Ford Adds Interactive Fun to This Year's Detroit International Jazz Festival

Ford Adds Interactive Fun to This Year's Detroit International Jazz Festival

DETROIT, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The 27th Annual Detroit International Jazz Fest, the largest free jazz festival in North America, will again gather jazz fans from around the globe to inhabit downtown Detroit from Hart Plaza to Campus Martius Park from September 1, through September 4, 2006.

This year, the excitement of this three-and-a-half day event doesn't end there. Ford Motor Company, sponsor of the Ford Spirit of Detroit Stage, has included fun interactive activities into its zone. Guests will have the opportunity to sing like their favorite jazz legend on the Ford Fusion Idol Karaoke Challenge stage. Each participant's name will automatically be entered into an iPOD raffle. And, so the experience of their voices echoing through the Detroit streets is not forgotten, contestants will receive a DVD of their performance, compliments of Ford Motor Company.

For the more timid of festivalgoers, Ford Motor Company has provided an alternative solution. Guests will have the opportunity to count their way to a free iPOD Nano at the Ford Escape Hybrid Music Note Count Challenge. Participants can fill out an entry form with a guess as to how many Ford music notes it takes to fill a Ford Escape Hybrid to win this great prize. Guests also will have a chance to check out the 2007 Mercury Mountaineer. Product Specialists will be on hand to answer any consumer question.

"The city of Detroit has been a pioneer in the development of jazz music, and Ford Motor Company is pleased to support the initiatives of Mack Avenue Records and Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts and to keep the jazz sound alive," said Susan Pepper, Ford Motor Company. "We are also proud to assist the Detroit Jazz Fest in its mission of presenting a world-class signature event that helps make Detroit a tourist destination."

In addition to the exciting interactive activities, the Ford Spirit of Detroit Stage, one of the six stages spread throughout the festival, will be overflowing with a combination of jazz, blues, R&B, Gospel and of course, Motown sound. Featured performers on the Ford Spirit of Detroit Stage include Taj Mahal, Richie Havens and Dirty Dozen Brass Band. For a performance schedule, please visit the festival's website at http://www.detroitjazzfest.com/ .

For 27 years, the Detroit International Jazz Festival has attracted visitors and locals to an end of summer ritual on Labor Day Weekend that celebrates one of America's most important art forms. The festival boasts 6 stages and 100 acts over three days in a city well known for its musical legacy. Recently, the Detroit Jazz Fest became an independent, not-for-profit entity. It remains one of the largest festivals in the country that provides free admission.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and more than 100 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive- related services include Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit http://www.fordvehicles.com/ .

Ford Fusion

Fusion brings more than style to a midsize sedan. It also brings relief to your wallet by delivering 31 MPG on the highway with the standard 2.3L Duratec I-4. This 4-valve-per-cylinder engine also operates 160 horsepower.

Ford Escape Hybrid

Introducing the Ford Escape Hybrid, the first vehicle to combine SUV capability with the outstanding fuel economy and low environmental impact of a full hybrid. The no compromise Escape Hybrid drives normally, performs superbly and offers all the features you'd expect from the SUV leader. The Escape Hybrid includes roomy, comfortable seating for five, a versatile cargo area, and an optional Intelligent 4WD System which offers the same all-weather traction and off-road capability available in traditional Escape models.

Mercury Mountaineer

Mercury Mountaineer is a step up from the competition with premium amenities and intelligent features throughout. Two sporty automatic transmission choices, available DVD Entertainment System and the class- exclusive Roll Stability Control have helped this midsize SUV secure a place as a 2006 Consumer Digest Best Buy, as well as earn a five-star driver and passenger, front and side crash-test rating from NHTSA.

Source: Ford Motor Company

CONTACT: Kate Dennis, +1-313-203-7274, kdennis@pcgcampbell.com , for
Ford Motor Company

Web site: http://www.detroitjazzfest.com/
http://www.fordvehicles.com/

-------
Profile: intent