2024 INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
Thank you for your interest in participating in the Manistee National Forest Festival Independence Day Parade on July 4, 2024, at 10:00 am, all participants agree to the following:
Application and fee must be received by the Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce no later than June 20, 2024. NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED ON PARADE DAY.
For safety reasons, NO OBJECTS OF ANY KIND MAY BE THROWN to parade spectators. You are allowed to have walking volunteers hand out goodies or materials.
Please maintain a forward motion AT ALL TIMES. Doubling back, or going against the traffic of the parade is prohibited. The parade needs to keep moving as there are 80+ entries each year.
No parade entry should exceed a width of 18 ft and a height of 16 ft.
All mechanical equipment should be in sound working condition, equipped with a tow bar or chain, and should carry an emergency portable fire extinguisher.
We require all units to be at your assigned parade position 30 minutes or more (depending on the size of the entry) before the start of the parade for inspection by the Parade Officials.
Entry must be covered by adequate insurance and be prepared to provide proof upon request.
Placement is at the sole discretion of the Parade Committee. Early registration is afforded first consideration in parade line-up but does not guarantee placement. No unit will be admitted to the parade that has not been pre-registered and approved by the Committee.
Absolutely NO drinking of alcoholic beverages is allowed. Anyone with alcoholic beverages on their entry will be disqualified.
Commercial entries, other than log trucks, must be decorated.
Pamphlets and Hand-Out Materials MUST BE APPROVED with the parade application. Sales, Donation Requests, and Solicitations of any kind are not allowed.
NO SPRAYING SPECTATORS OR OTHER PARADE ENTRIES WITH SQUIRT GUNS, SUPER SOAKERS, OR ANY OTHER DEVICE.
Horse entries MUST have someone clean up or you may be omitted.
Applicant understands that the Manistee National Forest Festival, the City of Manistee, and the Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce and its sub-committees are not responsible for injuries, damages, or losses incurred by the entrant.
ALL UNITS ARE REQUESTED TO NOT DELAY THE MOVEMENT OF THE PARADE. A FORWARD MOTION ONLY IS REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES AND AT NO TIME WILL ANYTHING BE THROWN TO THE CROWD FROM ANY UNIT (such as candy, gum, trinkets, informational materials, etc.). ITEMS BEING HANDED OUT MUST BE DONE BY AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF "WALKERS" TO PERMIT CONTINUED MOVEMENT OF THE PARADE AND TO AVOID CONGESTION OF PARADE-GOERS WAITING THEIR TURN FOR HANDOUT.
Units arriving late will be put at the rear of the parade. Line-up openings will only be held to 30 minutes prior to the parade start. Units will be moved forward to fill empty spaces at that time.
