top of page
Fireworks
IG Story HC 2023 - Headliners.png

JUN 29, 2023

Headline performers announced for Dearborn Homecoming Festival 2023

The City of Dearborn is announcing the headlining musical performers for Dearborn Homecoming Festival 2023, presented by J&T Crova Towing. Canadian rockers Jody Raffoul Band return to Homecoming on Friday, Aug. 4. On Saturday, chart-topping pop artist Natasha Bedingfield takes the stage. Country musician Tenille Arts will close out the festival on Sunday night.

 

Set times for each artist are below:

Friday, August 4 - Jody Raffoul Band - 8:45 p.m.

Saturday, August 5 - Natasha Bedingfield - 9 p.m.

Sunday, August 6 - Tenille Arts - 8:45 p.m.

 

The festival’s full musical schedule, including lineups for Main Stage support, the Cultural Pavilion Stage and the Kids Stage, will be announced soon.

About Jody Raffoul

 

Jody Raffoul may originally be from a small town in Southern Ontario, but his diverse career as a working class pop-rock singer/songwriter has continued to put him in the spotlight in the United States. Jody is the father of Interscope artist Billy Raffoul and Atlantic artist Peter Raffoul. Already a reliable “critic’s pick” in the Detroit region, Jody performs over 200 shows a year and has opened for artists including Collective Soul, Nickelback, Counting Crows, and most recently, Bon Jovi. After releasing “9 Wigle Street, Lemington, Ontario” in 2018 and “Bamoré” in 2019, Jody is currently working on his seventh studio album.

 

About Natasha Bedingfield

 

Originally from New Zealand, Natasha Bedingfield grew up in southeast London, where she and her siblings were raised around music, and when she left university to sign with BMG everything changed.

 

Ever since the Grammy-nominated multi-platinum singer made her solo debut in 2004, Natasha Bedingfield has been one of the world's most inspiring and innovative female singer-songwriters. With five albums under her belt, over 14 million albums sold and a diverse set of collaborations with artists such as Nicki Minaj, Big Sean, Sean Kingston, Brandy, Rascal Flatts, Lifehouse and Lang Lang, her artistic breadth is unmatched. Hits like "Unwritten," "These Words" and "Pocketful of Sunshine," 'Single,' 'Soulmate' and 'Love Like This' topped international charts. "Unwritten," in particular, continues to be an anthem for so many around the planet- and widely hailed as the unofficial commencement song at graduations.

 

Natasha has had more than 20 of her songs used in films, which says a lot about her versatility. As a dynamic performer with a powerfully soulful voice, Natasha has toured extensively around the globe and has performed at numerous, distinguished events including the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, the Dalai Lama's Common Ground for Peace and the Obama White House's "The Motown Sound." Supporting her passionate stance around Climate Change, she co-wrote and collaborated with artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow and others on a project called 'Love Song to the Earth.' She was asked to perform the song at the UN General Assembly in front of many world leaders and also during the Pope's visit and address on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Recently the climate change activist performed at COP26 with the Royal Conservatoire of Music in Scotland.

 

Most recently, and proving that a great song is timeless, "Unwritten" enjoyed a resurgence as a TikTok challenge in 2021, garnering an MTV Award nomination. To quote an article in Insider: "If the Richter scale measures the energy released by an earthquake, Natasha Bedingfield must have a similar sense for pop songs." In 2021 she performed as "Pepper" in "The Masked Singer" Fox television show, and as she continues to write and record new music, plan tours, speak about Climate Change and so much more, there's a whole lot of surprises to come from Natasha Bedingfield.
 

About Tenille Arts

In a world of dreams, Tenille Arts has seen more come true in the last couple of years than even she could have imagined – hit singles, critical acclaim, major tours, awards, and now a hit duet with one of her idols. 

 

She signed with new label Dreamcatcher Artists early this year, and the company’s first release was the stunning “Jealous of Myself.” Superstar singer LeAnn Rimes caught wind of the song and joined Tenille on an exquisite duet version. Written by Emily Weisband, Trevor Rosen, and John Byron, Billboard called the song “a moody masterpiece with a classic misdirection.”

 

The last two years have been a whirlwind for Tenille. She released the ground-breaking Love, Heartbreak, & Everything in Between collection, which yielded the #1 hit “Somebody Like That.” The single is certified platinum in the U.S. and made history as the first #1 Country single written, produced and performed by an all-female cast.

 

Tenille wrote the song with Allison Cruz and Alex Kline, and Kline produced the track. “Somebody Like That” also spent three weeks at #1 on the Radio Disney Country Top 50 chart. The notoriety she received from the airplay and exposure landed her as the only Country artist featured in YouTube’s 2021 Foundry Class, and led to her being featured in the advertising program for the new Google Pixel 6 device.

 

She then released the full-length album Girl To Girl. Girl To Girl hit just as Tenille was wrapping up opening Lady A’s coast-to-coast What A Song Can Do Tour. She opened dates on Scotty McCreery’s Same Truck Tour, opened for Luke Combs in the UK and Jordan Davis’ Buy Dirt Tour. She recently opened Lee Brice’s Canadian tour and in between headlined her own dates and festival appearances.

 

Tenille was inducted into the prestigious CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2021 and named one of the five 2021 CRS New Faces of Country Music. She was nominated for the ACM New Female Artist of the Year, iHeartRadio Music Awards Best New

Country Artist. Her “Back Then, Right Now” single led to CMT Music Awards nominations for Female Video of the Year and Breakthrough Video of the Year.

 

Tenille is currently in the studio writing and recording new music to be featured on her next album, due out later this year.

Sky
IMG-2029.jpg
IMG_2696.jpg

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Feb. 2, 2023

Mayor Hammoud announces Dearborn’s 42nd Homecoming Festival will return to Ford Field Park

DEARBORN, MI – On Thursday, Feb. 2, Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud officially announced that the 42nd annual Dearborn Homecoming festival will to its original location at Ford Field Park. The festival will take place August 4-6 of this year.

 

Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud stated, “I’m thrilled to announce that the Homecoming Festival is coming home to Ford Field Park this year. This decision required a lot of planning and preparation to ensure the viability and longevity of Ford Field as the festival’s home, and I’m grateful to the city workers who helped make it a reality. I’ll see you on the hill!”

 

Festival planning is well underway, and festival-goers this year can expect many of the same cherished attractions and amenities. The 42-year-old festival was established in 1980 and has been a summer staple in the city ever since. It initially began, in part, as a reunion for graduates of Dearborn’s high schools, and is now an annual tradition that draws visitors from across the region.

 

In 2020, the festival was canceled due to the pandemic. A smaller series of concerts took place in 2021 and, last year, the festival moved to the grounds of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center to avoid any potential flooding at Ford Field, which is located in a flood plain. According to city officials, significant progress has been made in removing the log jams in the Rouge River that often divert water into the park and exacerbate flooding. Additionally, the several additional months of planning time will allow further progress on flood mitigation in the park. Due to the change in administration, last year’s festival was planned in less than 6 months.

 

For any businesses or individuals interested in becoming a sponsor or vendor of this year’s event, please visit the official event website at www.dearbornhomecoming.com.

The festival will be open from 12-11 p.m. every day, Friday, Aug. 4 through Sunday, Aug. 6. More details will be available soon about the entertainment line-up, food, fireworks, and other amenities.

 

Please follow the city’s official social media pages @DearbornGov for additional details as they become available.

CONTACT: Paula Rivera

privera@dearborn.gov

bottom of page