DETROIT (WXYZ) — During the colder months, the annual Winter at Valade is one of the key attractions in Downtown Detroit, where people can have indoor and outdoor fun.
Melissa Behring is one of the performers set to entertain people at Robert C Valade Park. The life-long musician goes by the name of the Fairy Godmother of Music.
"It's true, I do!" said Behring.
Behring loves performing for the kids, and it turns out she has more than one way of attracting her audience.
"Some kids see my crown, and say they like it, they say that is the lady who knows what's going on, and I don't know if I really know what's going on as much as I love to do music for young people," said Behring.
"Why is this genre of music meaningful to you?" I asked.
"Because I think it's the easiest way to adapt to music like parents and children, right? So instead of a kid listening with headphones to this one thing, they're both engaged in the same experience of the musical event so to speak," Behring said.
"How does this event tie into what you're doing?" I asked.
"It's a really exciting way to look at the entire world, and, and I think music is a piece of that puzzle," Behring said.
This weekend's theme is Winter Around the World, and Detroit Riverfront Conservancy's Marc Pasco says this event helps bring the community together.
"Its cold in the winter and, there's not a great deal of opportunities to go outside and get some fresh air and celebrate as a community. So our Winter at Valade celebrations give people an opportunity to get together, celebrate winter, see each other, you know, have some fun, burn some calories, have some good food, listen to some music. So I think it's a great escape and excuse to get people outdoors," said Pasco, Director of Communications, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.
Pasco says the wholesome family event has something for everyone.
"This year we had two themed weekends with the Winter Blade. We had a fire and ice festival that brought like 10,000 people out to the riverfront. Today is our, our second of the themed weekends. It's a winter around the world, so kids can go sledding. They can go snowshoeing, and we have drinks, food trucks, and things like that for the adults," Pasco said.
Other activities include Mardi Gras and Lunar New Year celebrations, along with kids' activities and, of course, live music.
"When kids surround you, and they're listening to your music, and they're, you know, they're looking at the fairy godmother of music, being inspired. How does that make you feel?" asked Javed.
"Oh, I walk on water then. It is like that's heavenly. So I like the long-term plan, which is just to keep spreading more goodness and joy and happiness," said Behring.
To learn more about Winter at Valade and events on the riverfront... head to https://detroitriverfront.org/
