Motown Winter Blast returning to Campus Martius Park in Detroit

If you thought the popularity of the Motown Winter Blast would gradually fizzle after its inaugural Super Bowl-year success wore off, think again.

Winter Blast 2011 is fast-approaching, and with the return of the popular sledding hill, figures to be even bigger than it was a year ago.

For anyone who's never been there, Winter Blast organizers hit it right because they managed to make the event both adult- and kid-friendly. Warming tents with live music and beers are popular with the older set, while skating, sledding and ice sculpture displays (the one pictured is from last year) keep the kids entertained.

It's a great event, even five years after the Steelers beat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl at Ford Field and the Winter Blast made its debut. This year's festival is scheduled to run from Friday, Feb. 11 through Sunday, Feb. 13.  Check out www.winterblast.com for more info.

Catching up with ‘Statue Guy’ during a ride on Detroit's People Mover

From the Detroit Times archives: OK, so the real name of this creation isn’t “Statue Guy”. It’s called “Catching Up”, and it’s one of the cool things to look for if you find yourself riding the People Mover downtown.

Right now he’s at the Grand Circus Park Station, but I’m pretty sure he used to be standing on one of the other People Mover decks. Regardless, the next time you’re downtown you should make a point to see this in person. The detail is really cool.

Anybody who grew up reading The Detroit News or Detroit Free Press will especially appreciate it. Both papers are included in amazing detail. (Statue Guy is reading The News, and the Free Press is folded and sitting on a briefcase at his side.) I blew up the photo and saw The News issue he’s reading is dated May 23, 1987. The lead story is about the Chrysler-AMC merger. 

My hounding research (interpretation: I Googled it) uncovered that the artist’s name is J. Seward Johnson, Jr. It’s a bronze sculpture, and what’s interesting is that, it isn’t an original piece of artwork. There are six others just like it across the country, but this one was tailored to the region by using molds of The News and Free Press.

Michigan Sports Hall of Fame: a hidden treasure inside Cobo Hall

Stray off the beaten path at the North American International Auto Show, and you'll find one of Detroit's cool sports landmarks that, unfortunately, you rarely ever hear about.

In a day when halls of fame are often swanky, big-money homages, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a simple, no-frills reminder of the many great sports legends that have made an impact on Michigan sports over the years. From players to coaches to broadcasters, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a collection of plaques (most with accompanying artwork) that line the back hallways of the vast Cobo Hall.

It's so understated that it almost feels like an afterthought, but that doesn't steal from the coolness of reading little snippets about the hundreds of greats who've made their mark on Michigan sports. It's definitely worth setting aside an hour or so the next time you're downtown with a a little bit of time to kill.

2011 Detroit auto show, Mercedes advertising goes big time

It's seems everything's bigger at the North American International Auto Show. Especially the advertising on a nearby building.

Taking a cue from the Broderick Tower advertising across town, Mercedes-Benz has plastered an enormous billboard on the east-facing side of the old 25-story Pontchartrain Hotel, and it covers nearly the entire side of the building. That's about 245 feet in height (or about 75 meters for our faithful Canadian readers).

It's nice to see somebody getting at least some use out of the old Pontch, which has been vacant since the summer of 2009, when it officially known as the Detroit Riverside Hotel. Visitors to the Detroit auto show can look for the ad (as if they could miss it!) across Washington Boulevard from the main entrance into Cobo Hall.