DETROIT – The Parade Company on Thursday announced actor Tim Allen will serve the as Grand Marshal for the 89th America's Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Art Van.
The Michigan native will return to his home state to be honored during this year's parade as it travels down Woodward Avenue on Thanksgiving morning.
Allen is best known as the Golden Globe Award-winning and Emmy-nominated star of "Home Improvement," the star of blockbuster movies including "The Santa Clause" and "Toy Story," as one of the nation's top stand-up comedians and a New York Times best-selling author.
"We are thrilled to welcome home Tim Allen to serve as Grand Marshal of this year's parade," said Tony Michaels, president & CEO of The Parade Company. "Tim has played a great role in the resurgence of Detroit, not only as an advocate for the state and the city but also through his talent and commitment as the voice of the Pure Michigan campaign. It is exciting to see one of our own achieve such greatness and we look forward to celebrating with him on Thanksgiving morning."
Allen can be seen performing stand-up comedy to sold-out crowds at venues across the country. Allen will be reprising his role as Buzz Lightyear in "Toy Story 4," set for release in 2017, and is the voice of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.'s award-winning Pure Michigan campaign.
Allen will join the impressive lineup of past America's Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Art Van Grand Marshals, including Olympic gold medal winning ice dancers, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, former Detroit Tiger's manager Jim Leyland, Congressman John Dingell and Debbie Dingell, Bill and Lisa Ford, Art Van Elslander and Paul W. Smith, among others.
Additionally this year, The Parade Company will honor Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and native Detroiter Stephen Henderson as 2015 Honorary Grand Marshal. Henderson is the Editorial Page Editor of the Detroit Free Press and host of WDET-FM's "Detroit Today," and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2014 for his commentary in the Detroit Free Press on Detroit's financial collapse. After covering the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C. for four years, Henderson returned to Detroit in 2007 and has been a prominent voice in the community ever since.
"Stephen's voice has helped shape the conversations we have with each other about our beloved city," said Michaels. "We are honored to celebrate his contributions and impact on our great city on Thanksgiving morning."
This year's Parade theme is "So Happy Together." Recognized as one of the best Thanksgiving parades in the country by U.S, News & World Report Travel, America's Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Art Van will be held on Thursday, November 26. For more information, visit theparade.org.
The parade will be featured on WDIV-TV Local 4, including a one-hour national broadcast reaching more than 140 major cities across the country.