An area tradition is back, sort of.
The 62nd edition of the Ford Fireworks, initially set for June but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place at a secret pop-up location on August 31, according to The Parade Company, which puts on the annual show. The Detroit Free Press reported that the site would not be announced ahead of time to keep crowds away, and as always, the show will be broadcast live. Hart Plaza and other public spaces in Detroit will not be open for viewing.
Tony Michaels, president and CEO of The Parade Company, said many people worked behind the scenes to ensure that the show went on.
"The Parade Company has an unwavering commitment to this important tradition and bringing great events to our community," said Michaels in a release quoted by the paper. "We are proud to come together with the city of Detroit and our partners to make this event possible each year."
The Parade Company also puts on the famous Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit each November.
The show will not take place in the downtown cores of Detroit and Windsor, the Free Press reported, though a resident of the Riverfront Towers told the paper that the show will still be visible from there, with no on-site party planned this year.
WDIV-TV, which broadcasts the show live each year, will do the same once more. This time, a special two-hour "We Are One Together" broadcast will air beginning at 8 p.m. In years past, the show itself was also simulcast on local radio.
The Ford Fireworks, one of the most prominent fireworks displays in the world, typically brings a million people to both sides of the international border. However, the challenges brought by COVID-19 made it impossible to do so safely. In Windsor, huge crowds gathered each year on the riverfront to watch the half-hour show.