I Love a Parade

I was talking with someone about recently about one of the largest, most famous parades on TV and it got me thinking about what it takes to plan one. My head started to spin as I thought about the logistics of it all. Don’t get me wrong, I love logistics, details, and spreadsheets probably more than the next girl, but the more I pondered, the deeper down the rabbit hole I traveled. I have been in parades, I have watched parades, but I’ve never planned parades. So I did some digging.

In small-town USA where I grew up, our high school marching band was part of the one-off holiday parades like Memorial Day and 4th of July. I play the oboe which, if you’ve ever seen one, cannot safely be played while moving, let alone marching, so I learned to play the trumpet. After a couple of years I became the majorette where I learned to walk backwards down main street without looking. The preparation for the band included daily trips in marching formation through town, learning to read music from little flip charts on our arms, and for me, navigating pot holes and obstacles as I prayed that eyes would form on the back of my head.

Since the entire town of 1200 participated, I imagine there weren’t such things as permits and road closures. The single cop and volunteer firemen were leading the parade, and anyone with a tractor, a pick up truck, and a bicycle were part of the action.

But as I researched this TV parade which has been going on for decades, I realized that it truly takes an army. There are almost 1000 volunteers needed to make things happen and activities are going on for months. Tasks such as securing sponsorships, screening entry applications, filing for a zillion permits, obtaining road closure barriers for 5-1/2 miles of parade route, hiring security and traffic controllers, scheduling deliveries of float-building materials, and renting a myriad of resources like grandstands, porta potties, transport buses, float-building facilities, storage units, AV equipment, cameras, and so much more. The parade world even has its own language. I’m so glad I stumbled onto this document by California Meetings & Events or I might never survive planning a parade!¹

Then there is scheduling the entries in the right order to entertain everyone. There are officials, dignitaries, floats, bands, sports teams, a queen and her court, firetrucks, twirlers, opinions, thoughts, and emotions to consider. The team working on this takes into account those driving the floats who are navigating without seeing, makes sure bands aren’t too close together so their music doesn’t clash, ensures that floats with conflicting causes are not positioned next to each other, and a whole host of other qualifiers.

The floats themselves are a spectacle to behold. Each one more grand than the next and each one taking months to build. There are strict rules about the materials these floats can be made from or they are disqualified. The number of different flowers, legumes, seeds, and grasses that comprise the floats; I’ve never even heard of some of these before. Listening to the parade emcees talk about the floats can sound like a soup recipe or a walk through the local botanical garden.

I can’t imagine having to judge the floats and other entries. Not only are there hundreds of entries, there is a category for everything. I feel like over the years the number of different awards have grown. It’s not only about the most colorful or floral craftsmanship, but there’s a Mayor’s award, Queen’s award, Past President award, Fantasy award, California Life award, Extraordinary award, and 36 others. If you’ve ever seen the judging grid, you might need a master’s degree to understand it.

My guess, however, is that there is so much historical knowledge that is passed down from organizer to organizer as the years roll on. Best practices, things to avoid, vendors to use, what permits are needed, number of volunteers required, where to place the porta potties, and when to open registration. After 134 years, I can only imagine what that event planning checklist looks like. It seems to be a very organized event especially when there are several guides available to prepare you to attend the parade. If the organizers can prepare someone to attend the event this well, guaranteed, they’ve thought about what it takes to make it run behind-the-scenes.

Next time you find yourself having to plan a parade, remember to start with the goals and objectives; a parade is first and foremost to entertain, to bring people together, and to showcase a community. Be sure to line up the entries so that you keep people engaged, end with a bang, and don’t aim when throwing candy.

How many of you have planned a parade? What is one thing we must know? Share it here or send me an email, let’s learn from each other!

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1.California Meetings+Events Magazine Article