The 59th annual Hazel Dell Parade of Bands will function 120 entries, together with 24 highschool and center faculty bands marching collectively in help of this 12 months’s theme, “Band Together for a Better Tomorrow.”
The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Clark County Fireplace District Station 6, 8800 N.E. Hazel Dell Ave., heads south to 63rd Avenue after which north on Freeway 99. Streets will shut at 9:30 a.m., and the parade ends at 1 p.m.
“The people in the parade have a lot of fun,” parade organizer Brad Lothspeich mentioned. “The kids have fun, and the businesses pass out candy. It’s a family event that’s free. … Depending on where you’re sitting, it’s two hours of fun.”
Altogether, about 3,000 folks take part within the parade, Lothspeich mentioned, and 15,000 to twenty,000 spectators present as much as watch (relying on the climate, which is predicted to be cool with slightly spring rain).
Lothspeich mentioned the parade options greater than bands, and anybody from the group can signal as much as be part of: youth teams, Little League and lacrosse groups, cheerleading squads, Particular Olympics individuals and native politicians.
“We don’t have a lot of politicians this year because it’s not an election year,” Lothspeich quipped.
The native chapter of Younger Marines will kick off the parade with a coloration guard ceremony and crowds can wave at Grand Marshall Ila Westerberg, who has “been a positive force in the community for years and years and years,” Lothspeich mentioned.
Spectators may even get pleasure from watching 4 equine items clip-clop down the route, together with rodeo queens and high-stepping Mexican charros with a mariachi band.
Lothspeich credit parade sponsors and native enterprise help for having made this occasion potential for therefore many many years. Some companies alongside the parade route have to shut for just a few hours, Lothspeich mentioned, however no person complains.
Finally, Lothspeich mentioned, the parade is concerning the children within the bands. He mentioned it’s an necessary and memorable day for them as a result of they’ve been working towards all 12 months.
“The band kids get so excited,” Lothspeich mentioned. “It’s 2 miles by the time they get to the end they’re a little tired, but they have a good time.”
