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.