We’re in the final weekend of the North American International Auto Show. If cars just aren’t your thing (or you’ve already been to the NAIAS) there is still plenty of stuff to do around down.
Meridian Winter Blast — Detroit
If you have been waiting until February to go to the Winter Blast, you need to change your plans because it is happening this weekend.
I wrote a post about all of the changes going on over at the Winter Blast back in December.
There have been some additions to the Winter Blast this year. The winter slide has been redesigned to feature a 30-foot high slide with a pitch-black tube. The slide also features a 40 degree angle. (Don’t worry, they also have a slide for kids.) The other addition is an ice bar and also an ice maze.
Head over to the Winter Blast website to find out the new layout for the festival.
Admission to the festival will still be $3 per person or three nonperishable items or a children’s book. Items will go toward helping fight hunger in metro Detroit. As part of the partnership with the NAIAS families will have free same day admission to the Winter Blast with a hand stamp from the Auto Show.
Dates and hours for Winter Blast: Friday, January 20 4 p.m.- 11 p.m., Saturday, January 21 11 a.m.- 11 p.m., and Sunday, January 22 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Fire & Ice Festival — Rochester
This is the 10th annual Fire & Ice Festival in Downtown Rochester. We did an entire post about the festival, but weather has played a trick on Oakland County Parks and Recreation, but they have taken it in stride.
Instead of canceling the Fire & Ice Festival organizers have switched gears and will be offering alternative activities that do not require snow or ice.
There will now be a rock climbing wall, a sports inflatable, geocaching, sack races, tug-o-war, kickball, golf practicing, and bass fishing clinics.
The pet adoptions, spaghetti dinners, pancake breakfast, and Brooksie Way Chill at the Mills 5k will still go on. (You can register for the 5K here.) You will also still be able to partake in the dog sledding, because the sleds have wheels.
Admission for the festival is free.
The hours for the Fire & Ice Festival are as follows: Friday, January 20 5 a.m. — 9 p.m., Saturday, January 21 10 a.m. — 9 p.m., and Sunday, January 22 9 a.m. — 5 p.m. Fireworks are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Parking is available in downtown Rochester or at Buffalo Wild Wings at 1234 Walton in Rochester. There will also be a free shuttle running between the restaurant and the festival.
Henry V Talk and Reading — Detroit
Have you ever wanted to learn more about Shakespeare’s Henry V?
Head over to Pages Bookshop this Saturday, January 21 for a talk put on by Sam White from Shakespeare in Detroit (SiD.) Come listen to the monologues of the play, and hear White’s take on how it relates to Detroit today.
You will also be able to ask questions about the upcoming season of Shakespeare in Detroit which starts in March.
Tickets are $10 per person. You’ll need to grab your tickets pretty quickly. They are selling pretty fast.
Hours: 3 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Pages Bookshop is located at 19560 Grand River Avenue Detroit, MI 48223
HopCat Detroit 9th Anniversary Party — Detroit
HopCat opened in Grand Rapids in 2008, so they are celebrating the 9th anniversary in all of HopCat locations on Saturday, January 21.
The Detroit location will be opening at 10 a.m. on Saturday to start the celebrations.
Considering HopCat is known as one of the best beer pubs in the country there will be 8 special beer tappings happening on Saturday.
Bring your appetite because they will be offering free Crack Fries with every purchase until 5 p.m.
If you feel up to it, there will also be a Crack Fries eating contest at 3 p.m. It is $5 to enter the contest, but that money will be donated to help Cass Community Social Services (CCSS). HopCat will be matching the $5 to donate to CCSS.
The winner of the Crack Fries eating contest will receive a $500 HopCat gift card, free fries for a year, and a chance to win $2,000 at the Crack Fries Eating World Championship in Ypsilanti at the 2017 Michigan Brewer’s Guild Summer Beer Fest.
For those interested in the Crack Fries Eating Contest you need to sign up in advance either by email, by phone, or in person by 2:30 p.m. on January 21st. To sign up contact HopCat GM Lance Sirvis at lsirvis@hopcat.com or call (313) 769-8828. You can also sign up in person by going into the restaurant and asking a server or bartender.
HopCat is located at 4265 Woodward Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48201
DIA International Coffee & Tea Festival — Detroit
Are you a coffee person or a tea person? It can be such a loaded question. If you’re wondering about me I prefer tea.
This Saturday and Saturday the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA) is hosting the International Coffee and Tea Festival. It will run from noon until 4 p.m. on both days.
Find out the history of coffee and tea from around the world.
There will be tastings, and demonstrations in the Great Hall and Riveria Court. There will be family themed activities in the Student Lunchroom on the first floor.
The festival is in conjunction with the current exhibition at the DIA BitterISweet: Coffee, Tea & Chocolate.
Admission to the museum and the festival is free if you are a resident of Macomb, Oakland, or Wayne Counties. However the BitterISsweet exhibition does cost money to get in. You can purchase tickets on the DIA website.
Tickets for the exhibition are $17.50 for adults and $12.50 for children 6-17.
The DIA is located at 5200 Woodward Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48202
