The July 4th Parade Committee welcomes nominations for Grand Marshal of the 2023 Chatham Independence Day Parade. The Grand Marshal is designated to take the lead in the processional and in the hosting of festivities. As the Grand Marshal is a position of special honor, the nominee must be a year round or summer resident of Chatham and one who has made significant contributions to our community.
Category Archives: Chatham Fourth of July News
2023 Parade Registration is Now Open
Ready to submit an entry for a float in the 2023 Chatham Independence Day Parade? Then visit our entry submissions page here. It only takes a minute to get yourselves registered.
DEADLINE IS JUNE 15th! Please be sure to read our “Essential Information” page for all important information for entrants!
2023 PARADE PRIZE CATEGORIES
The July 4 th Parade Committee has announced the prize categories for this year’s float entries.
The categories are as follows:
Overall 1st Place
Overall 2nd Place
Overall 3rd Place
Best Family Entry
Best Youth Entry
Most Patriotic Entry
Funniest entry
Best Civic Entry
Best Business Entry (New this year)
Parade Participant Entries will open on May 15 and the deadline will be June 15. Grand Marshall Nominations will open on May 1 with a deadline of June 1. We cannot wait to see the creative, fun, and “timeless” entries you dream up!
2023 July 4th Parade Prize Categories
Overall 1st Place
Overall 2nd Place
Overall 3rd Place
Best Family Entry
Best Youth Entry
Most Patriotic Entry
Funniest entry
Best Civic Entry
Best Business Entry (New this year)
2023 July 4th Parade Theme
The countdown is on!
The Chatham Independence Day Parade Committee is pleased to announce the theme for 2023:
“Timeless Chatham: Then, Now & Beyond“
The idea for this year’s theme was submitted by Norm Hodge, who wrote:
The Chatham Historical Society is turning 100 this year and our Centennial Committee is working towards Bringing History to Life as well as telling our stories along with educating people about the Atwood Museum, our memories, collections and the history of our special town.
Parade participants will use the theme for inspiration to design their entries. Entries cannot be judged for prizes if they do not incorporate the theme in their entry! 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 March and the entry form will be available in Mid-May. 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 three 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.
2022 Award Winners
Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2022 parade! Your creativity and enthusiasm make this parade what it is!
Here are the 2022 award winners selected by the judges:
Overall 1st Place – Phillips Farm Family
Overall 2nd Place – Monomoy Yacht Club
Overall 3rd Place – Chatham Bars Inn
Best Family Entry – The Fitzgerald Family
Best Youth Entry – EXITMERCH
Most Patriotic – Kenny Owens Memorial Cup
Best Civic Entry – Rotary Club of Chatham
Most Funny Entry – Depot Dogs
Best Use of Technology – Cape Cod Power Squadron
Most Environmentally Friendly – Stage Harbor Yacht Club
The awards will be presented at the July 12th Select Board meeting.
2022 Grand Marshal, Judges, & Singer Announcement
We are proud to announce some of the esteemed participants in the 2022 Chatham July 4th Parade:
GRAND MARSHAL
The Grand Marshal for the 2022 parade will be Tommy Doane.
This year’s Grand Marshal truly embodies the spirit of a “Salty Chathamite”. Tommy has deep family roots in Chatham and does many things for the town such as serving on the Finance Committee. He is a friend and supporter to everyone. He has a deep history and love for Chatham. It is said about Tommy that he always lends a hand but never takes any credit or glory!
Tommy will be driven in the parade along with his wife by his neighbor in his own Jeep!
JUDGES
The Judges for the 2022 parade will be:
- Ginny Nickerson – Ginny will be returning as our “Lead Judge this year. Ginny is a 12th generation “Chathamite” and past president of the Historical Society. It was said that “If there was a Ms Chatham, Ginny would be a hands down winner of the title.”
As you all know it is tradition for the Monomoy Regional High School Valedictorian to be asked to be a judge for the parade. Well this year we had a remarkable occurrence at Monomoy. Twin sisters were named Valedictorian and Salutatorian. So we asked them both to serve as judges.
- Nicole Peterson – Nicole was the valedictorian of the class of 2022 at Monomoy High School. She will be studying Neuroscience at Harvard in the fall and hopes to become a doctor.
- Victoria Peterson – Victoria was the salutatorian of the class of 2022 at Monomoy High School. She will attend Cornell in the fall where she will study Business and Hotel Administration.
Both are lifelong Chatham residents.
NATIONAL ANTHEM SINGER
This year’s National Anthem will be sung by Will Mulholland. Will is a Chatham Resident and served as the Class of 2022 President at Nauset Regional High School. Will is going to attend the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the fall.
THE PARADE ORDER HAS BEEN SET FOR THE 2022 INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE!
Name of Organization or Individual
Chatham Police Department
Chatham Veterans
Chatham Veterans' Auxiliary
USCG Station Chatham
US Coast Guard Auxiliary, Cape Cod Flotilla 11-1
Chatham Fire Department (w/ others)
Chatham Town Flag
Chatham Select Board
Chatham Town Band
Grand Marshal
1 Phillips Farm Family
2 John Cassaboon
3 Roger Miller owner
4 Jean Bongiovanni
5 Ted Whittaker & Friends
6 Donald Baker
7 Nick Genoese
8 Bob McAuliffe
9 Model A club of cape cod
10 Cliff Stalker
Name of Organization or Individual
11 Walter Blackett
12 Charlene and Robert Guigli
13 Andy Hurley
14 Robert Carleton
15 7 Sisters Florals
16 Highland Light Scottish Pipe Band
17 Redemption Rock Church
18 Wicked Wavy Swim School
19 Rotary Club of Chatham
20 Boot Camp Chatham
21 Wellfleet veterinary hospital
22 Magner Family
23 Cape Cod Fiddlers
24 Chatham Athletic Association (Chatham Anglers)
25 Goodies
26 Tucker MacDonald / Tide Guide App
27 Chatham Hood Bikes
28 Cape Cod Beach Chair Co.
29 Chatham Boy Scouts Troop 71
30 Lilly Pulitzer
31 Monomoy Yacht Club
32 Chandler Travis Philharmonic
33 Puzio Eyecare Associates
34 Slightly Tooned
35 The Black Dog
36 Depot Dogs
37 The FitzGerald Family
38 Chatham Squire
39 Squire Mobile
40 Joy Street Kids
41 Cape Shark
42 DY Marching Band
43 Witches On the Water, Inc.
44 The Fisher Family
45 EXITMERCH
46 Ken Owens Memorial Soccer Jamboree
47 Dance Therapy 508
48 First Night Chatham
49 Chatham Yacht Club
50 Coxswain Media, LLC.
51 Protect Our Past
52 Southern Tide Chatham
53 Chatham Bars Inn
54 Mason Axford
Name of Organization or Individual
55 Cape Cod Power Squadron (America’s Boating Club Cape Cod)
56 Chatham Conservation Foundation and Americorps Cape Cod
57 The Chatham Fiddle Company
58 Summer Sitters
59 Chatham Pottery
60 Cape Cod Cousins
61 Steve Morgan and the Kingfish
62 Chatham Republican Town Committee
63 Committee to Elect Melissa Alden
64 Oyster River Boatyard
65 The Beach Fire Shop
66 The Place Holders
67 Chatham Democratic Town Committee
68 Stage Harbor Yacht Club
69 MAHI GOLD
70 Lauzon Committee for State Senate
71 Cape Cod’r
72 Yarmouth Minutemen
That’s All Folks
2021 Parade Prize Categories
The July 4 th Parade Committee has announced the prize categories for this year’s float entries. While the Select Board will make a decision June 1 st on whether the parade will be in-person or virtual, the Committee still plans on awarding prizes for entries inspired by this year’s parade theme: “Chatham: From ‘Shell-tering” by the Sea to Celebrating a New Beginning”.
The categories are as follows:
- Best Overall Entry
- 2nd Place
- 3rd Place
- Best Youth Entry
- Best Patriotic Entry
- Best Civic Entry
- Best Funny Entry
- Best Family Entry
- Best Use of Technology
- Most Environmentally Friendly
Parade entry forms and nominations for Parade Grand Marshal will be available in early May. Whether in-person or virtual, the Committee looks forward to another year of clever and imaginative floats and all-around fun, in the same spirit that Chatham has always celebrated the Fourth of July!
A Virtual Alternative to Chatham’s 2020 Independence Day Parade!

COVID-19 has disrupted many aspects of our daily life and forced the cancellation of cherished annual events, including Chatham’s July 4th Parade. Since the “traditional” parade brings joy and excitement every year to thousands of residents and visitors, the Parade Committee would like to host a “virtual” parade in its place! In order to accomplish this, we need your help!!
Individuals, families, local businesses and organizations, previous float registrants, band participants (anyone!) are asked to submit fun pictures or short videos (up to 30 seconds) incorporating one of the following:
- This year’s selected parade theme: “Chatham Celebrates Women – In Honor of the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote”
- Honoring First Responders and Health Care Workers who have been putting their lives on their line during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Honoring teachers who have been working harder than ever to keep students learning and engaged
- Overall Patriotism
Dress up in costumes, make signs, dance, play music, and/or happily shout your delight for participating in this year’s (virtual) July 4th Parade!!
Submission is easy – send your photos or videos to [email protected] by June 25.