BH-BL Flag Day Parade Rules & Regulations
The BH-BL Flag Day Parade is brought to you by the BH-BL Business and Professional Association (BPA) and a number of local businesses. The BPA’s Parade Steering Committee & other volunteers have put many hours into preparations to make this a safe and happy event. This event involves nearly 2,000 marchers and thousands of more spectators, so everyone’s cooperation is needed to prevent safety problems. Each group or business wanting to march in the parade must read the rules below and complete the following entry form on behalf of their group or business. We strongly suggest you also make copies of these rules for all your marchers to read.
- You are invited to show your pride and help us celebrate the Red, White & Blue by entering your decorated vehicle, float, and/or marchers in the BH-BL Community Flag Day Parade on June 13th. The parade is a fun family event & a unique BH-BL tradition for all ages, centered on celebrating our American flag. We encourage all entrants to carry some kind of banner so that the multitude of parade watchers know who you are!
- Here’s how it works: Route 50 and part of Lakehill Road will close promptly at 6:15 pm. CAPTAIN CHS’s One Mile Road Race will be held at 6:50 on the parade route. The parade steps off at 7:00 pm and marches south on Route 50, starting from the Route 50/ Kingsley Road intersection and ending at Country Acres. There will be school buses available at the end of the parade to carry marchers of all ages back to the high school — then plenty of time for everyone to move to the athletic fields behind the O’Rourke Middle School for fireworks! The fireworks will start at dusk or approximately 9:15 pm.
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Floats and Honors: As in past years, judges will be evaluating floats and will award 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd place prizes for the Best Floats in the parade. In addition, winners will receive a complimentary membership in the BHBL Business andProfessional Association. This year’s Grand Marshall is TBA.
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Rules & Regulations: The Flag Day Parade is brought to you by the BH-BL Business & Professional Association(BPA) and many local business sponsors. The BPA’s Parade Steering Committee, other volunteers & fire police have put hundreds of hours into making this a safe and a happy evening. This event involves an estimated 5,000 marchers and spectators, your group’s cooperation is essential to prevent safety problems. Please respect parade staff at all times and follow their directions.
- Each group or business wanting to march in the parade must read the rules below and complete the following entry form on behalf of their group or business. Your submission of this entry form indicates that you and the members of your group agree to abide by the following rules. We strongly request you also share copies of these rules for all your marchers/participants to read. Failure to comply with any of the following safety procedures will result in your group not being allowed to participate in future parades.
- EMERGENCY PROTOCOL: In the event of an emergency, all participants will be instructed to MOVE to the LEFT SIDE of the ROAD to allow emergency vehicles right of way to respond.
- No Rain Date: In the unlikely event the weather is so severe the parade cannot be safely held, the entire event will be cancelled by the BPA president and announced at www.bhblbpa.com and www.facebook.com/BHBLFlagDayParade on the day of the parade. (Cancellation of the parade has only happened once.) In the more likely scenario that the forecast includes some rain, each group must use its own judgment about participating. (For BH-BL school groups marching in the parade, Superintendent McGrath will make the decision about your participation if weather is a question.)
- The parade must KEEP MOVING forward at all times: ALL groups need to move slowly & continuously forward at a speed that allows only 20 – 30 feet between your group and the group in front of you. No big gaps between parade entries please! No zigzagging or swerving of vehicles!
- Parade Entry Height must be under 13 feet high: Please be aware of the height of your entry and remember that there are some low wires across Route 50 on the parade route. If you knock down a wire, it will be your liability, not that of the BH-BL Business & Professional Association.
- Family Safety: The entire evening is a family event with many small children in attendance. Please do not do anything that might be considered dangerous or might set a bad example for the children of our community. This includes alcohol, tobacco or firearms.
- Candy Policy: WARNING! No throwing candy from floats or vehicles to prevent children from darting into the roadway to catch thrown items, a serious safety risk! If you plan to hand out candy or trinkets, be sure to arrange for marchers who can walk along each side of your vehicle and hand it out. We need your cooperation to keep this a fun and safe event for all.
- POOP Patrol: Any entry with animals must also bring a person on “pooper scooper” patrol.
- Use the Shuttle Buses! Marchers walking back along Route 50 while the parade is underway are a problem because they block the view of spectators. Please help us prevent this by having your group use the school district shuttle buses at the parade’s end. There are school buses leaving TCAR (across from County Acres) every 10 – 15 minutes specifically to carry marchers of all ages back to the high school via Kingsbury & Kingsley Roads.
- Timing: Early in the week of the parade, you will be notified where the marchers from your group should go to line up (either in the High School front parking lot or at the former Burnt Hills Lanes). Please notify all marchers in advance that they should plan to arrive before 6:00 pm on June 13th.
- REMINDER: Your submission of this entry form indicates that you and the members of your group agree to abide by the above rules. Please help us keep this a safe and fun community event!
- REGISTRATION: free to community groups & businesses. Please fill out the online entry form by 6/5. Any questions can be directed to Jim Ireland at 518-522-1788 or jamesstuartireland@gmail.com or Ashley DiPaola at 585-230-6824 or ashley@ellmsfarms.com