Tim Allen Named Grand Marshal for Thanksgiving Day Parade

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DETROIT — The Parade Company has named Michigan native and actor, Tim Allen, as the grand marshal for the 89th America’s Thanksgiving Parade.

The current star of the hit sitcom Last Man Standing on ABC 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 ABC’s hit show 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.

“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.” says Tony Michaels, president & CEO of The Parade Company.  “It is exciting to see one of our own achieve such greatness and we look forward to celebrating with him on Thanksgiving morning.”

 Allen will join the 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 on Detroit’s financial collapse.

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, the parade will be held on Thursday, Nov. 26. For more information, visit theparade.org.