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2020 July 4th Parade Theme

The countdown is on!  

The Chatham Independence Day Parade Committee is pleased to announce the theme for 2020:

“Chatham Celebrates Women –
In Honor of the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote”

The idea for this year’s theme was submitted by Juliet Bernstein, a legendary Chatham citizen who has made significant contributions to the community through her activism, volunteerism, and leadership. With a backdrop of this year’s 100th anniversary of the passage of our Constitution’s 19th Amendment guaranteeing and protecting women’s right to vote, it’s a perfect opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women, both in Chatham and throughout our country. 

Parade participants will use the theme for inspiration to design their entries. Thousands of spectators are expected to line the streets of downtown Chatham for this year’s Independence Day Parade on Saturday, the Fourth of July.

Prize categories for float entries will be announced by the end of February and the entry form will be available in early March. At that time you can go to the committee’s webpage, chathamparade.com, to register online or download the form. Nominations for Parade Grand Marshal will be accepted during the month of May and the decision will be announced in June.

It’s hard to believe that the parade is a little over five months away. By announcing the theme now, we hope prospective entrants will have plenty of time to design their entries. We look forward to yet another year of clever, imaginative, and all-around fun floats.

AWARD WINNERS FOR THE 2019 INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE

OverallPhillips Farm Family
2nd PlacePine Acres Realty/Chatham Concierge
3rd PlaceOyster River Boatyard
Best Youth Entry- Sam & Kevin Foley
Best Patriotic EntryPhillips Farm Family
Best Small EntryMonomoy Yacht Club
Best Large EntryKathleen Kelly and Jenn Gilmartin
Best Civic EntrySustainable Practices
Best Funny EntryChatham Drama Guild 
Best Family EntryMagner Family 

Parade Traffic Advisory & Parking Restrictions

The following advisory and information on parking restrictions has been posted by the Chatham Police Department.

Starting at 02:30 a.m. on July 4, “NO PARKING” restrictions will go into effect. The area affected is the Main Street Downtown Business District from the Rotary/Old Harbor Road to the intersection Main Street and Shore Road. There will be NO PARKING-TOW AWAY ZONE restrictions on the Town Hall side of Main Street. No chairs will be allowed on Main Street until AFTER 02:30 a.m.

Beginning at 06:30 a.m. there will be a one-way (southbound) traffic pattern on Shore Road, from Old Harbor Road to Main Street. This will remain in effect until the end of the parade proceeds onto Main Street.
The downtown business area will be closed to ALL motor vehicle traffic at 08:30 a.m.

The intersection of Route 28, Main Street and Crowell Road will be closed at 09:00 a.m., and ALL inbound traffic will be detoured onto Old Queen Anne Road, with the exception of vehicles that need to access the Stage Harbor/Oyster Pond/Cedar Street area, which
will be detoured on to Queen Anne Road.

“NO PARKING” signs, traffic cones and barricades will be placed at various locations along the parade route and surrounding streets. Uniformed Police Officers will be posted to assist with traffic. Please follow Officer’s directions on exiting town after the parade. Officers may have alternate routes that will shorten your time in traffic as
opposed to directions suggested by your GPS systems.

It has been confirmed that the parade route  will again be the extended route.

Please note that Barcliff Ave will be closed at 7am. Access to Shore Road is via Main Street or Route 28.

The route map, parking and rest room locations can be found Here

Shore Road will be closed at 06:30 except for parade floats. Entry will only be possible from the traffic lights.

Barcliff Road will be closed for traffic towards Shore Road

Main Street to Shore Road will close at approximately 08:30.

Parade starts at 9:30am!

Announcing the Grand Marshal, Judges, Master of Ceremonies, and National Anthem Singer for the 2019 Parade!

We are proud to announce some of the esteemed participants in the 
2019 Chatham July 4th Parade:

GRAND MARSHAL

The Grand Marshal for the 2019 parade will be Ivan Bassett, a lifelong resident of Chatham and beloved fixture in the community.  As a signalman in World War II, Mr. Bassett served in every major battle in the Pacific, including Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and won 10 battle stars.  After the war, he returned to Chatham, married and raised a family, and worked for the local fire department and school system. We can’t think of a more perfect individual to represent this year’s parade theme, “Chatham Honors You! Service Members Past, Present, Future.”  

JUDGES

The Judges for the 2019 parade will be:

  • Danielle Jeanloz, Executive Director of the Atwood House and Museum
  • Patricia Vreeland, former Chatham High School nurse and volunteer extraordinaire
  • Perry Comeau, Valedictorian of Monomoy Regional High School Class of 2019

MASTER OF CEREMONIES AND SINGER


Sarah Colvin, local Cape Cod broadcast journalist, will return as Master of Ceremonies, and after a wonderful performance last year, Brooke Linnell, Nauset Regional High School Class of 2017, will sing our National Anthem!  

Essential entrant information for the 2019 parade

2019 Theme

“Chatham Honors You!

Service Members Past, Present, Future”

 ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR ENTRANTS – PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY

 

The Chatham Police Department has issued rules to ensure the safety of all parade entrants and spectators. Not following these rules could jeopardize your participation this year and in future parades.  

 

• No float apparatus or act can exceed 14 feet in height from street level nor exceed 8 feet in width.

 

• All entries and displays must be free from images reflecting cruelty, denigration or abuse of persons or groups because of race, creed, gender or economic status.

 

• Emergency vehicles must be given the right of way at all times.

 

• Entrants must abide by all laws of the land.

 

• Participants must remain grouped within parade boundaries or as directed by Police or Parade Staff. If the parade stops, participant groups must remain together. Unauthorized stops along the parade route are not permitted. It is essential to keep pace throughout the parade to provide the best experience for the spectators and other entrants.

 

• Drinking alcoholic beverages is prohibited while in line before the start and during the parade.
 
• Throwing anything to the crowd, including candy, is strictly prohibited. It creates a potentially dangerous situation with implications for safety or injury, especially for children.  Handouts are permitted but not abiding by this rule is grounds to be refused entry in future parades.
 

Parade Logistics

• Entrants’ position number in the parade will be listed on the Independence Day Parade Committee website: ChathamParade.com on June 17th, and appear in an upcoming issue of the Cape Cod Chronicle. (Entry registration dates do not factor into planning the parade order.)
 
• All entrants must be checked in and in parade position at their corresponding numbered staging area on Shore Road no later than the times designated below:

 

• Entry #1 through #33 – check in between 7:00am – 7:30am
• Entry #34 through #65 – check in between 7:30am – 8:00am
• Entries #66 and up – check in between 8:00am – 8:30am

 

• All entrants must be in parade position by 8:30am.

 

• Position number must be displayed on the LEFT side of the Entry.

 

• Prior to parade day, entrants are encouraged to check in and pick up their position number flags at the Chatham Police Department at 249 George Ryder Road on the following days/times:
• Saturday, JUNE 29 – 9:00am – 1:00pm  
• Monday, JULY 1 – 2:00pm – 7:00pm  
• Tuesday, JULY 2 – 9:00am – 11:00am
• Entrants who are not able to check in during the above times must check in on the morning of July 4th prior to positioning on Shore Road with a Parade Staff stationed at the Chatham Town Fish Pier.

 

• The parade begins at 9:30am at the intersection of Shore Road and Main Street, and finishes at the intersection of Crowell Road and Tip Cart Road. Please adhere to police instructions for exiting the parade area.

• For entrants wishing to park at Monomoy Regional Middle School on Crowell Road, a shuttle bus will take you to Shore Road. The shuttle will run starting at 6:30am. It will then be waiting at the end of the parade route to drive participants back to Monomoy Regional Middle School.
 

Parade Judging

• To qualify for an award, the Entry must be consistent with the parade theme.

 

• All awards are determined solely at the discretion of the Judges.

 

• Entries are viewed by Judges at the reviewing stand located on the lawn of the First United Methodist Church at the intersection of Main Street and Cross Street. Please do not stop here and delay the parade.

 

• Your Entry may win more than one award.
 

Parade Award Categories

o Overall Best Entry – 1st Place will be recognized on an engraved brass plaque on the Chatham Parade Trophy displayed at Town Hall.
o 2nd Place Entry
o 3rd Place Entry
o Best Large Float (over 20 feet)
o Best Small Float (under 20 feet)
o Best Youth Entry (participants under 18 years old)
o Most Patriotic Entry
o Funniest Entry
o Best Family Entry
o Best Civic Entry
• All of the category award winners will receive a custom-designed engraved plaque which will be presented at an awards ceremony during a Board of Selectmen meeting later in July.

2019 Parade theme: “Chatham Honors You! Service Members Past, Present, Future”

The countdown is on!  The Chatham Independence Day Parade Committee is pleased to announce the theme for 2019:

“Chatham Honors You! Service Members Past, Present, Future”

The idea was submitted by Sam Foley, 9, in honor of his grandfathers who both live in Chatham and served in the military. Sam lives in England but spends his summer vacations here. With a backdrop of this year’s 75th anniversary of D-Day, which changed the course of WWII, we honor all men and women who have served our country, not just the veterans of WWII but of all wars and those who have served during peacetime. We also honor Chatham’s contributions – the Marconi Center, Naval Base formerly on Eastward Point, Coast Guard at Chatham Light – as well as the many soldiers, sailors, and airmen and women who have and will protect us.

Parade participants will use the theme for inspiration to design their entries to honor our veterans. Thousands of spectators are expected to line the streets of downtown Chatham for this year’s Independence Day Parade on Thursday, the Fourth of July.

It’s hard to believe that the parade is a little over five months away. By announcing the theme now, we hope prospective entrants will have plenty of time to design their entries.

Prize categories for float entries will be announced by the end of February and the entry form will be available in early March. Go to the committee’s webpage, chathamparade.com, to download the form. Forms will also be emailed to previous entrants in hopes of them joining us again.

Nominations for Parade Grand Marshal will be accepted during the month of May and the decision will be announced in June.

Aside from Veteran’s Day, we can’t think of a finer day to honor our veterans than on the day our country celebrates our Independence, July 4th. We look forward to yet another year of clever, imaginative, and all-around fun floats.

Award Winners for the 2018 Independence Day Parade

Award Categories 2018 Winner Float #
OVERALL BEST in Parade Phillips Farm Family #26
OVERALL 2nd Place Bog Lane Farm #1
OVERALL 3rd Place Friends of Monomoy #57
     
Best Youth Float Monomoy Regional School District #23
Most Patriotic Float Bog Lane Farm #1
Best Small Float Fisherman’s Daughter #53
Best Large Float Kathleen Kelly & Jenn Gilmartin #35
Best Civic Float Wildcare #21
Funniest Float Fitzgerald Family #29
Best Family Float Magner Family #50