Thanksgiving Saturday in Detroit MI

Do you remember going to Hudson's during the Christmas season? Me, too!

Do you remember going to the Ford Rotunda during the Christmas season? Me, too!

Do you remember taking your children to Cobo Hall during the Christmas season? Me, too!

Well, now you can take your grandchildren to Paradeland on Saturday, November 27 and continue the fun experience of the America's Thanksgiving Parade!

Located at the Parade Company Studios at 9500 Mt. Elliott in Detroit, A Day at Paradeland will feature the parade floats and balloons, arts and crafts, sing-a-longs, games, food, and the Radio Disney D-Tour Show. You will be able to see all of the floats and balloons right up close. Of course, Santa will also be there for those photos!

Come by this Saturday, November 27 2010 from 10am to 6pm--it's only one day, and start a new Christmas in Detroit tradition with your family. OK, it's not Hudson's or the Ford Rotunda, but it looks like a lot of fun and supports all of the charities and non-profits assisted by the Michigan Parade Foundation.

Admission is $6.00 for ages 3 and up; a $1 off coupon is available at The Parade Company Website.

What is Black Friday, Really?

Many people give an incorrect connotation to "Black Friday". In its present common usage, it is the first official shopping day of the holiday season when many retailers, having operated "in the red" all year, finally start making a profit, putting them "in the black".

The term actually actually first appeared in the 19th century in Philadelphia when the police were faced with disruptive pedestrian and vehicular traffic the day after Thanksgiving. There was also a market crash in the late 1800s the day after Thanksgiving, causing the day to be named "Black Friday".

The Friday after Thanksgiving did not become the largest shopping day of the holiday season until very recently; about 2003. Until then, it was the day after Christmas when stores put everything on sale to clear their leftover inventory before the end of the calendar year. 

Stores now have hyped "Black Friday Sales" which are starting earlier and earlier--sometimes days before the Friday after Thanksgiving. Many stores open at 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning on Friday; some stores actually opened at 10pm Thursday night.

What will "Black Friday" mean for you? Hopefully, even though the economy is slowly improving, and it is good that people are shopping again, you and your family will not go "into the red" by over-shopping on "Black Friday". 

Posted via email from The Black Liberal Boomer Blog

Small Business Saturday for Holiday Shopping

Wait! Before you spend all of your holiday money at the malls on Black Friday or online on Cyber Monday, save some bucks to support small businesses in America by shopping on Saturday at your local small business.

American Express is sponsoring the 1st annual Small Business Saturday to encourage holiday shoppers to shop locally. Small businesses provide almost 80% of the jobs in the United States, and as the economy slowly comes back to life, YOU can help your local small business by doing some of your shopping at a small business--especially this Saturday, November 27 2010.

You can register your small business on the Small Business Saturday Facebook Page.

Here in Detroit, there are many unique shops, stores, restaurants and outlets ready for your shopping pleasure.

Detroit's famed Cultural Center in Midtown will be ready for you with scores of specialty shops and restaurants. The Shrine of the Black Madonna Bookstore on Livernois near Davison has everything you need for your Kwanzaa table and African-themed Christmas decorations, as well as books and gifts. At Pewabic Pottery, you can find unique handmade tiles for gifts or home decoration.

Malls are fun and online shopping is convenient, but remember to support your neighbors right in your own city. They pay local taxes and hire local people and they are ready for you to shop with them.

America's Thanksgiving Parade: Detroit MI

Today is the 84th Annual Thanksgiving Parade down Woodward Avenue in Detroit MI. Originally the J.L. Hudson's Thanksgiving Parade, it is one of the largest Thanksgiving parades in the United States.

After Hudson's left Detroit, the Thanksgiving Parade was almost doomed to extinction due to lost sponsorship. But former Michigan First Lady Paula Blanchard Stone, along with Art Van Elslander, founder of Michigan-based Art Van Furniture, stepped in to form the Michigan Parade Foundation and save the Detroit Thanksgiving Parade.

Today, the America's Thanksgiving Parade has scores of local and national sponsors and can be viewed every Thanksgiving morning all over America.

In addition to the big and beautiful balloons and exquisite floats, the Parade includes special groups and activities that help with funding and scholarships through and for the Michigan Parade Foundation:

• The Hob Nobble Gobble: an evening of fun, dinner, artists--black tie now held at Ford Field.
• The Distinguished Clown Corps: businesses and individuals pay a sponsorship fee to appear as clowns in the Parade.
• The 5K Turkey Trot: run early Thanksgiving morning; most runners accept donations for the Parade Foundation.
• The Big Head Corps: similar to the Distinguished Clowns, people again pay sponsorship fees to walk the parade in those huge papier mache heads. 

The Parade ends every year with an appearance by Santa himself, who is given a key from the current Detroit Mayor to the City of Detroit and to the hearts of every child in the metro Detroit Area.

Happy Thanksgiving: Be Grateful!

It often seems as if the world is falling apart, but you do have things to be grateful for: can you list a few?

While you make your list, enjoy this oldie but goodie from the Hawkins Family.

(R.I.P. Rev. Walter Hawkins)

 

Posted via email from The Black Liberal Boomer Blog

ReDeux News: Chase Bank to help Detroit mortgage holders Sat-Mon

Information from the American Banking News Website:

 JPMorgan Chase has decided to send loan advisors to set up shop in Detroit for three days, trying to help struggling homeowners find the best solution. The efforts are aimed at homeowners with Chase mortgages, and the customers that attend will have access to (1) Initial counseling to apply for a mortgage modification, (2) Counseling for those who are current on their mortgage but are struggling, (3) Short-sale assistance for those who cannot afford their home or don’t want to stay in it, and (4) Document signing and drop off for modifications.

In total, the effort will include forty Chase loan counselors, between Saturday, November 13^th and Monday, November 15^th during the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It will be held at the Doubletree Detroit/Dearborn, which is located at 5801 Southfield Expressway at Ford Road, Detroit. The firm’s statement has indicated that no appointments are necessary, and expects to sit down with most borrowers within 15 minutes of their arrival.

Posted via email from The DSpot Redeux Blog