Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival
TheInternational Freedom Festivalis a multi-day celebration in late June markingCanada Dayon July 1 and the AmericanIndependence Dayon July 4. Detroit, Michigan, in the United States andWindsor, Ontario,in Canada jointly celebrate the multi-day festival which draws about 3.5 million visitors. The International Freedom Festival began in 1959.
Beginning in 2007, the Festival became two separate events, Windsor Summer Fest, and Detroit River Days.
Summer Fest is a 19-day festival, which takes place along the scenic riverfront in Windsor Ontario. More than 500,000 people attend the event each year.[citation needed]
The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy began the River Days festival in June 2007 to introduce the community and visitors to the transformedDetroit International Riverfront.The festival marked the opening of significant portions of the new Detroit RiverWalk and the festival has continued each year to spotlight this destination in the city of Detroit.
The highlight of both festivals is the fireworks display in celebration of the United States' Independence Day and Canada's Canada Day. It is one of the largest and most spectacular firework displays in North America, lighting up the sky over Windsor and Detroit. This annual spectacle draws more than 1,000,000 to the Windsor and Detroit river fronts (citation needed). It is usually held on the Monday shared by both festivals.
Events
editTraditionally, several days of events were planned, ending with one of the world's largestfireworksdisplays.[1] The event usually took place the last Wednesday of June, every year. However, in 2010, the day was moved to a Monday. The Windsor side also contains a carnival with additional events and rides.
In 2020 and 2021, the fireworks event had to be postponed to later months and moved to designated locations within Southeast Lower Michigan and ban spectators from attending in response toCOVID-19 pandemicand public health safety concerns as it was a television-only event broadcast onWDIV-TV.From 2022 onward, the event gets held once again at the riverfront with spectators attending the fireworks in person. The upcoming event is to be held on June 26, 2023, as fireworks to occur around or after 22:00EDT(02:00UTC) with broadcast onWDIV-TVstarting at 20:00 EDT (00:00 UTC).[2]The event for 2023 to be named "Splash into Summer" with 10,000 pyrotechnic effects to light up the sky alongside Detroit River for quite a distance[3]
Sponsors
editFor most of its existence it was sponsored byHudson's.Its corporate successorTargettook over as sponsor until 2013, when theFord Motor Companybecame the primary sponsor, with the event re-branded as theFord Fireworks presented by Target.The show is broadcast on TV by NBC affiliateWDIV-TVLocal 4, whileWJRairs an audio simulcast of its music.[4]On the Windsor side, there is a midway consisting of carnival rides and concessions during the festival. The Midway operates as a stand-alone attraction at the end of June and beginning of July. It's also sponsored byZehrs,providing free transportation for people to get to the fireworks viaTransit Windsor.The Ford Fireworks is produced byThe Parade Company of Detroit.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^Mink, Randy, and Karen Mink (July 2001). Detroit Turns 300 – Detroit 300 Festival.Travel America,World Publishing Co., Gale Group.
- ^Johncox, Cassidy (June 24, 2023)."2023 Detroit Ford Fireworks guide: How to watch, event info, parking, curfew, more".WDIV.RetrievedJune 26,2023.
- ^Carr, Brandon (June 19, 2023)."The Ford Fireworks to electrify Detroit Skyline on Monday, June 26".WDIV.RetrievedJune 26,2023.
- ^"Ford becomes lead sponsor of Detroit fireworks scheduled for June 24".MILive.com.RetrievedNovember 13,2013.