Thanksgiving Events in Detroit 2015
photo courtesy www.theparade.org
Thanksgiving marks the true start of the holiday season- despite the fact that retail stores were already preparing for it as soon as the Halloween decorations were taken down! The Thanksgiving holiday brings families together for a delicious meal and provides a time to give thanks for all of life’s many blessings. Traditions are celebrated in a variety of ways; through recipes, seating arrangements and even the way we spend the day, whether it’s watching football or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, taking an afternoon snooze to work off those “turkey enzymes”, or playing games with family into the evening hours.
The Start of the Holiday Season – Thanksgiving in Detroit
The weekend of Thanksgiving in Detroit brings a variety of holiday-related events and activities, some of which last just for Thanksgiving Day or the weekend, while some last throughout the entire holiday season. Here are just a few things to do, starting this Thanksgiving in Detroit:
- Watch America’s Thanksgiving Parade. For over eight decades, America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been marching through downtown Detroit on Woodward Avenue, starting at Kirby and ending at Congress. The parade is well-known for the giant paper mache heads worn by marchers, which were inspired by the carnivals in Venice. This year’s Grand Marshal will be actor and Michigan native Tim Allen, known for the television shows “Home Improvement” and “Last Man Standing”.
- Head to Ford Field for the Lions game. The Detroit Lions have played on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1934. This year, our team will host the Philadelphia Eagles at Ford Field, and the halftime show will include Detroit rapper Big Sean. Of course, you can always enjoy the game from the comfort of your own home and couch, too!
- Participate in the Turkey Trot. Another long-standing Detroit Thanksgiving tradition is the Turkey Trot 5K and 10K run through downtown. The race began in 1983 and runners are encouraged to don their favorite costumes, holiday-inspired or not, with prizes awarded for best overall male, female, girl, boy and team costumes.
- Check out the Detroit Zoo Wild Lights 2015. More than 5 million LED lights illuminate building, trees and animal sculptures throughout the front of the Detroit Zoo. The Wild Lights event runs on weekends starting from November 20th through December 31st and also features live entertainment, arts and crafts, seasonal refreshments and more!
- Go ice skating at Campus Martius Park. The ice skating rink at Campus Martius Park can accommodate up to 1,000 skaters at a time and is a beautiful, professionally kept rink. No skates? Don’t worry, you can rent them there! The rink is open officially on November 20th and will remain open, weather permitting, through March 5th. It’s a favorite destination during the holiday season!
- View some sparkling tree lighting ceremonies. Throughout the greater Detroit metro area, you’ll find numerous tree lighting ceremonies the weekend before and after Thanksgiving to help kick off the holiday season. Detroit’s official tree lighting ceremony is planned for November 20th at Campus Martius Park. There are also plenty of other tree lighting ceremonies throughout the region to really get you into that holiday spirit.
What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions?