Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats returns Labor Day weekend with new initiatives
Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats will return Labor Day weekend with live music, art, mouthwatering cuisines and new cultural, environmental and cultural initiatives from festival partners.
Among the initiatives, Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort plans to transform Royal Oak’s Fifth Street into a New York-style Times Square with an LED video wall of scenes from the festival, organizers announced Wednesday at Baker College in Royal Oak.
There are also plans to reduce the festival's ecological footprint by not selling single-use plastic bottles. This effort is the first in the festival’s history as it partners with sponsors Anheuser Busch, Faygo, Liquid Death and Kroger. For non-canned beverages, biodegradable corn-based cups will be provided along with new bins to collect recyclables.
Soaring Eagle also plans to continue to sponsor the rock stage and food through Cuisine Machine.
“The success of Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats is a result of collaboration among many partners that enable the event to continue offering creative and culturally unique initiatives, while also supporting the community,” said Raul Venegas, executive director of marketing, entertainment and sales for Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort. “We’re proud to be a part of this effort to celebrate and enhance the quality of life across our region. Attendees are in for another exciting Labor Day weekend with diverse lineups of entertainment and offerings for all to enjoy.”
Corewell Health, another ABE partner, announced a three-year commitment to the festival and plans to return as an official sponsor of the Juried Fine Art Show, one of the top art fairs in the country. In collaboration with the Judson Center and the Ted Lindsey Foundation, Corewell will also sponsor a one-day access pass to the 10th annual Family Days for hundreds of children on the autism spectrum and their families to enjoy the festival at no cost.
“As an organization dedicated to promoting health and wellness, we are excited to once again be a primary partner for this year’s Arts, Beats & Eats, including as a sponsor of Family Days, a lower sensory experience for children with autism, sponsorship of a free shuttle and health tent, and supporting a festival first, presale tickets for advance ticket holders,” said Corewell Health’s Dr. Dan Carey, president of Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.
"By partnering with Arts, Beats & Eats, we aim to encourage a vibrant and active lifestyle that aligns with our mission of encouraging people to live their healthiest lives possible,” Carey said.
The city of Royal Oak approved cannabis sales at Arts, Beats & Eats this year for consumption, however, approval is still pending from the state of Michigan, which is required to allow cannabis sales. House of Dank, a cannabis dispensary in Detroit, will still bring an immersive pop-up experience featuring loyalty games, custom limited-edition House of Dank apparel and accessories to enjoy for attendees 21 and older.
“One of the big stories for the festival this year is that the City of Royal Oak approved cannabis sales at Arts, Beats & Eats, and we are excited to present a safe, confined, and creative space for sales and consumption of cannabis,” said Michael DiLaura, COO and general counsel for House of Dank.
Baker College presented a collaboration between the festival and its students to showcase its culinary arts program. Three talented culinary students have been selected to create exclusive menu items for the festival. These creations will be served by the Royal Oak eateries and complemented by a specialty cocktail available at various beverage booths. A portion of the sales from these food and drinks will be donated to Open Hands Pantry, a community-based nonprofit food pantry.
This year will also feature a variety of art and cultural elements that focus on diversity, inclusion and awareness. Partnering with Kroger and the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, students have been invited to design a mural that will be showcased at this year’s festival. The mural's theme will focus on uniting people through shared community experiences.
Flagstar Bank will offer booth space for a collection of BIPOC-owned artists and small businesses throughout the Culture on 4th area designated to celebrate diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Arts, Beats & Eats will pre-sell tickets for the first time, as well as offer specific Corewell Health Fast Lane entrances for advance ticket holders. Tickets will go on sale in late July with discounts available.
The event is Oakland County’s biggest summer festival celebrating art, music, food and community. Last year’s festival attracted more than 350,000 people throughout the Labor Day weekend and generated over $332,000 in donations.
2023 Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats
11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 1-3; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 4
downtown Royal Oak
Admission: $7 in advance. Free before 5 p.m. on Sept. 1 and $12 after 5 p.m. Other days, admission is $10 before 3 p.m. and $12 after 3 p.m. Cash and credit card transactions will be accepted at gate entrances.