Rain makes way for dazzling bursts of color at Detroit fireworks

Rain cleared just in time for a colorful display Monday at the 65th Detroit Ford Fireworks that left audiences dazzled and the ground shaking along the city's riverfront.

The show brought unique shapes and bright colors that began with flashes of green and pink, and continued with more bursts of color.

"This is better than Disney," said LaKena Crespo, a Detroit native who returned to the fireworks this year for the first time since the pandemic began. Crespo used to come as a child to see the show, and now she brings her own family.

Day-long scattered storms didn't stop crowds Monday for the show all around the city's riverfront, but it may have slowed them down.

The wet weather, with temperatures in the low 70s and with heavy showers in the forecast before the launch changed not only how some people were watching but also where. On Belle Isle, people sat through the rain in their cars, under canopies and even in tents they brought from home, but by evening, there still was plenty of parking. Prime viewing spots often start filling up before then.

Those watching the steadily falling rain appeared unfazed.

"Even when it's raining, it's fun," said Sandra Gates, 66, of Detroit. Gates considers the fireworks a family tradition, and the wet weather wasn't going to stop her or her loved ones from turning out for the display.

"We're sitting out in the rain because we didn't think we could bring a canopy," she said.

Officially, canopies and tents weren't allowed, but it appeared officials let them slide because of the weather.

Shanita Wilson, a lifelong viewer of the fireworks show, said she brought her three children for the chance to see the same exciting show she had watched.

"If it wasn't for the kids, I'd be at home right now," she said. "If we gotta be all in one spot, at least let us get closer to the view, or let us spread out."

Parking, however, was a different story. Belle Isle opened its entrance for parking at 2 p.m., and people were directed to the front half of the island.

Natasha Dowdell, a Detroit resident, said she had watched the fireworks from other spots in the city but was excited to be at Belle Isle this year. She was ready for whatever happened. Her family, including her sister, Shari, waited in line for three hours and brought a tent in addition to foldable chairs and a barbecue grill.

"I have been wanting to come here for years and just never got a chance to," Dowdell, 34, said as the smell of barbecue overtook even the smell of rain. "You have to be prepared for this."

Others had wished for a rain delay after hours of braving the weather. Annette Watts, 59, came from Ypsilanti to see the show with her husband Andre as well as their daughters.

They too consider the show a family tradition, one lasting at least 25 years, but after spending hours trying to stay warm at Hart Plaza, Annette said she was thinking about how they could have stayed home.

"This doesn't change my attitude toward the fireworks show, but I wish they were more flexible with rainy days," Andre, 64, said.

At Hart Plaza, a DJ played party hits while people danced. Not even occasional cloud bursts could stop the cha cha slide.

Some attendees took shelter in the underground portion of the plaza, but near the riverfront, the music and dancing kept going amid the sea of umbrellas and plastic ponchos.

"The show must go on no matter what," said Shanna Hayes, 38, of Pontiac while dancing without an umbrella or jacket. She booked a hotel across from Hart Plaza and planned to see the fireworks show, no matter what.

"It's something I've been to my whole life. I don't second guess it, I just do it. I Googled months ago to see when this is, and then I booked the room. It's a tradition."