Stock photo by Pexels
The anticipation is over.
Organizers of the Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats presented by Flagstar Bank today announced the official return of the festival to Royal Oak, Michigan, Sept. 3 through Sept. 6. Oakland County’s annual Labor Day weekend celebration of art, music and food for the community will return in 2021 and operate at full capacity, delivering outdoor entertainment, live music, art and culture to metro Detroiters, as well as providing a venue for musicians and artists to take center stage and resume their livelihoods.
“The long wait is over. We’re eager to come together to enjoy live music, amazing art and mouthwatering cuisine. It feels good to be back and we’re looking forward to giving back to the community that has stepped up tremendously in the fight against the pandemic so we can all return to normalcy,” said Raul Venegas, executive director of marketing, entertainment & sales for Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, which marks its third year as the title sponsor. “We’re coming back with a renewed spirit and enthusiasm. Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats is set to bring people together and celebrate the end of summer with family, friends and a great weekend of art, culture, great food and entertainment.”
The much-anticipated, premier festival, entering its 24th year, will offer more than 200 performances on nine stages, a highly ranked juried fine art show and dozens of local restaurants and food trucks, as well as new, innovative programming and hands-on activities to enjoy over the four-day holiday weekend.
NEW – FOOD AND BEVERAGE TICKETS ARE GONE IN 2021!
To offer attendees more flexibility and reduce touch points, organizers are departing from the ticketing system it’s used since its inception in 1998. Now patrons can purchase all concessions directly from restaurants and bars with pay as you go via cash and credit card transactions.
“We are excited to announce that there will be a one-step process for our consumers with no more lines just to buy tickets,” said Jon Witz, festival producer. “We also see more clarity with understanding our cost of goods, less touch points and only one line to wait in instead of two.
The acceptance of cash and credit clearly offers our patrons improved convenience, and frees up more time to enjoy our art and entertainment.”
A NEW SPONSOR IS “IN THE HOUSE”
Joining top sponsors Soaring Eagle and Flagstar Bank, as well as others, House of Dank has signed a major multi-year partnership commitment that is invaluable to a festival coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.Michigan’s premier cannabis company is delivering the new House of Dank Lounge, which will be an oasis for festival guests, featuring special seating and entertainment. It also will be the new home of the performance pit stage. The Performance Pit will once again deliver top DJ’s, musicians, strolling entertainers and more, and its location at 6th and Center streets will be the perfect entrance segue into the festival’s national entertainment viewing area.
While consumption of cannabis will not be permitted within the festival footprint, attendees aged 21+ can purchase branded merch, CBD products and meet cannabis experts, who can provide educational information on cannabis’ medicinal and therapeutic benefits, as well as receive special offers for products at one of House of Dank’s eight Michigan locations.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of this annual tradition. It’s the place to be during the Labor Day weekend and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” said Michael DiLaura, COO and general counsel at House of Dank. “Arts, Beats & Eats offers expansive cultural programs and entertainment offerings, along with a commitment to healthy living and quality of life in our region, that bring so many people together. At House of Dank, that’s what we’re all about, coming together as a community and to celebrate and support each other, including our inspiring local artists, musicians and chefs.”
2021 COMMEMORATIVE ARTS, BEATS & EATS POSTER
The 2021 commemorative poster also was revealed. Festival organizers have proudly partnered with Troy-based Midcoast Studio that brought it to life. Since 1984, Midcoast has helped companies grow their brands by building premium visual representations of their products. Whether a beauty shot or a technical animation, Midcoast takes pride in delivering top-quality imagery that both inspires and engages.
Jay Dunstan, director of digital services, said, “With elements representing the ‘arts,’ the ‘beats’ and the ‘eats,’ we wanted to create a single visual that captures all aspects of the festival. At the same time we wanted this visual to exemplify how successfully Arts, Beats & Eats brings all three of these elements together — offering an event that appeals to all tastes and all ages.”
SAFETY FIRST
Keeping staff, volunteers, participants and festivalgoers safe and healthy is a priority at Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats. Event organizers will display signage encouraging unvaccinated guests to wear masks and keep a social distance, while requiring food and beverage staff to wear masks while serving. Added cleaning protocols for rides and other areas across the festival site, along with additional hand sanitizing and washing stations also will be in place.
MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT
Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats organizers will announce this year’s music lineup, Juried Fine Art Show and “eats” participants, as well as new and returning activations the festival is known for on Aug. 4.
2021 Festival Hours
The 24th annual Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats will be open 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3 through Sunday, Sept. 5; and 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 6.
Cash and credit card transactions will be accepted at gate entrances. Admission pricing will be announced in conjunction with the Aug. 4 entertainment line-up.
2021 Sponsors
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Flagstar Bank, Beaumont, Delta Dental, Detroit Institute of Arts, Everdry, Hawthorne Suites, Hilton Garden Inn-Troy, House of Dank, Imperial Beverage, Kroger, Makers Mark, Mancan, Oakland Community College, Oozelife, Pepsi, Priority Health, Short’s Brewing Company, Stellantis, Tito’s Vodka, US Park and WeatherGard Windows.
Sponsorship opportunities for the 2021 Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats presented by Flagstar Bank are still available. More information is available at www.artsbeatseats.com or by calling the Arts, Beats & Eats office at 248-541-7550.
In 2019, more than 343,000 visitors attended the four-day festival, raising over $233,000 for local charities. With a long-standing commitment to community giving, the festival has donated a total of nearly $6 million to charitable and community causes since its inception in 1998.
While the festival was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, virtual and small-scale live activations took its place to spread a little bit of art, music, food and health, including a major initiative to support the local music industry called “The Beats Go On…” which raised more than $431K for local musicians.
For more information, visit www.artsbeatseats.com or call 248-541-7550.
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