Jazz Greats Ronnie Laws, Phil Perry, Howard Hewett, And The Ralphe Armstrong Show To Perform At Inaugural Detroit Paradise Valley Music Festival

DETROIT, June 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Detroit Downtown Development Authority has announced that the inaugural Detroit Paradise Valley Music Festival will take place in the Paradise Valley Cultural and Entertainment District from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday, July 13, Saturday, July 14, and Sunday, July 15. The weekend will feature jazz extraordinaires Ronnie Laws, Phil Perry, Howard Hewett, and Ralphe Armstrong as headliners, along with more than 70 other national and local performances over the three-day period. All events are free to the public.

The Paradise Valley District honors the rich tradition of African American entertainment and commerce in Detroit. The original Paradise Valley comprised 66 blocks where African-Americans lived, worked and played. There were more than 350 African-American-owned businesses in the area – serving the community by day, while night clubs provided world-class entertainment after dark. The clubs hosted all the greats: Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Sammy Davis Jr., Josephine Baker, and many others.

The Downtown Development Authority, the City of Detroit, The Kresge Foundation and others have invested in the Paradise Valley District as a way of creating economic opportunity based on Downtown's creative and historical assets.

The Festival is a wonderful place for the whole family to enjoy good food, listen to tremendous music and hear the story of a time gone by. The Festival opens at 11:00 AM July 13, 2012 and admission is free. Live performances begin at noon and run until 11:00 PM each night of the event.

Johnnie Washington, event producer, said, "The festival provides an excellent platform to support the arts, music, and local business, and it also lets us pause to recognize, reflect and celebrate our culture. The celebration is taking place in Downtown Detroit - but this is a festival for everyone."

Among the features of the Festival:


• Tastes from many Detroit restaurants – especially those in the District: COLORS, Detroit Seafood Market and Coaches Corner

• Art in Paradise Valley

• A classic car show
• The Detroit Pistons Basketball Trailer

• 92.3 The Mix RV, playing today's music

• The 606 Horseshoe Lounge (must be 21 of age)

More information at www.detroitparadisevalleymusicfestival.com.  

SOURCE Detroit Downtown Development Authority