The American Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit is a feast for the eyes before the feast at the table. With celebrity appearances, clowns, balloons, marching bands and the legendary floats, it’s enough fun to draw tens of thousands of excited spectators every year.
The famous annual parade, presented by Gardner White, is now in its 98th year. The theme for 2024 is “Miles of Smiles!”
What time does the Detroit Thanksgiving Parade start?
The parade will begin at 8:45 a.m. Thursday at Woodward Avenue and Kirby Street in Midtown, according to The Parade Company, a Detroit-based nonprofit that produces the U.S. Thanksgiving Parade. It ends just after noon in downtown Detroit, past Campus Martius Park.
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Detroit Thanksgiving Parade Route
The parade will march in a straight line south along Woodward. The procession will travel three miles from Kirby Avenue to Congress Street in the heart of downtown Detroit. According to a map of the route, the parade officially ends at Congress and Woodward.
Where can you watch Detroit’s Thanksgiving Parade?
The event is free to attend along the parade route, but finding a spot can be difficult. Some locations host viewing parties.
While tickets for parties at the Parade Company, University of Michigan, Presley’s Kitchen and others are sold out, The Whitney still has some third floor tickets available for the annual Thanksgiving Parade Brunch.
A third floor ticket for The Whitney brunch and watch party costs $134 plus fees and can only be purchased online. Tickets for children 10 and under are $99. Sales close Monday. It includes access to a buffet breakfast and viewing of the parade from the third floor of the iconic mansion and luxury restaurant.
According to The Whitney, fewer than 20 tickets for the third floor were available Saturday morning, and adult and child tickets were sold out.
How to watch on television
Can’t make it downtown to see the parade? Don’t worry, the event will be live on TV, streamed online and commented on radio.
TV stations broadcasting the parade include WDIV-TV (Local 4). A livestream will be hosted on clickondetroit.com and live commentary will be provided on WOMC 104.3 FM. For hopeful viewers outside the Detroit area, the parade will be spread across 185 markets. According to The Parade Company, a full channel list will be available on Monday.
Detroit Turkey Trot 2024
Want to burn a few calories before the Thanksgiving feast on Thursday? Along with the parade festivities, the annual Turkey Trot kicks off on Thanksgiving. A variety of events are offered, including a 10K, 5K and a 1-mile run. Runners are encouraged to run in costume.
The 10k and 1 mile runs start at 7:30am and the 5k starts an hour later at 8:30am
To register for the race, use The Parade Company’s online registration portal here.
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Road closures
Due to the parade and Turkey Trot, many roads in downtown and downtown will be closed during the day. Detours will begin on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, and detours and closures will be lifted on Thanksgiving at 5 p.m.
The largest closure will be Woodward Avenue, which will be closed along the parade route from 8 a.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday.
Grand River Avenue, Jefferson Avenue and Gratiot Avenue will all be closed and rerouted on Thanksgiving. For the complete list of closures, visit the City of Detroit’s route updates list for the holiday week here.
Parking
According to the Parade Company, parking will be available along the parade route. In 2023, the City of Detroit has recommended the following garages: Ford Underground Garage at 30 E. Jefferson Avenue and the Eastern Market Garage at 2727 Riopelle Street
Nour Rahal is a trending and pioneering news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.
Liam Rappleye is a trending and pioneering news reporter. Email him: LRappleye@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2024 America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit: Start time, route, more
