Revamped WinterFest announced for Detroit's Palmer Park

Detroit's Palmer Park will host a revamped version of the inaugural WinterFest from Feb. 11-13.

The WinterFest was held at Palmer Park in previous years, but was more focused on indoor activities at the park's log cabin to celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah traditions. This year's festival will feature family-friendly activities like ice skating, horse and carriage rides, snowshoeing, a sledding hill, and a variety of food trucks.

This is highly-welcomed news since the longstanding Winter Blast Fest was moved to Royal Oak, leaving us to shake our damn heads and ask (as always) why Detroit can’t have nice things. Or rather, we should say, the Winter Blast Royal Oak presented by the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, which is what they’re calling it now. What is this blasphemy?

“Detroiters know we have the gift of having all four seasons so we wanted to provide an opportunity to enjoy winter at one of Detroit’s premier parks,” said Brad Dick, Group Executive, Services & Infrastructure, City of Detroit. “This event is a family-friendly way to give back to our city and we couldn’t be happier to provide all of it for free. We also want to thank our partner Bedrock for coming on board to support the Detroit Youth Choir performance.”

Detroit-based DJ Righteous, DJ Ray Oshea, 313 The Live Experience Band, and Charivari DJ Collective will also be performing throughout the weekend.

Palmer Park has always been an underappreciated outdoor sanctuary within Detroit city limits, located off Woodward Avenue between McNichols and Seven Mile Road. The WinterFest activities will take place on the east side of the park between the shelter and tennis courts.

More information can be found at www.detroitmi.gov/recreation.

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