Detroit Turns 300 - Detroit 300 Festival

Travel America, July, 2001 by Randy Mink, Karen Mink

Fueled by a new spirit, the nation's automobile capital celebrates its tricentennial

Ever since a French explorer discovered Detroit's rich potential in 1701, the Motor City has been on the move. Today it's bursting at the seams with new developments, counting more ambitious projects than at any time in its 300-year history.

Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and his party of 100 French adventurers, paddling canoes on what now is the Detroit River, chose their settlement site for its high river banks, a great defensive strategy when building their fort to fight off the British. They called their discovery at this narrow point in the river "the strait," or in their language, "d'etroit." It soon would become a thriving fur trade center. Today Detroit is one of our live largest ports and 10th largest city, with a population of about 950,000.

As Detroit marks its tricentennial with special observances, 2001 is a good year for tourists to discover that this metropolis in southeastern Michigan boasts much more than just cars, cars, cars.

The focal point of the city's tricentennial celebration is the Detroit 300 Festival, featuring a variety of events from July 13 to 29. Centered around down-town's Hart Plaza and the Riverfront Promenade, festivities include concerts, children's activities, and a parade of tall ships and other historic vessels, from canoes to freighters. A re-enactment of Cadillac's landing takes place July 24.

The Detroit Tigers baseball team is helping the city celebrate as well as observing the American League's 100th anniversary and its second season in Comerica Park, a state-of-the-art ball park that replaced historic Tigers Stadium. Players are wearing a special uniform patch in commemoration of Detroit's 300th birthday, and the team officially honors the city in pre-game ceremonies July 18.

Located in downtown Detroit, Comerica Park was rated the most fan-friendly of the new ball parks by Sports Illustrated last year and offers budget-friendly options like the Pepsi Bleachers, where each $8 ticket includes a Pepsi beverage and the choice of pizza or a hot dog. Kids enjoy a carousel with 30 hand-painted tigers and a baseball-themed ferris wheel. Comerica Park boasts the game's biggest scoreboard and a full-motion video screen. Tiger home runs are applauded with a colorful, aquatic fireworks fountain and growls from two huge tiger sculptures with glowing eyes. The main concourse features a walk-through memorial to Tigers history. (The Tigers are one of the league's four remaining "charter teams.")

Under construction next to Comerica Park is Ford Field, a domed stadium for the Detroit Lions football team, which now plays at the Pontiac Silverdome, 30 minutes from downtown. The two stadiums will co-anchor an exciting new sports and entertainment mecca built around the city's theater district, whose crown jewel is the Fox Theatre, an ornate 1928 movie palace that now offers concerts and Broadway musicals.

Greektown, another fun neighborhood, is a short walk from the theaters and Comerica Park. Restaurants, pubs, shops, and the new Greektown Casino draw tourists and locals alike. The Mediterranean-themed casino is a stop on the Detroit People Mover, down-town's elevated rail line.

MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity casinos also bring gaming enthusiasts to Detroit, the largest U.S. city to offer casino gambling. These casinos, introduced in 1999, are temporary and will be replaced in several years by permanent facilities along the riverfront.

There's more gaming in Windsor, Ontario, two-thirds of a mile across the river from Detroit. Get your kicks at Casino Windsor, Windsor Racetrack and Slots, and numerous bingo emporiums. Winnings in Canada are tax-free.

Visitors may travel to Windsor by the Ambassador Bridge, the longest international suspension bridge in the world, or the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel. (U.S. citizens must clear customs and show a voter's registration card, passport, or birth certificate.) In Windsor, enjoy sculptures, gardens, and views of the Detroit skyline on a three-mile walk along the Detroit River, which connects Lakes Erie and St. Clair. Narrated river cruises provide a good introduction to sights on the U.S. and Canadian shores.

For breathtaking views of Great Lakes freighters accessing the river, visit Detroit's Belle Isle Park, a 1,000-acre urban sanctuary. A favorite spot for picnicking, fishing, and a variety of sports, Belle Isle every June hosts the Detroit Grand Prix auto race. Island attractions include a waterslide and beach area; Dossin Great Lakes Museum; Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory; and Belle Isle Nature Center. The Detroit Zoological Institute operates the Belle Isle Zoo and Belle Isle Aquarium.

For full-day animal encounters, families flock to the institute's Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak. New crowd-pleasers include Amphibiville (National Amphibian Conservation Center) and the Arctic Ring of Life, which will present the world's largest polar bear exhibit when it opens in August.

Museum buffs converge on Detroit's University Cultural Center, an area adjacent to Wayne State University and about five minutes from downtown. Among the attractions are the Detroit Institute of Arts; Detroit Public Library; Detroit Historical Museum, with a major automotive exhibit; the New Detroit Science Center, fresh from a renovation and expansion doubling its size; and Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the largest of its kind anywhere. The Detroit Festival of the Arts (September 14-16) covers 20 blocks of the University Cultural Center, featuring 125 artists, stage shows, and ethnic foods.