Springfield’s old-fashioned 4th of July parade and celebration is quickly approaching.
This will be the 28th annual event. This year’s theme is “Go Fourth and Vote.”
Parade entries include the Shrine Brass Band, Central High School Kilties, Springfield Fire Department truck, antique cars, Victorian Ladies Marching Drill Team, floats, politicians and more! Children are invited to march or ride their bicycles in the parade at no charge as part of the kids’ bike brigade! Bike decorations are provided at parade start. Parents must accompany young children or those needing special assistance.
This year’s grand marshal is retiring Springfield City Manager Greg Burris.
The celebration at historic Washington Park is held after the parade, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., with the national anthem and several other songs sung by Queen City Sound Chorus, a women’s choir, and live music from The Norman Jackson Band from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. There will be free ice cream from Hiland Dairy and free Pepsi products from Pepsi as well as children’s games! Food will be available for purchase from food trucks. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on. Trophies will be awarded for the following categories: Best Overall, Best Theme Interpretation, Best Children’s Float, Best Children’s Marching Unit, Best Adult Float and Best Adult Marching Unit.
The parade begins at 10 a.m. on Benton Avenue in the Drury parking lot just north of Central High School, heads north on Benton, turns right, or east, on Calhoun by the historic Drury President’s Home, left, or north, on Washington Avenue, then finally right, or east on Locust to Washington Park where the celebration continues!
Parade slots are still available at $10 per entry and $50 for political entries. If a politician does not want to be in the parade and would like a table at the park (supplied by politician) it is $20. The deadline is June 20.
The Norman Jackson Band is a virtuoso group of musicians that placed third in the world at the 2016 International Blues Challenge Finals in Memphis, Tennessee. Jackson was raised on the South Side of Chicago singing in the church where his father was the minister. Jackson grew up listening to blues, R&B and rock and fully immersed himself in the city’s rich blues scene, even meeting legends like Sam Cooke and B.B. King. Jackson was ordained as a minister at age 22 and began singing and traveling widely in gospel groups. He moved to Springfield around 1990 and joined Don Shipps’ Titanic Blues Band.
Washington Park is in the 1600 block of North Summit and is one of Springfield’s two oldest parks established in 1869, along with Lafayette Park.
The parade and celebration is sponsored by the Midtown Neighborhood Association.
For more information or a parade application, please contact: midtown.sgf@gmail.com or Marie Wood 417-496-8539. For updates: facebook.com/midtownsgf.
If you miss the deadline, email us at midtown.sgf@gmail.com