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 75^th 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 4^th. We look forward to yet another year of clever, imaginative, and all-around fun floats.

Born and raised in Chatham, Brooke Linell was the talented singer who started the parade last year.  She graduated last year from Nauset Regional High School. She has been pursuing her studies at the University of New Hampshire this past year.

Judges for this years parade will be

• Brad Schiff
• Danielle Jeanloz
• Francesca Barr, Monomoy High School Valedictorian

The grand marshal for this years parade will be Hank Hyora!

The countdown is on! The Chatham Independence Day Parade Committee is pleased to announce the theme for the 2017 Independence Day Parade – Chatham for the Holidays!  This year’s theme celebrates the notion that “Chatham is a great place to celebrate all holidays throughout the year” no matter when they fall.

As is the custom, the Committee solicited theme ideas from the public and this year’s theme was suggested by Chatham summer visitor Courtney Cratty. Inspired by how she has so much enjoyed celebrating the July 4th holiday in Chatham with her family for many years, she thought the theme was a perfect way for the community to honor and creatively celebrate what makes Chatham special over any holidays with family and friends. The Parade Committee agreed!

“With this announcement, the considerable creative talents that dwell in Chatham can now go to work to begin designing and constructing a parade float and ultimately compete for the coveted Chatham Cup which recognizes the Most Outstanding Float in the parade each year.” said Brad Schiff, IDP Committee Chair.

Last year’s winners were – “The Bridge Street Buccaneers” whose pirate puppet ship astounded the crowd and judges. In addition, this year, a Best Family Float has been added to the awards categories to inspire even more family participation.

The Chatham Independence Day Committee is looking for additional volunteers to get involved with planning and managing the parade activities. Interested people should contact the committee at [email protected].