Quantcast
Happenings Lifestyle

West Hartford’s 2017 Park Road Parade Will Feature More Unique Floats, Neighborhood Groups

18th Annual Park Road Parade. West Hartford, CT. Oct. 1, 2016. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

Organizers of West Hartford’s iconic Park Road Parade are reaching out to neighborhoods and organizations to make this year’s parade even more vibrant with a focus on ‘unique and fun’ entrants.

By Ronni Newton

Preparations are already underway for the 2017 Park Road Parade – and this years organizers say the popular fall event will be bigger and better than ever, with a focus on making the iconic parade more of a town-wide event.

“What is most exciting is a renewed energy, with lots of new committee members coming together to support the Park Road Parade,” said Tracy Flater, co-president of the Park Road Association and one of the event organizers.

This year will mark the 19th Annual Park Road Parade – it would have been the 20th but the 2015 parade was canceled due to rain – and organizers are hoping to engage residents, encourage creativity, and build camaraderie among the Park Road businesses as well as the entire community.

“The parade has gotten a little stale,” Flater said. The committee is reaching out to residents, neighborhoods, and businesses, and would really like to attract more floats.

“We’re really making a strong push to feature West Hartford neighborhoods and organizations in this year’s parade and we’re encouraging those groups to use their imagination in putting together a unique and fun entry,” Park Road Parade Coordinator Tony Landino said in a statement.

Flater said that an entire subcommittee is dedicated to securing flatbeds that can be used to create floats for this year’s parade.

Hello! West Hartford group in past Park Road Parade. (We-Ha.com file photo)

The Park Road Parade traditionally includes bands, clowns, dancers, floats, antique cars, dogs of all shapes and sizes, sports mascots, color guards, businesses, civic and cultural organizations, and town officials.

Participants don’t need to be from the Park Road neighborhood, or even from West Hartford. Groups from Hartford and other parts of the state have participated in the past. “The more the merrier,” said Flater.

“We’re also brainstorming about a way to add a more competitive edge,” Flater said. There are already prizes for best musical performance, community spirit, costumes, and overall performance, but organizers are hoping increasing the competitive spirit – including pitting neighborhood groups against each other (in a friendly way) will add a new energy to the event.

The Park Road Parade committee is also working on new ways to raise funds to pay for the event. There is a cost associated with many of the musical groups and other performers that participate in the event, and although the annual Celebrity Breakfast has been a successful fundraiser, Flater said that “with more money we can do more things.”

Area businesses are also being encouraged to have an outdoor presence during the parade. “There’s no better way to promote yourself than having 10,000 people on your street,” said Flater.

The Park Road Parade will kick off at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017. The half-mile route along Park Road begins at the intersection of South Highland Street and ends at Jessamine Street. There is no entry fee or other cost to participate. The parade, which lasts about an hour, is televised on West Hartford Community Television.

For more information, or to sign up as a participant, visit the Park Road Parade tab on the Park Road Association website.

Questions can also be directed to Renée McCue at 860-561-7521 or [email protected].

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford!

18th Annual Park Road Parade. West Hartford, CT. Oct. 1, 2016. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

About the author

We-Ha

We-Ha.com is the place to go for the latest information about West Hartford – a town that "has it all"! We-Ha.com is part of and proud of our community, and we bring a hyperlocal focus to news and features about the people, schools, businesses, real estate, sports, restaurants, charitable events, arts, and more. Contact us at: [email protected] or [email protected].

1 Comment

Leave a Comment

Translate »