People staking out their riverfront spots ahead of Monday night's Ford Fireworks

Windsor residents are set for a spectacular pyrotechnic display tonight for the 66th Ford Fireworks.

Thousands of people are expected to gather along the waterfront on both sides of the border to partake in the beloved annual show and watch fireworks explode over the Detroit River.

Some are so enthusiastic that a few spots along the riverfront to take in the festivities had already been claimed as of late Monday morning.

The fireworks are scheduled to start around 9:55 p.m. Attendance is free.

'A joy:' LaSalle family staked out spot early Monday

Nancy Benson says she and her husband were at a "primo" spot on the riverfront for 5:30 a.m. complete with lawn chairs and coolers.

It's a family tradition of 30 years.

"We just thoroughly enjoy it and so do our grandkids now too," Benson said. "We're chilling all day long. It's beautiful, nice to be retired.

"It's all a joy."

Eda Biegas and her husband live between Detroit and Lansing, Mich., but made the trip over to watch the fireworks in Canada.

They say the vibe of Canadians watching is "friendlier," and have been coming to Windsor to watch the fireworks for at least a decade. They got a hotel in Windsor and had lunch with friends, describing the day as "comfortable and relaxing."

"It's just a fantastic show and we like meeting the people," Biegas said.

Windsor family watching Game 7 and fireworks — at the same time

For many Windsor families, it might be a tough choice: Watch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final or check out the fireworks.

But Steven Ippoliti has that solved: He set up a TV on his lawn, and watched the Euro 2024 match between Italy and Croatia while staking out his spot.

"Now we're getting ready for Edmonton to win," Ippoliti said Monday afternoon.  "[The fireworks] just bring a lot of fun and happiness into the community and it's a good thing to have."

The event is organized by Detroit-based business, the Parade Company. The show is expected to last 25 minutes and will feature about 10,000 fireworks. The World's Finest carnival is offering rides, food and entertainment at Festival Plaza along the riverfront as well.

City of Windsor officials are asking attendees to consider how they'll get to the festivities because of several scheduled road closures Monday afternoon.

After 5 p.m. today, streets north of Wyandotte Street between Pelissier Street to Aylmer Avenue, and Riverside Drive from Huron Church Road to Devonshire Road, are closed. Access to Pelissier Street north of Wyandotte Street East may be restricted if deemed necessary.

The road closures will restrict access to the Windsor International Transit Terminal as of 5 p.m, meaning the 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. tunnel bus trips will not run and detours will begin.

City officials recommend people walk, bike or shuttle downtown instead of driving. The city is offering a free bus shuttle service downtown for the night, starting at 6 p.m. until around 12:15 a.m. (or until all passengers have returned) thanks to sponsorship from grocery chain, Zehrs.

Transit Windsor and Zehrs are also collaborating to collect non-perishable food items as well as clothes and cash donations for those in need in the community. A Transit Windsor bus will be collecting items at the LaSalle Zehrs on June 29.

The shuttle will pick up passengers at Devonshire Mall (Sydney Avenue) and drop them off in front of City Hall Square.

After the fireworks, the shuttle returns to the mall from a pickup location across from the former Windsor arena on McDougall Street.

City of Windsor officials are reminding fireworks watchers that there will be no parking in the waterfront parking lots. They're also warning people that if they're vehicle is parked in a restricted area labelled a no parking zone after 6 p.m, their vehicles will be subject to removal.

Fireworks are 'an art form'

Viewers can expect to see something new at tonight's fireworks show, according to its Quebec-born choreographer, Patrick Brault. Brault's been choreographing the Detroit show for 15 years, it's always one of the biggest on his calendar.

Planning for the show usually starts in November the previous year, he says.

"It's an art form. The people think about how to make the fireworks different every time."

One of the things that makes the show unique is the reflection off of the water and that there's an audience on both sides of the river, Brault explains.

Brault describes choreographing the show as a "craft" because he has to factor in the timing for 4,000 individual firings as well as the timing of the music.

"You've got to design the show, you gotta see how you want it to look and then put it into technical aspects," he said.