Winter Blast Moves To Royal Oak For 2022

ROYAL OAK, MI — The Winter Blast will move to Royal Oak in 2022, after spending 15 years in Downtown Detroit, organizers for the festival said Wednesday. It will be presented by the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort will start on Feb. 4, 2022 and run through Feb. 6, 2022 in Downtown Royal Oak.

The event will have free admission and feature free ice skating, ice-carving demos, a winter slide, live music, a 34-foot high zipline and a food truck rally. All of the festivities will take place east of Main Street and south of 11 Mile Road, mainly near the Royal Oak Farmers Market and surrounding the new Centennial commons.

"I want to thank the City of Royal Oak and the Royal Oak DDA for providing critical funding to continue this great winter tradition, and we’ll have an exciting new layout and plans to announce in the coming weeks," Winter Blast producer Jon Witz said in a news release. "Winter Blast is a celebration of winter experiences, dining, live music and family fun. Attendees can expect the same wonderful winter-themed attractions they’ve come to know and look forward to over the years, as well as some new programming."

The announcement comes after organizers said the Winter Blast would not happen in Downtown Detroit in 2022 due to funding challenges. The event was also canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.