America's Thanksgiving Parade: What to know before you go
Amelia Benavides-ColónIf you're one of the thousands of people planning to head to downtown Detroit for Thursday's 96th America's Thanksgiving Parade on Woodward, here's what you need to know.
The parade starts at 8:45 a.m. at Woodward and Kirby, travels south for about an hour and a half, and ends at Woodward and Congress.
Before you leave, expect delays due to road closures.
Woodward will be closed completely from West Grand Boulevard to Larned from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.
From 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., the southbound Lodge exits 1A & 1B (at West Jefferson/Cobo and Larned Street) and the northbound Lodge exit 1A (at West Jefferson) will be closed, as well as the following streets:
- W. Jefferson from the Lodge Freeway to Cabacier
- Michigan at Cass
- Fort from Trumbull to Woodward
- Congress from Shelby to Randolph
- Larned from Shelby to Randolph
- Shelby from Congress to Michigan
- Michigan from Cass to Woodward
- Monroe from Woodward to Randolph
- Lafayette Blvd. from Trumbull to Griswold
- Washington Blvd. from Adams to Congress
- Atwater from Civic Center Drive to Third
Where to park:
The Ford Underground Garage at 30 E. Jefferson for $10
The Eastern Market Garage at 2727 Riopelle St., for $20
Where to watch:
Pick a spot along Woodward, most are open to the public for free.
To reserve tickets in the grandstand: visit www.theparade.org/americas-thanksgiving-parade
Looking to watch from indoors?
The Majestic Theater, at 4140 Woodward, will be open for an all-you-can-eat breakfast from 7-11 a.m.
The parade will be live-streamed in the Majestic Theater Lobby and the Garden Bowl Lounge.
Tickets are $40 for adults, $18 for children and can be purchased at www.majesticdetroit.com. All proceeds benefit the Children’s Center of Detroit.
Join the Turkey Trot
Hosted annually by Strategic Staffing Solutions, a variety of races are held before the parade.
- The Michigan Mashed Potato Mile starts at 7:30 a.m. on Atwater behind Huntington Place
- 10K Turkey Trot starts at 7:30 a.m. on Griswold and Fort
- 5K Stuffing Strut starts at 8:30 a.m. on Griswold and Fort
All races will finish on Atwater behind Huntington Place. Register at www.theparade.org/turkeytrot/registration/