T-Minus 2 Days to the Downtown Farmington Founders Festival

Saturday morning's Founders Festival parade will draw thousands of people to downtown Farmington—and all along Grand River from Power Road to Liberty Street. 

Sponsored by , the parade will once again stage in the parking lot of the Farmington Plaza shopping center at Mooney Street and Grand River, but the parade will kick off from Power Road and Grand River. Grand marshal this year is Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.

"The Downtown Farmington Founders Festival is a great family event steeped in tradition," Patterson said Tuesday. "I am honored to be this year’s grand marshal for the parade."

Events Planner Janet Bloom said the transformation of the city's central business district through the streetscape project and Main Street revitalization program had a lot to do with Patterson's selection.

"He's a strong supporter of what the DDA does with the Main Street program," Bloom said.

The parade's 90 units, including the Botsford Hospital Band-Aid Brigade, local bands and a number of Shriner entries, come through downtown Farmington at around 10 a.m. Parade-goers usually start claiming their spots early with lawn chairs and blankets.

will record the parade this year for later broadcast on public access cable television.

The Downtown Farmington Founders Festival takes place Friday-Sunday. To learn more, visit foundersfestival.com.

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