Art Van Elslander, founder and chairman of Art Van Furniture and Robin R. Terry, chairman of the board of trustees for Motown Museum are all smiles during the unveiling of the first-ever Motown Museum float commissioned by Art Van Furniture. (Photo by HB Meeks/Tell Us Detroit)

The Parade Company unveils Motown float commissioned by Art Van Furniture

DETROIT - The Motown Sound that jumped out of Hitsville U.S.A.’s Studio A will be celebrated during the 88th America’s Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Art Van Furniture. The first-ever Motown Museum float commissioned by Art Van Furniture was unveiled tonight at The Parade Company’s annual Parade Preview Party and is the first new float reveal of the parade season.

Tony Michaels, president & CEO of The Parade Company was joined by Art Van Elslander, founder and chairman of Art Van Furniture, Robin R. Terry, chairman of the board of trustees for Motown Museum, Allen Rawls, CEO of the Motown Museum, and more than 1,200 parade supporters for the grand unveil.

“Our city is recognized on an international level for its contributions to the music industry and it is a thrill to introduce the first-ever Motown Museum float,” said Michaels. “We are grateful to Art Van for making this historic float possible and his incredible support of the parade through his presenting sponsorship means so much to the future of The Parade Company.”

Sitting 60 feet long, the float will boast a replica of the famous Motown Museum house with the “Hitsville U.S.A.” façade, 26 spinning Motown Museum artist records and LED lights surrounding the house. The float will also feature a larger-than-life piano which can fit 15 Baby Grand Pianos inside, as well as 40 feet of piano wire and will be playing toe-tapping tunes along the parade route.

"Motown is synonymous with Detroit, and this new float is our way of saluting and sharing its 55 year musical legacy with Michigan as well as the entire country," said Art Van Elslander, founder and chairman of Art Van Furniture whose company commissioned the float. "This is a joint anniversary gift for families to enjoy for decades to come."

"For the first time in the history of the Parade Company, this new Motown Museum inspired float will share with local and national audiences how the unmistakable Motown Sound was born in Detroit," said Robin Terry, chairman of the board of trustees of the Motown Museum. "Motown Museum is committed to educating the next generation of creative minds and this float and partnership with Art Van Furniture is a highly-visible platform for us to do that in an exciting way."

America’s Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Art Van Furniture is produced by The Parade Company and is recognized as one of the best Thanksgiving parades in the country by U.S. News & World Report Travel.

Themed “Walking on Sunshine,” the parade will step off at 8:50 a.m. at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Kirby, adjacent to the Detroit Institute of Arts in Midtown, and end at Congress just south of Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit. American Ice Dancing Gold Medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White will serve as Co-Grand Marshals, and the two-hour Parade will be featured on WDIV-TV Local 4, including a one-hour national broadcast reaching more than 140 major cities across the country. News/Talk 760 WJR will also broadcast live from the parade route. Grandstand tickets are now available for purchase at theparade.org.


About The Parade Company
Founded in 1984, The Parade Company is a not-for-profit organization governed by the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation whose board of directors is comprised of key civic and corporate leaders in the greater Detroit region. The Parade Company is celebrating 88 years of Parade tradition in Detroit and is committed to funding, creating and executing the best family events in Michigan. The Parade Company staff, board of directors and thousands of parade volunteers work year-round to bring a wide variety of magnificent events to the City of Detroit and the region including the Ford Fireworks and America's Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Art Van Furniture. Follow The Parade Company on Facebook and Twitter.

About Art Van Furniture
Art Van Furniture is the Midwest's largest furniture retailer and America's largest independent furniture retailer. The company operates 35 stores throughout Michigan, three stores in Chicagoland, one store in Toledo, Ohio, a full service e-commerce website, plus 11 freestanding Art Van PureSleep bedding stores in Michigan and Ohio. Founded in 1959, the company is family-owned and headquartered in Warren, Michigan. Visit artvan.com for more information.