Sizzling Summer Fun In The Heart Of Downtown Detroit

11th Annual Ribs 'n' Soul Festival Weekend at Hart Plaza Friday - Sunday, August 4 - 6, 2006 


DETROIT, Aug. 1  /PRNewswire/ -- The 11th Annual Ribs 'n' Soul Festival August 4 - 6, 2006 has the best ribs this side of the Mississippi. The Rib- Cook Off where master chefs smoke, grill, and season ribs to perfection, is a tasty competition and it all goes down at Philip A. Hart Plaza.  This highly anticipated event has hosted more than 2 million attendees in its 10-year history and it continues to attract tens of thousands annually.  Festival goers eat, drink, shop and revel in a festive atmosphere while enjoying the sounds of musical greats.

This premier summer attraction includes two entertainment stages.  Heating up the stage on Friday is the young group "Hot Sauce."  Local and regional talent will grace the stage and keep the party going on Saturday, August 5, with Detroit's Ray Parker Jr., Adina Howard, Howard Hewitt, the Calloways of Midnight Star and Sir Nose of the Parliament Funkadelic.

A hot summer calls for hot wheels -- the 1st Ribs 'n' Soul Festival Classic Car Show is sure to attract an audience of car lovers that cross generations.  There will be a display of classic vehicles that will showcase what has made the Motor City great.

Sunday afternoon, August 6th, festival goers will experience the inspirational Rev. Dr. E.L. Branch and Third New Hope Baptist Church as they present the 'Sermon on the River' from noon - 2:00 p.m., followed by a Gospel Showcase featuring talented gospel artists.

In addition to the great musical line-up, the 2006 event will feature Art on the River, a health informational confronting a multitude of home health and safety hazards from Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and of course great food.  As always vendors will be on hand with a variety of products from the unique to the unusual.  Helpful services such as "Ask the Lawyers" with Marvin Barnett and Associates, P.C. will also be on hand.

"We are pleased to announce that we have partnered with the Housing for Urban Development (HUD) who is on a campaign "Healthy Homes for Health Kids" educating the community about health issues involving our homes. The Ribs 'n' Soul Festival supports local organizations that are doing positive things in our community. This year we support the Alternative for Girls and Arise Detroit, two groups that are making a difference," said Johnnie Washington, producer of the Ribs 'n' Soul Festival.

The Rib Cook Off main event on Sunday -- where Ribbers bring the heat and compete to be awarded the title of the Ribs 'n' Soul's "Best Ribs" and "Best Sauce" 2006. The winner will be announced Sunday evening around 6 p.m.

"We work hard to provide our guests with exceptional entertainment and an experience the entire family can enjoy.  We expect this year's festival to be the hottest activity this summer," said Washington.

The presenting sponsor is DTE Energy, other sponsors are the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Hi-Line Art Gallery, Anheuser Busch, Coca-Cola Bottling of Michigan, and Co/op Optical. Supporters include International Detroit Black Expo and hmmg Detroit. "DTE Energy is again proud to be this year's presenting sponsor.  Our support of the Ribs 'n Soul Festival is just one way that we give back to the community," says David Underwood of DTE Energy.

Festival hours are 11:00 a.m. to midnight Friday, August 4, noon to midnight Saturday, August 5, and noon to 11 p.m. Sunday, August 6.

Cost is Free to the public.

For vending or sponsorship information of this year's event, call [phone] or visit http://www.ribsnsoul.com/ . 

DATASOURCE: DTE Energy



CONTACT:  Defausha Hampton, [phone], or [phone], for Ribs

'n' Soul



Web site:  http://www.ribsnsoul.com/

http://www.dteenergy.com/ 

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