The 19^th Annual Park Road Parade will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017.

By Ronni Newton

The Park Road Parade Committee announced Thursday that NBC Connecticut news anchor Heidi Voight has been selected as grand marshal of the 2017 Park Road Parade.

Voight will lead the parade which steps off on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 10:30 a.m. from the intersection of Park Road and South Highland Street. Organizers said that nearly 100 contingents from the Park Road neighborhood, the rest of West Hartford, and beyond have registered to participate and about 7,000 spectators are expected to attend.

The iconic Park Road Parade has an “anything goes” motto, organizers said. Unlike parades that mark serious occasions, this one is all about zaniness and fun. Contingents 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. 

“Heidi is a West Hartford resident who loves the Park Road community, which is exactly why we selected her as the 2017 grand marshal,” Tracy Flater, co-president of the Park Road Association, said in a news release announcing the selection. “She brings energy and enthusiasm to everything she does!”

Voight anchors NBC Connecticut’s morning news from 4:30-7 a.m., with co-anchor Ted Koppy and meteorologist Bob Maxon.

Voight is a native of Milford, CT, and is a multimedia journalist who has held nearly every position in the newsroom. She has covered the aftermath of many local disasters, including the 2011 October snowstorm, Tropical Storm Irene, and the EF3 tornado that hit Springfield, MA – for which she won a regional Emmy award.

She is dedicated to using her platform to uncover human interest stories and support charitable causes and hosts the “Clear The Shelters,” “Pet of the Week,” and “Community Connection” on NBC Connecticut. The Connecticut Humane Society recently inducted her into the Gertrude O. Lewis Humanitarian Society – the organization’s highest honor.

Voight, a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, has also been named to Connecticut Magazine’s “40 Under 40.” In 2006, she was “Miss Connecticut” in the Miss America Pageant.

For more information about the Park Road Parade, contact Renée McCue at 860-561-7521 or Tony Landino at 860-966-4582, or visit www.ParkRoadCT.com/about-the-parade.

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!