It takes 5 days for dozens of specialists to load 3 barges with 250,000 lbs. of fiberglass mortars, 100 miles of wire, 500 tons of sand and more than 10,000 fireworks shells for the annual fireworks display.
Target Fireworks
Save the Date! Monday, June 23, 2008!
Yesterday and Today - A History Of The Target Fireworks
The success of the first International Freedom Festival, themed "Partners in Freedom," in 1959, paved the way for the Detroit-Windsor celebration that continues to develop and grow in popularity on both sides of the Detroit River. The Festival is a 75-year-old idea that became a reality 48 years ago. In 1930 Paul Lutzeier, a student editor at the College of the City of Detroit - later to become Wayne State University - conceived the idea of a joint Independence Day celebration between the citizens of Detroit and Windsor. He felt the United States and Canada shared not only a geographic border, but also a spiritual bond.
The fulfillment of Lutzeier's dream was almost 30 years in the making. As originally stated, the purpose of the festival was to promote an annual civic festival...for the purpose of dramatizing the friendship between the American and Canadian people and publicizing this friendship as a worldwide example of the benefits derived under "free government."
Business and civic leaders gave their support to the concept, and the first International Freedom Festival was held in 1959. Its theme was "Partners in Freedom." Queen Elizabeth II made an historic visit to Windsor and it was also the beginning of a long-standing tradition of fireworks, sponsored by Hudson's. Today, the Target Fireworks is the centerpiece of the entire festival.
The first festival was an outstanding success. In the following years, the Festival continued to develop and grow in popularity on both sides of the Detroit River. Activities since have included concerts, KART racing, a tug of war across the river, dances and other family activities.