ice Festival kicks off
