• 2016 Ford Fireworks will light up the skies over the Detroit riverfront June 27, marking 58 years of celebrating freedom and community in southeast Michigan
• Ford is expanding community outreach with free Belle Isle access for first 1,000 visitors, VIP student viewing zone, pop-up entertainment and social media contest
• Ford Fireworks is one of many annual events and cultural institutions Ford supports that enrich community life in southeast Michigan

DETROIT, June 22, 2016 – Ford Motor Company will celebrate American freedom with new activities and unique experiences for the people of Detroit and southeast Michigan during the annual Ford Fireworks on Monday, June 27, along the downtown riverfront.

More than 10,000 pyrotechnic effects will light up the night sky beginning at 9:48 p.m. While hundreds of thousands gather for the show, Ford is working with The Parade Company, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and Yankee Air Museum on enhanced festivities on the ground and in the air.

Among the new events scheduled for this year are:

• Michigan State Park Passes for Belle Isle - Ford is offering free admission to Belle Isle by providing Michigan Department of Natural Resources Recreation Passports for the first 1,000 cars. This pass can be used at all participating state parks for the remainder of 2016.
• Student VIP Viewing Zone - Ford has joined the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy for a special viewing of the Ford Fireworks for 3,000 Detroit area students and their families at West Riverfront Park. Students were selected based on criteria such as grades and community service.
• Vintage Planes Flyover - Ford is working with the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville, Mich., to present a special salute to the nation’s military with an expanded Detroit River flyover of six or more World War II-era airplanes.
• Ford Pop-Up Parties - Prior to the Ford Fireworks, Ford Pop-Up Parties will engage people on Belle Isle and Hart Plaza with games, promotional goodies and music from the Ford Fusion Marching Band. 
• Social Media Contest - Snap a photo while you are at the Ford Fireworks from 3 - 11 p.m. Share it on Instagram using #FordFireworks2016 + @FordInCommunity for a chance to win a Waco Biplane ride from Yankee Air Museum. Winner will be randomly selected on June 28, 2016, by 5 p.m. Must be following @FordInCommunity on Instagram to enter.

Ford Motor Company Fund, the company’s philanthropic arm, is once again collaborating with Yankee Air Museum to host Focus on Freedom. This special event honors 250 current and former members of the military and their families with a reception at the Detroit/Wayne Port Authority building, and an up-close view of the fireworks.

“Ford has never wavered in its support for the people and communities of southeast Michigan,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund. “The Ford Fireworks is a celebration of our common heritage as Americans, while also embracing the diversity that makes us stronger as a community and showcases the pride we share of being Detroiters.”

In addition to serving as title sponsor of the Ford Fireworks, Ford is also presenting sponsor of The Parade Company’s Rooftop Party, which occurs during the fireworks. Guests attending the event will experience live music, food by Andiamo, games, giveaways and more for adults and kids alike. To learn more, visit www.theparade.org or call 313-923-7400.

As producers of the Ford Fireworks, The Parade Company selects the musical arrangement that Zambelli Fireworks Internationale will stage along with the pyrotechnic effects that are visible for miles along the Detroit River. This year’s show is themed “Go Forward Detroit,” and will be choreographed again by the Patrick Brault, whose previous pyrotechnic displays include the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Ford has been investing in Detroit since the company’s founding in 1903. Over the past 10 years, Ford and Ford Fund have donated more than $150 million to organizations throughout southeast Michigan, supporting education, driver safety and community life, including hunger relief and other essential services. The Ford Volunteer Corps has participated in more than 8,000 local community service projects. In addition to Ford Fireworks, Ford adds its support to America’s Thanksgiving Parade, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, DIA, Michigan Opera Theater, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Michigan Science Center.