Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens is asking residents to enjoy the 2020 Ford Fire Works from home.
On Wednesday, the Parade Company of Detroit announced the annual display will be fired off at a secret location and broadcast live on TV. A move designed to prevent thousands of people from gathering to watch during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dilkens wants residents to resist the temptation to seek out the location.
"Clearly we're trying to maintain social distancing and having people gather by the tens of thousands is not the ideal thing to happen in 2020," he says. "We're not encouraging people to gather where the barges are located at the closest park to watch the event; it's just not the best advice to do that."
The Parade Company says they won't be fired from downtown or from the Detroit River and won't even be viewable from the downtown Detroit area.
He says the city has been briefed on what's going on so it can react in the event residents find the location and gather to watch.
"We're going to make sure from our prospective in the city of Windsor that we're taking all the appropriate precautions in case people do come out to watch the fireworks," he added.
A broadcast is planned from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Aug. 31.
The theme of the 62nd annual display is We Are One Together.
— with files from AM800's Kristylee Varley.