Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Wixom City Council on Tuesday approved nearly $33,000 for a one-year billboard campaign to steer drivers off of westbound I-96 and into the city.

"It was mentioned about possibly highlighting that downtown Wixom is a 'trail town.' The board really wants to highlight the 'Wednesdays in Wixom' campaign, to bring more people to the downtown residents in January and February, where we go and pay for people's meals," said Downtown Development Authority Director Laura Cloutier.

"Other things that I think we can highlight, but it's not set in stone, is possibly the Derby Day races, and in the summertime months, the happenings that are happening."

Cloutier said Lamar of Westland is working on preliminary concepts for the billboard, which will be shared with the DDA board and later finalized.

"I do appreciate the more refined aspects like 'Wednesdays in Wixom,' the 'Derby Day,' the 'Block Party' might be something to advertise," said Councilman Keenan Gottaschall.

"What scared me last (meeting) was the general stuff. I think we're at a point where we need to have a topic to draw people in."

Wixom's next big event is its annual summer ending Block Party scheduled September 20. Click the link below for more details.