America’s Thanksgiving Parade
Held Thanksgiving morning, this parade first rolled down Woodward Avenue in 1924 and has been a Detroit tradition ever since. For generations of Detroiters, it has marked the official start of the holiday season with Santa’s arrival at the end of the parade. The 3-mile-long parade starts at Woodward and Kirby near Wayne State University and ends at Congress Street in downtown Detroit.
Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade
A Detroit tradition since 1957, the Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade is held along Michigan Avenue in Corktown, a historically Irish neighborhood that takes its name from Ireland’s Cork County. It is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country, attracting between 80,000 to 100,000 people each year.
Marche du Nain Rouge
The evil Nain Rouge has brought doom to the city since its founding – but every year, the city holds a parade in the Cass Corridor to chase away the red dwarf and welcome the arrival of spring. The parade goes down Second Street, starting at Canfield and ending at Temple.
Cinco de Mayo Parade
For nearly 60 years, Detroit’s Mexicantown community has gathered to celebrate the Battle of Puebla, a victory over the French Army in 1862 that demonstrated the Mexican Army’s ability to overcome powerful forces. The parade is held on West Vernor Highway in Southwest Detroit.
Motor City Pride Parade
Motor City Pride is Michigan’s largest pride festival, which draws more than 50,000 people downtown ––– and its parade is equally as large. The parade goes down Griswold in downtown Detroit to Jefferson Avenue and Hart Plaza. Motor City Pride is a two-day event that traces its roots to 1972, when Detroiters held their first march to protest homophobic laws.
Polish Day Parade
The Hamtramck Labor Day Festival isn’t just a way to celebrate the end of summer – it’s also an opportunity to celebrate metro Detroit’s Polish heritage, and the Polish Day Parade is a big part of that. The parade is traditionally held on Labor Day.
![](https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Thanksgiving-Day-Parade-2022-Charles-Falsetti-Owned-3555-wl-65846ce1-7544-4074-acb5-bc8de4214679-medium-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=a7bbc8350ec0fb05785dbec54665815c 320w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Thanksgiving-Day-Parade-2022-Charles-Falsetti-Owned-3555-wl-65846ce1-7544-4074-acb5-bc8de4214679-medium-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=3ffcd27e9cf83ed23d14963b8e19d56c 540w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Thanksgiving-Day-Parade-2022-Charles-Falsetti-Owned-3555-wl-65846ce1-7544-4074-acb5-bc8de4214679-medium-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=7962085b17d8e2d2bbd6f397cb9f41c2 768w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Thanksgiving-Day-Parade-2022-Charles-Falsetti-Owned-3555-wl-65846ce1-7544-4074-acb5-bc8de4214679-medium-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=de8b9d5e571046d7d9b4fdb62570e47c 1024w)
![](https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Charles-Falsetti-Owned-3555-wl-bef068a9-87dc-43d3-85c1-327cfdca72ae-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=731792b3a85e9d006dbe5009728e6e69 320w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Charles-Falsetti-Owned-3555-wl-bef068a9-87dc-43d3-85c1-327cfdca72ae-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=13ee688ec1692aaebbb4b0cdfbfeedd5 540w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Charles-Falsetti-Owned-3555-wl-bef068a9-87dc-43d3-85c1-327cfdca72ae-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=5a42d17dbb6c61ca012e4daa8729bd80 768w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Charles-Falsetti-Owned-3555-wl-bef068a9-87dc-43d3-85c1-327cfdca72ae-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=95504c1fae3d4ca7edf3734e1f63279c 1024w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Charles-Falsetti-Owned-3555-wl-bef068a9-87dc-43d3-85c1-327cfdca72ae-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=6c4ad4764e05418f4bbd43b8e00cf2cf 1200w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Charles-Falsetti-Owned-3555-wl-bef068a9-87dc-43d3-85c1-327cfdca72ae-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=c5df60af6a2315b562ac8259aefcc31b 1280w)
![](https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/St-Patrick%E2%80%99s-Day-Parade-2023-Owned-3555-wl-c785b8dc-721e-46f8-a8d3-9cf18c62c1dd-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=b54bbff54c6a9e0fcfa5a21bb587f523 320w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/St-Patrick%E2%80%99s-Day-Parade-2023-Owned-3555-wl-c785b8dc-721e-46f8-a8d3-9cf18c62c1dd-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=6b12dab6336d79af065c754edecf9fa9 540w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/St-Patrick%E2%80%99s-Day-Parade-2023-Owned-3555-wl-c785b8dc-721e-46f8-a8d3-9cf18c62c1dd-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=0a860f8cdbb2f09414a5846ced9acad9 768w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/St-Patrick%E2%80%99s-Day-Parade-2023-Owned-3555-wl-c785b8dc-721e-46f8-a8d3-9cf18c62c1dd-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=d2a7e82a2d657c19a79fc488c5d01a4d 1024w)
![](https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Dillon-Balmas-Owned-3555-wl-5b5abbdb-1763-4229-aaa0-c2dc05380f9d-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=9f23aab8f9864fd18e65a3898428aafb 320w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Dillon-Balmas-Owned-3555-wl-5b5abbdb-1763-4229-aaa0-c2dc05380f9d-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=3d5a3cea935565de3528bae65c84b5e0 540w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Dillon-Balmas-Owned-3555-wl-5b5abbdb-1763-4229-aaa0-c2dc05380f9d-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=c1fe207fd94e33339b7fc0ea28340d94 768w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/Dillon-Balmas-Owned-3555-wl-5b5abbdb-1763-4229-aaa0-c2dc05380f9d-medium.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=b4d91d8fcd2b14e9668e0bab54088920 853w)
Also be sure to visit these other parades, held just outside of the city limits:
St. Clair Shores Memorial Day Parade
A 2-mile parade along Jefferson Avenue in St. Clair Shores
Northville Independence Day Parade
Downtown Northville’s annual parade event, held on the Fourth of July
Romeo Peach Festival Parade
An annual Labor Day event, held in conjunction with the Peach Festival
Grosse Pointe Santa Claus Parade
Held the day after Thanksgiving, the parade ends with a visit from Santa Claus
Rochester Area Hometown Christmas Parade
Michigan’s largest Christmas parade, the 1.5-mile-long event is held the first Sunday in December
![](https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/36589857_10216996225128742_2773245007044280320_n.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=42a1645523eae5ea454a0ca9ff1b868a 320w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/36589857_10216996225128742_2773245007044280320_n.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=3e30be2fa376dde4cae67355e4897a1d 540w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/36589857_10216996225128742_2773245007044280320_n.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=7aac7cb3ac86ecfdde018b5d10560bfa 768w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/36589857_10216996225128742_2773245007044280320_n.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=81ec94e5a8e72f8d8d154001e803abf0 960w)
![](https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/wsi-imageoptim-Detroit-shopping-Rochester.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=1f7b54790fb868ebf5007d97ff311128 320w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/wsi-imageoptim-Detroit-shopping-Rochester.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=3571312864aa63f463417b338cfcce82 540w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/wsi-imageoptim-Detroit-shopping-Rochester.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=e68058069def94a20a1d15c8af99347b 768w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/wsi-imageoptim-Detroit-shopping-Rochester.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=ff3788aac3f3715e0f7bd95a034fc98f 1024w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/wsi-imageoptim-Detroit-shopping-Rochester.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=20e1fb13d4c204a78a4496b599f9b9cf 1200w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/wsi-imageoptim-Detroit-shopping-Rochester.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=151dbfee860fd92c69606265ae0f98ae 1440w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/wsi-imageoptim-Detroit-shopping-Rochester.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=2ae0784a1fc2f1544713612869ab1d23 1920w, https://visit-detroit.imgix.net/images/wsi-imageoptim-Detroit-shopping-Rochester.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=1e2d5f8d089a1b8657dedefe8805b91d 2100w)
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