---------------------------------------------------
After a multi-year absence, Arts du Jour returns on Thursday August 26, 2010. As a preview event to the much-anticipated Ford Arts, Beats & Eats festival, Arts du Jour will not only give partygoers a "taste" of what's to come over Labor Day weekend, but will help raise money for nine worthy not-for-profit organizations in the metro Detroit area. It will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a Late Night After Glow from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, 316 E. 11 Mile Road, just east of the 11 Mile/Main intersection.
Scrumptious food from 50 local restaurants and caterers, live entertainment, local celebrities, cultural performances and art displays will make the festival kick-off a night to remember. The event will be held for the first time ever at the Royal Oak Farmers Market in Royal Oak. The evening will be a celebration of great food, culture and fun.
Many of metro Detroit's best restaurants, caterers and purveyors of fine food will be sampling selections from their menus including: bd's Mongolian Grill, Beverly Hills Grill, Black Finn, Bloomfield Canapé & Cheesecake, Bonaventure Bread Company, California Pizza Kitchen, Cold Stone Creamery, D'Amato's, Garden Fresh Gourmet, Kirk's BBQ, Lily's Seafood Grill,Melting Pot, Mezza Mediterranean Grille, Moose Preserve & Iroquois Club, Noodles & Company, Palm Palace, Party Cakes, Peking House, Phoenicia of Birmingham, Pronto, Qdoba, Rangoli Indian Cuisine, Russell Street Deli, Sanders Chocolates, Sangria, Schakolad Chocolate Factory, Sonic, Streetside Seafood, The Melting Pot, Town Tavern, Vince & Joe's, What Crepé, White House Tavern, and Zumba.
During Arts du Jour, the Royal Oak Farmers Market will showcase celebrity chefs serving up food from participating restaurants, including members of the local media Chuck Gaidica, Guy Gordon, Jay Towers, Andrew Humphrey, Katrina Hancock, Lauren Podell and Rod Meloni, Jason Carr, Jackie Paige, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, and Lisa Jesswein.
"The return of Arts du Jour is a boost to the quality of life in Oakland County. It is a great opportunity to support Ford Arts, Beats & Eats and some very worthy charities," said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.
Nine not-for-profit organizations will receive 75 percent of the proceeds from Arts du Jour including Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Oakland, Forgotten Harvest, Gleaners Community Food Bank, The Rainbow Connection, Rose Hill Center, Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce, South Oakland Center, Arthritis Foundation and The Children's Center
Featured performers at the event will include the Golden Rain Percussion Ensemble, whose members will perform light classics and Mexican folksongs on the marimba. The marimba has been described as "the wood that sings," and is an instrument that lends itself to the beautiful melodies and warm harmonies reminiscent of exotic lands and tropical climates.
Also performing will be Nadanta, a Indian artistic and cultural organization, who recently had the world premiere of its latest production "Rhythms of India" featuring music of Academy and Grammy award winner A.R. Rhaman. Nadanta combines the best of Indian classical, folk and creative dance forms with a contemporary multi-cultural outreach.
"We are thrilled to bring back Arts Du Jour as the official charity preview for Ford Arts, Beats, and Eats. It is a wonderful opportunity to generate excitement about the festival's new location in Royal Oak and to raise awareness and funds for our charitable partners," said Jon Witz executive producer of Ford Arts, Beats and Eats.
Entertainment at the Late Night After Glow includes Sean Blackman whose unique World Music style is influenced by Armenian folk, both South and West African music, along with Brazilian Jazz and Flamenco, Jazz, Blues, Rock and Soul.
Also performing is IMPACT 7 with its soulful assortment of blues, rock & roll, Motown, funk and jazz. IMPACT's shows are noteworthy for their tight harmonies, choreography and a lot of high energy.
Homegrown dance band Boogie Dynomite will have guests up on the dance floor and enjoying dance music from many different decades.
Making sure that After Glow guests have a great time will be emcee, Lisa Jesswein. Jesswein is a local radio personality and motivational speaker who currently hosts her own Internet radio podcast show, "Positive Now," on Empower Radio.
Guests are requested to dress in summer chic or summer upscale attire.
The schedule for Arts du Jour is:
Main event
5:30 p.m. Arrive & Register Early
6 p.m. Doors Open
6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Celebrity Chefs Serve up for a great cause.
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Barbara Peyton & the Big Boss
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Strolling Dinner & Cocktails, Entertainment
Late Night After Glow 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. Music & Dancing
Tickets for Arts du Jour are $75 each. This event is made possible thanks to the generosity of Arts du Jour sponsors, including Skidmore Studio, Uptown Entertainment, WWJ Newsradio 950, Little Black Dress Wines, Social Connection, The Oakland Press, C &N Party Rentals, Health Plus, Birmingham Investments, Phoeni Innovative, Pepsi, Street Smart Marketing, WDIV-TV, and Garden Fresh Gourmet.
For more information on Arts du Jour, and to purchase tickets benefitting the charity of your choice visit http://ArtsDujJourRO.org, or call (866) 234-6097.
Held over Labor Day weekend, September 3-6, in downtown Royal Oak, Ford Arts, Beats & Eats will be open from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Labor Day Monday. All net proceeds will benefit local charities. For additional public information on the festival, visit
