As the holiday season descends upon Detroit, the city is loaded with anticipation and community spirit. The air is filled with excitement, and all eyes are on the upcoming Thanksgiving Day Parade, a cherished tradition that brings together families and friends to celebrate the season of gratitude. This year, the parade promises an extra dose of magic and surprise, thanks to a special collaboration between two iconic entities – Amazon and Motown Museum.
“It means so much for us to be apart of the culture here in the city of Detroit,” said Ian Conyers, Head of Community for Amazon. “We know that Motown is the past, present and we know they are the future. We are honored to be able to support right here in our hometown.”
The float features a stunning recreation of the iconic Hitsville U.S.A. building adorned with Motown records, musical notes, a giant record player, and Amazon boxes and logos, all placed upon a gorgeous layer of grass and flowers. These features symbolize the flourishing growth and beauty of our city, its rich musical legacy, and its promising future.
“This is a Detroit legacy rolling down Woodward Avenue,” expressed Robin Terry, Chairwoman and CEO of the Motown Museum. Indeed, it’s a legacy infused with a touch of novelty. This marks Amazon’s inaugural appearance in the parade. Although the company may be relatively new to the city, its impact and generosity have swiftly established it as an integral part of the community. The Amazon Fulfillment center, where the float was revealed, has been operational for a few months on the historic State Fair grounds, adding an extra layer of fulfillment to this collaborative endeavor.
In a thrilling development during the unveiling, Amazon joined forces with Amazon Music and Worldwide DEI to support the Motown Museum’s Hitsville Up Next program through a generous $175,000 grant. The Hitsville Up Next program is all about artist development and has been doing amazing work molding the next generation of the Motown sound. This funding will contribute to the program’s outstanding initiatives, programming efforts, and endeavors to enhance job opportunities and business strategies in the music industry within the Motown Museum.
One group set to directly benefit from this grant is Fab 5, an exhilarating singing collective affiliated with the Hitsville Up Next Program. Standing atop the magnificent float and offering the crowd a taste of the Motown sound, the group expressed their deep honor to be a part of this initiative. Most importantly, they emphasized the significance of keeping the Motown legacy alive.
“The Motown sound started at Motown and it expanded out into the world and for generations it has had an impact. We’re still spreading the love as a collective with Motown and Hitsville Up Next.” said the Fab 5 in a joint statement.
On Thanksgiving morning, be sure to catch a glimpse of not only Amazonians and Motown elites but also a dazzling array of beautiful floats, along with plenty of fun and surprises. The 97th America’s Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Gardner White is set to unfold on Thursday, November 23, 2023, in Detroit. The parade’s route spans three miles of smiles along Woodward Avenue, stretching from Kirby to Congress! The procession kicks off at Kirby and Woodward at 8:45 a.m., proceeding for about an hour and a half southward, concluding at Congress and Woodward in the Celebration Zone. For those planning to attend, early arrival is recommended to make the most of this spectacular event.
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