DETROIT (WWJ) — Detroit is gearing up for Thanksgiving day and the trio of annual traditions — America’s Thanksgiving Parade, the Turkey Trot and the Lions game.
With thousands of people expected to descend on downtown on Thursday, Nov. 28, there’s a lot to know about parking, road closures, how to get around, and more.
Here’s your guide to Thanksgiving Day in the Motor City.
America’s Thanksgiving Parade
The 98th annual parade is scheduled to head down Woodward Avenue, stepping off at Kirby at 8:45 a.m. and will take about an hour and a half to march south to the end of the route, at Woodward and Congress.
View the parade route here and a map of where to find porta potties along the route here.
The majority of the parade route is free and open to the public. While grandstand seating is available in the heart of downtown, tickets have already sold out.
This year’s grand marshals will be Sen. Debbie Stabenow, sportscaster Mike Tirico, and Dan Loepp, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the theme of the parade is “Miles of Smiles.”
Those who can’t attend the parade in-person can listen to live narration of the parade on WOMC and watch it live in Metro Detroit on WDIV, Local 4. It will be syndicated across nearly 200 markets nationwide. The Parade Company says a list of stations will be released the week of Nov. 25.
Where to park
Parking spots sell out fast and the public is encouraged to either reserve in advance using the Park Detroit App or ParkWhiz or arrive extra early.
While there’s plenty of parking available for purchase along the parade route, The Parade Company and Detroit Municipal Parking Department released recommend parking at one of the two following locations:
• 30 E. Jefferson Avenue (30 E. Jefferson Ave.) — Wednesday Nov. 27: 6 a.m.-11 p.m., hourly rate ($5 for the first two hours, $10 for 2-4 hours, $15 for more than 4 hours); Thursday, Nov. 28: 5 a.m.-7 p.m. ($10); Friday, Nov. 29: hourly rate ($5 for first 2 hours, $10 for 2-4 hours, $15 for more than four hours); Saturday, Nov. 30: CLOSED; Sunday, Dec. 1: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., hourly rate ($5 for first 2 hours, $10 for 2-4 hours, $15 for more than four hours)
• Eastern Market Garage (2727 Riopelle St.) — Nov. 28, 6 a.m.-9 p.m. — $10
*Note: the city and Parade Company websites currently list 2023 parking information and may be updated closer to parade day. Check here for the most up-to-date information.
Residents and visitors can enjoy free, metered parking on Thursday and Friday, with parking enforcement suspended. Parking enforcement will resume on Saturday.
Drivers are reminded they should not block driveways, crosswalks, fire hydrants or other critical access points. Any illegally parked vehicles will be ticketed and possibly towed.
Road closures
Tuesday, November 26
• Beginning at 7 a.m., Gratiot between Farmer and Woodward will close for WDIV TV setup.
Wednesday, November 27
• Woodward between W. Grand Blvd and Warren to close at 9 a.m.
• Woodward from Warren to Congress to close at noon.
• Atwater between Civic Center Drive and Third to close at 3 p.m.
• Griswold between Fort and Congress to close at 6 p.m.
Thursday, November 28
Woodward from W. Grand Blvd. to Larned will be closed completely from 5 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Drivers may cross Woodward at these intersections until 5 a.m.: Warren, Alexandrine, MLK/Mack, Fisher Service Drive, Adams, Park/Witherall, John R/Clifford and Grand River.
The following streets will close beginning at 5 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 23 and reopen after the Turkey Trot at approximately 10 a.m.:
• W. Jefferson from the Lodge Freeway to Cabacier
• Michigan at Cass
• Fort Street 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 Dr. to Third
Additionally, the southbound Lodge exits at W. Jefferson/Cobo and Larned Street (Exits 1A & 1B) and the northbound Lodge exit at W. Jefferson (Exit 1A) will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. during the entire Turkey Trot. The Larned exit will reopen after the Turkey Trot ends.
Using the Detroit People Mover
Just in time for Thanksgiving festivities, the Detroit People Mover is making a comeback.
After temporarily closing for 11 weeks to replace sections of the train’s original tracks, the People Mover will reopen on Wednesday morning, providing an easy way to get around downtown for paradegoers, Turkey Trot runners and Lions fans.
The elevated train loop will celebrate its return with 36 hours of non-stop service, starting at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27 and running through 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28.
More info on the People Mover, including special events like the DPM Train Raid with a live DJ and hot cocoa stations can be found here.
Turkey Trot
The Strategic Staffing Solutions Turkey Trot will kick off Thanksgiving festivities downtown, with the 10K and mile runs starting at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K at 8:30 a.m.
While advanced registration and packet pickup is underway until Saturday, registration and packet pickup will also be available Wednesday at the Huntington Place Expo in Room E from noon-7 p.m. (cash or checks payable to The Parade Company only).
Race day packet pickup begins at 6 a.m. in Room E at 6 a.m.
More information on the Turkey Trot is available on The Parade Company website.
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears
When the parade wraps up at noon as the Mayor of Detroit hands Santa Claus the key to the city, the holiday fun is far from over.
Many paradegoers will be headed over to Ford Field for the Lions’ annual Thanksgiving Day Game, a Detroit tradition for 90 years.
And this year’s matchup against the NFC North rival Chicago Bears carries a little more weight, as Lions fever reaches an all-time high. The Lions got off to a 9-1 start this season for the first time since 1934, coincidentally the first year the team began playing on Thanksgiving.
A list of FAQs, including parking, ticketing, prohibited items and more can be found on the Ford Field website.
DDOT bus reroutes
The following bus routes will be affected because of the parade on Nov. 23 from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.:
• 3 Grand River
• 4 Woodward
• 5 Van Dyke/Lafayette
• 6 Gratiot
• 8 Warren
• 9 Jefferson
• 16 Dexter
• 23 Hamilton
• 31 Mack
• 42 Mid-City Loop
• 52 Chene
• 67 Cadillac/Harper
The following routes will be affected because of the Turkey Trot on Nov. 23 starting at 7 a.m. and detours expected to end following the race at 10 a.m.:
• 1 Vernor
• 3 Grand River
• 19 Fort
• 27 Joy
• 29 Linwood
Note: The Grand River detour will continue until approximately 5 p.m. Thursday
DDOT will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day for all regular routes at regular fares. For more information, call DDOT’s Customer Service Office at (313) 933-1300 or go to RideDetroitTransit.com.
Weather outlook
As of Friday afternoon, AccuWeather is calling for "mostly cloudy with a chance of snow" on Thursday in Detroit. The projected high is 43 degrees, with a low of 35.
Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest traffic and weather updates every 10 minutes on the :08s. >>> LISTEN LIVE!