How to Organize a Parade

Last Updated: January 15, 2023

Parades can be organized for any occasion, whether it be to celebrate a holiday, a special tradition, or even to honor a loved one or notable figure in a community. No matter what the occasion, organizing a parade may involve much planning and be somewhat overwhelming for those who need guidance on how to get started. Here are some tips on how to effectively and efficiently organize a parade.

Steps

1
Determine a parade theme. Consider a theme you and others will feel comfortable with planning.^{[1]
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2
Decide on the magnitude of the parade. Consider if you want to organize a parade for the neighborhood or a larger-scale parade for the entire town or city.

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3
Set a time and date for the parade. Give yourself the time you need to organize the parade, whether it be a few months or a few weeks. In order to have an audience, you will need to advertise your parade far in advance so people can make plans. Announce your parade in a local newspaper or post fliers and signs around your town or neighborhood.^{[2]
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4
Establish a parade committee. Depending on the size of your parade, you may need to pull together a group of people to work with you on organizing the parade. Not only will a committee help you plan for the parade, but they will also assist with clean-up, building floats and more.^{[3]
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5
Set budgets and obtain permits. To organize large-scale parades in a town or city, you will need to obtain special permits to use public streets, erect barriers and hire security or police officers to control crowds and traffic.^{[4]
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6
Set up a marching registration sheet. Finding out how many participants you have in advance will allow you to set time constraints in place.
7
Organize the timeline of the parade. Depending on the amount of participants and time allotted for the parade, you will need to plan accordingly; such as determining how fast floats will travel and how far apart to space each participant.
8
Set up rules and guidelines for all participants. Establish guidelines around appropriate costumes, advertising limits, or even alcohol limits, depending on the parade theme.^{[5]
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9
Seek out parade sponsors. If you plan on having floats in your parade, some local car dealerships may want to lend cars to the participants in your parade for advertising purposes. Be sure to mention your sponsors in parade fliers or brochures.^{[6]
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10
Generate excitement. As the day of your parade closely approaches, generate a buzz in your community by hanging banners and posting signs on the parade route.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I have to pay a fee to drive a vehicle in a parade?

Community Answer

Some parades require a fee, some do not. It depends on your region, the parade and its organizers.
Question

Which color guards come first in a parade?

Community Answer

Traditionally, a military unit or VFW hall will carry colors, however, barring anything else, you can ask your local police department for assistance.
Question

How do I get the requisite permits?

Community Answer

If it is for an entire town or city, you should call or physically appear before your cities commissioners and ask them. If it is for a neighborhood, or a home owner association area, then you should contact your HOA commissioners. If it is a neighborhood with no HOA, then don't worry about a permit.