DTE
Energy
hosts
free
four-day
festival
to
celebrate
the
opening
of
Beacon
Park
DETROIT
- The
corner
of Grand
River
and Cass
Avenue
transforms
into a
place of
light,
energy
and
motion
when
Beacon
Park
opens to
the
public
on
Thurs.,
July 20,
2017.
Downtown
Detroit's
newest
public
space
debuts
with a
weekend
festival
of
music,
art,
dance
and
games.
The
festivities
begin
with the
park's
official
ribbon
cutting
at 11
a.m. on
Thurs.
and run
throughout
the
weekend.
"We are
excited
to bring
a
vibrant
and
engaging
park to
this
part of
the
city,"
said
Gerry
Anderson,
DTE
Energy
chairman
and CEO.
"The
music,
art,
food and
games
offered
at
Beacon
Park are
projected
to
attract
a
million
visitors
a year
and
serve as
a
catalyst
for
development
in west
central
downtown."
Beacon
Park
highlights
include:
Lumen, a
Belgian
brasserie,
featuring
rooftop
seating
with
panoramic
views of
the
cityscape
and park
events.
The
restaurant
is
scheduled
to open
in
spring
2018.
Recreational
leagues,
operated
by Come
Play
Detroit,
that
range
from
volleyball
to
whiffle
ball.
130
small
luminaires
will be
mounted
at
various
heights
throughout
the
garden
spaces
that
respond
to a
variety
of
triggers:
weather
events,
movement,
sound or
music,
or to
specific
pre-programmed
'dances'
by
twinkling,
changing
colors,
dimming,
etc.
Synthetic
grass to
ensure
that the
park
could
host a
variety
of
events
year-round,
including
recreational
sports
leagues
and
concerts.
One of
the
opening
weekend's
premier
events
will be
Impulse:
An
Interactive
Art
Exhibit.
The work
is
comprised
of giant
illuminated
seesaws
that
light up
when
ridden
by
visitors.
Detroit
is only
the
third
city in
the
country
to host
the
playful
exhibit,
which
has
primarily
toured
in
Europe.
According
to the
artists
who
created
the
exhibit,
the
seesaws
are
fitted
with LED
lights
and
speakers
that
produce
a
sequence
of
lights
and
sounds
resulting
in ever
changing
composition.
The park
will
host
nearly
50 other
activities
and
performances
throughout
the
grand
opening
weekend.
The
Downtown
Detroit
Partnership
(DDP),
supported
by a
grant
from the
DTE
Energy
Foundation,
operates
the park
and
produces
events
and
programs
both for
the
grand
opening
and
throughout
the
year.
National
musical
acts
performing
during
Beacon
Park's
grand
opening
weekend
include
American
indie
sensation
Lord
Huron,
Robert
Randolph
& The
Family
Band and
Plena
Libre.
The park
will
host
grand
opening
after-work
parties
on
Thursday
and
Friday.
Saturday
will be
filled
with
family-friendly
entertainment
in
addition
to a
night
market
featuring
25
unique
boutiques.
Visitors
are
invited
to a
gospel
brunch
followed
by
classical
music on
Sunday.
On
Sunday
evening,
visitors
can
watch
the
movie
Back to
the
Future
on a
giant
screen
while
enjoying
popcorn,
snacks,
a hover
board
demonstration
and
giveaways.
"We've
planned
a
weekend
that has
something
for
everybody,
because
that is
what
Beacon
Park is
all
about,"
said
Anderson.
About
DTE
Energy
DTE
Energy
(NYSE:
DTE) is
a Detroit-based
diversified
energy
company
involved
in the
development
and
management
of
energy-related
businesses
and
services
nationwide.
Its
operating
units
include
an
electric
utility
serving
2.2
million
customers
in Southeastern
Michigan and
a
natural
gas
utility
serving
1.3
million
customers
in Michigan.
The DTE
Energy
portfolio
includes
non-utility
energy
businesses
focused
on power
and
industrial
projects,
natural
gas
pipelines,
gathering
and
storage,
and
energy
marketing
and
trading.
As one
of Michigan's leading
corporate
citizens,
DTE
Energy
is a
force
for
growth
and
prosperity
in the
450
Michigan
communities
it
serves
in a
variety
of ways,
including
philanthropy,
volunteerism
and
economic
progress.
Information
about
DTE
Energy
is
available
at
dteenergy.com,
twitter.com/dte_energy
and
facebook.com.
Grand
Opening
Highlights:
Thursday,
July 20
Ribbon
Cutting
— DTE
Chairman
and CEO
Gerry
Anderson,
Mayor
Mike
Duggan
and City
Council
President
Brenda
Jones
will
officially
open the
park at
the 11
a.m.
celebration.
Grand
Opening
– Park
opens to
the
public
at noon
with
food
trucks,
live
music,
games
and an
interactive
exhibit
from
IMPULSE
from
Quartier
des
Spectacles.
After
Work
Party –
Kicks
off at
4 p.m.
with
Happy
Hour
drink
specials
Headline
entertainment
– Robert
Randolph
& the
Family
Band
will
blend
funk,
soul and
rock 'n'
roll
featuring
pedal
steel
guitar
with
Thornetta
Davis
opening
at 8
p.m.
Friday,
July 21
Downtown
Games –
Come
Play
Detroit
will pit
rival
DTE
Energy
and
other
downtown
employers
against
each
other in
fun
active
competitions,
which
are open
to the
public
to
watch,
2-4:30
p.m.
Beer
Garden –
Griffin
Claw
craft
and
specialty
beer,
live
music
and lawn
games,
4-8 p.m.
Musical
entertainment
–
American
indie
rock
band
Lord
Huron headlines
with
Fifth
and Main
opening
at 8
p.m.
Saturday,
July 22
Fitness
– To
christen
the new
space
and
build
community,
a Yoga
Mala,
which
consists
of 108
sun
salutations,
will
start
the
morning.
Everyone
welcome!
Plus,
Detroit's
first
outdoor
spinning
experience
featuring
a LIVE
DJ and a
cardio
workout,
9-11
a.m.
Family
Day –
Fun for
all with
games,
inflatables,
make and
takes,
and face
painting,
plus a
GVSU
Charter
school
art
fair,
performances
by
Matrix
Theatre
Company,
Ballet
Folklorico,
Moyocayani
Izel,
Detroit
Youth
Volume,
Nadanta,
Mosaic
Youth
Theatre
and
Detroit
Windsor
Dance
Academy,
Noon-6
p.m.
Night
Market –
Detroit's
first
ever
Night
Market
will
showcase
the best
of local
indie
music,
food
trucks,
drinks,
lawn
games,
and
shopping
from
up-and-coming
local
makers
and
entrepreneurs.
Noon
until
until
midnight.
Salsa,
Tacos &
Tequila
– Food,
drinks
and
entertainment,
featuring
headliners
Plena
Libre
with
their
distinctive
musical
style of
Puerto
Rico,
Bomba
and
Plena
with
Puerto
Rican
performing
artists
and
cultural
group,
Bombarica,
7:30-10
p.m.
Sunday,
July 23
Fitness
– A
morning
full of
energy
with
Detroit's
first
outdoor
spinning
experience
featuring
a LIVE
DJ, plus
yoga and
a cardio
workout,
9-11
a.m.
Gospel
Brunch –
Michigan's
own
award-winning
Gospel
Singer
Bishop
Marvin
L. Sapp
will be
joined
by local
choirs,
including
Gospel
Truth,
and
dance
ensembles,
Noon-3
p.m.
Movie
Music
Spectacular
– A
performance
by
Michigan
Philharmonic
leads up
to a
special
screening
of "Back
to the
Future"
with a
car
display
for
guests
to sit
in.
Travel
through
time in
a "Back
to the
Future"
DeLorean
with Doc
and
Marty
McFly,
6:30-8:30
p.m.
All
Weekend
IMPULSE
from
Quartier
des
Spectacles
–
Interactive,
illuminated
see-saws
offer a
publicly
activated
light
and
sound
experience.
Put into
motion
by its
users,
the
see-saws
are
augmented
by LED
lights
and
speakers,
which
increase
in light
intensity
and emit
a
randomized
sound
sequence.
Mindfield
Lighting
Activations
–
Historic
facades
around
the park
will
illuminate
after
dark.
Visit
the DTE
Energy
blog,
EmpoweringMichigan.com,
for the
full
schedule
of
nearly
50
weekend
events.
I
HI TECH NEWS
I
SPORTS
I
