Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival
Encyclopedia
Canada Day
Canada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...
on July 1 and the American Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
on July 4. Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, USA and Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, Canada jointly celebrate the multi-day festival which draws about 3.5 million visitors. The International Freedom Festival began in 1959. It was organized by the Parade Company, a not-for-profit organization governed by the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation.
Beginning in 2007, the Festival became two separate events, Windsor Summer Fest, and Detroit River Days.
Summer Fest is a 19 day festival, which takes place along the scenic riverfront in Windsor Ontario. This festival is a perennial favourite for the entire family, offering something for all ages, and stages. Over the years more than 500,000 people have come out annually to enjoy the many activities, and attractions which run in conjunction with Summer Fest.
The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy began the River Days festival in June 2007 to introduce the community and visitors to the transformed Detroit International Riverfront. The festival marked the opening of significant portions of the new Detroit RiverWalk and the festival has continued each year to spotlight the magnificent resources and this new destination in the city of Detroit.
The highlight of both festivals is the fireworks display in celebration of the United States' Fourth of July and Canada's Canada Day. It is one of the largest and most spectacular fire work displays in North America, lighting up the sky over Windsor and Detroit. This annual spectacle draws more than 1,000,000 to the Windsor and Detroit river fronts. It is usually held on the Monday shared by both festivals.
Events
Traditionally, several days of events were planned, ending with one of the world's largest fireworksFireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
displays.
The event usually took place the last Wednesday of June, every year. However, in 2010 the day was moved to a Monday. The Windsor side also contains a carnival with additional events and rides.
Sponsors
For most of its existence it was sponsored by Hudson's. Today, the main sponsor is Target CorporationTarget Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, the successor to the Dayton
Dayton's
Minneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
-Hudson Corporation. On the Windsor side, there is a midway consisting of carnival rides and concessions during the festival. The Midway operates as a stand-alone attraction at the end of June and beginning of July.
See also
- Detroit International RiverfrontDetroit International RiverfrontThe Detroit International Riverfront is an area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River. The International Riverfront area extends from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east, extending a total of 5½-miles and encompassing a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail...
- Detroit–Windsor
- Detroit Windsor International Film FestivalDetroit Windsor International Film FestivalThe Detroit Windsor International Film Festival , launched in 2008 is a publicly-attended film festival held each June with events taking place in both Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario...