The ooo's and awwws may be missing, but the Ford Fireworks are expected to be just as big a draw from area living rooms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That's according to Tony Michaels. The Parade Company of Detroit president spoke to Patty Handysides on The Afternoon News.
The Parade Company and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced on Wednesday that the 2020 Ford Fireworks have been moved from late June until August 31, and that the show will be closed to the public on the American side of the Detroit River.
Michaels says WDIV will be broadcasting the display, as they do every year, but it will be the only way to see the show unless you live in sight of the river.
He says organizers have chosen We Are One Together: A Tribute to Healthcare Workers and First Responders as this year's theme.
"Doctors, nurses, policemen, firemen ... truck drivers, we can do some really great things that night," he says.
Michaels says they chose the date to make sure they had enough time and to assure everyone can still enjoy them in the summer.
"That's where we landed, which is a week before Labour Day and it's hopefully right before kids are going back to school and still summer weather," says Michaels. "We thought it would actually be a perfect time and we had to make sure we got our hands on the fireworks themselves."
Making sure Detroit police had time to assure they can keep residents from the riverfront was also a factor in choosing the date.
"They have plenty of time and we're going to be setting the plans up; they're very confident they're going to be able to do this in a great way," he added.
The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association and Mayor Drew Dilkens were both surprised by the announcement.
Dilkens told AM800's The Morning Drive on Thursday that the city will follow direction from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit when it comes to congregating on the Canadian side.