Parades & fireworks / Downtown
Ford Fireworks
One of North America's biggest fireworks shows, fired from barges on the Detroit River on a late-June Monday night. Watch free from Hart Plaza or Belle Isle.
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The show grew out of the Detroit-Windsor International Freedom Festival, which started in 1959 to celebrate both Canada Day and the Fourth of July. These days it lights up the Detroit River on a Monday night in late June, launched from barges while hundreds of thousands watch from both shores. Ford has been the main sponsor since 2013, The Parade Company produces it, and WDIV-Local 4 carries it live. The 2026 show kicked off just after 10 p.m. and ran about 24 minutes, and the 69th edition is set for Monday, June 21, 2027.
- Fireworks fired from barges on the Detroit River
- The RenCen and the downtown skyline as backdrop
- Free viewing at Hart Plaza, Spirit Plaza and Erma Henderson Park
- Ticketed Rooftop Party atop the Center Garage
- Live on WDIV-Local 4
A closer look
Photos were taken at different times; images are resized and cropped on cards.
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Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-10-01
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
Events at this place
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We have no published upcoming events linked to this place yet. That does not mean the venue has no events; check its official calendar too.
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