Wixom sets sights on family-friendly winter fest in 2013

An article by Leslie Shepard    No Comments

To beat the doldrums of winter, the city of Wixom is in the early stages of planning its first winter festival next year.

To begin the brain-storming process, several groups of Wixom officials and staff members toured the annual Plymouth Ice Sculpture Festival on Jan. 21.

Two dozen interested individuals boarded a bus bound for Plymouth, including members of the Wixom City Council, Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals. Staff from Wixom Community Services, the Department of Public Works, the Building Department, and fire and police department personnel also attended.

“The group was asked to contemplate and comment back on what they liked and didn’t like so we can see how we would ‘Wixomize’ the event,” said City Manager Mike Dornan.

The groups have since forwarded over 15 recommendations to be reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission, which will discuss the recommendations at a special meeting slated for March 12.

“The idea is to create an event unique to Wixom,” Dornan said.

Some ideas may include using the city’s ice skating rink for activities, and Sibley Park for a warming center and food vendors. The event will be focused on family.

“We want more family involvement than the Plymouth event, where it’s more passive and people aren’t actively engaged,” Dornan noted. “We would like to see a more interactive event where people participate and create aromas of the season like spiced wine and foods of the season for an inviting and vibrant environment.”

City Councilman Tom Rzeznick said he has his own visions for the winter festival.

“There are a variety of options, but mine is based on Euro-centric flair after living in Europe,” he said. “I’m also basing some ideas after the ones held in Chicago, Ontario and more recently Birmingham, that has a traditional winter market, carolers, and hand-crafted gifts.

“As for the European winter festivals, they are reminiscent of old world charm with the smells of the season like roasted almonds and hot mulled cider or wine,” Rzeznick said.

City Councilman Pat Beagle’s main recommendation is to ensure it’s a family-friendly event.

“We need to have something for all ages,” he said. “Plymouth had a cross-county ski hill and Disney Radio was on hand doing shows — whatever we do it must target all age groups.”

One point of discussion is how large the venue should be.

“Birmingham and Rochester have weekend events and we’re discussing if we should tie in other events like the tree lighting or Breakfast with Santa,” Rzeznick said. “We have a layout now with the VCA (Village Center Area) that’s conducive to an event, so I’m excited. We have a supportive council, so it should get enough momentum to get it off the ground.”