Winter Blast Weekend Leaving Detroit In Favor of Royal Oak

Winter Blast Weekend has been a staple in Detroit, but now the festival is looking to move a little north to Royal Oak.

Winter Blast had been held in Detroit for the last 17 years, but a lack of funding caused organizers to cancel for 2022. The event was also canceled the last two years due to the pandemic.

Now it looks like organizers would like to revive the Winter Blast Weekend in Royal Oak, and the biggest surprise is that it might actually happen this Winter.

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Winter Blast organizers tweeted out the cancelation of the event at the beginning of December, along with a press release.

When they made this announcement, there was talk that the event would return to Detroit in 2023, but now we know that will not be the case.

FOX2 is reporting that the organizers are very close to moving the event to the Royal Oak Farmers Market in 2022.

How did Winter Blast Get Started In Detroit?

Winter Blast started when the Detroit Lions hosted the Super Bowl XL in 2005. The free festival was a way to showcase the revitalized downtown district in Detroit. The festival was a huge hit and became a staple of winter in Detroit.

Back when Winter Blast started Detroit was in the middle of one of the busiest stretches in recent memory. Detroit hosted a Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four, and the Tigers played in the World Series all within the span of a few years. Downtown events were in high demand, and people were flocking to the area.

Will Winter Blast Be As Big If It Moves To Royal Oak?

It sounds like the move to Royal Oak is pretty much a done deal. When you read between the lines, it seems like the only thing left to figure out is how many years the event will be contracted to Royal Oak.

Obviously, I'm assuming there but let's just go with that and say that Winter Blast is definitely happening in Royal Oak this February. I don't think there is any way that the event could be as big as it was in Detroit this year. There just isn't a ton of time to plan a major event, and space in Royal Oak is always an issue. Without shutting down a ton of very busy roads, it feels like it will be a scaled-down event this year.

I do think that the crowds will show up for the event in Royal Oak. The city is already a social hub and a little closer than Detroit for many of us. We'll keep you updated on the status of Winter Blast this year, and maybe we'll see you on the ice rink in Royal Oak.