Downtown Detroit at Christmas (Photo courtesy of Brian Sevald / Royalty-free / iStock / Getty Images Plus)(Photo courtesy of Brian Sevald / Royalty-free / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Windsor

Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade: what you need to know

Whether you're commuting through downtown Detroit on Thursday or attending the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade, navigating beyond the Windsor Detroit Tunnel could be a challenge.

Several downtown streets are closed in anticipation of the hundreds of thousands of parade-goers expected to watch the 97th edition of the annual event.

The City of Detroit has Gratiot between Farmer and Woodward Avenue closed for WDIV TV coverage. Woodward Avenue is also closed between West Grand Boulevard and Larned.

Other street closures are:

  • West Jefferson from the Lodge Freeway to Cabacier

  • Michigan at Cass Boulevard

  • Fort Street from Trumbull to Woodward Avenue

  • Congress from Shelby to Randolph

  • Larned from Shelby to Randolph

  • Shelby from Congress to Michigan Avenue

  • Michigan Avenue from Cass to Woodward Avenue

  • Monroe from Woodward Avenue to Randolph

  • Lafayette Boulevard from Trumbull to Griswold

  • Washington Boulevard from Adams to Congress

  • Atwater from Civic Center Drive to Third Street

Starting at 7 a.m., the southbound Lodge Freeway at West Jefferson/Cobo and Larned Street and northbound at West Jefferson will close for the Turkey Trot at 10 a.m.

The parade starts at 8:45 a.m. at Woodward Avenue and Kirby and ends two hours later at Woodward Avenue and Congress.

This year, it will feature 28 floats, including three new designs by Barton Malow, Corewell Health, and The Skillman Foundation, six balloons, and 11 marching bands.

First-round draft pick for the Detroit Lions in the 1985 NFL Draft, Lomas Brown and retired Fox 2 News news anchor Huel Perkins will serve as co-Grand Marshals.

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