The 33rd annual Rock Island Labor Day Parade is scheduled on Monday, September 4, 2017, starting at 9:30 a.m. Over 120 entries have registered to participate in what is an annual celebration of the City of Rock Island and the surrounding community.
This year’s theme, SING! Rock Island, was selected to shine a light on the all the music makers in the community. The announcer’s booth at 18th Ave. and 30th St. has been designated as a reviewing stand this year to showcase theme related participants who would like to give a brief 45 second performance. A special award will be presented to the favorite performance as determined by parade watchers. Rock Island native Ashley Dean will appear on a float at the start of the parade to help kick off this year’s special theme celebration.
Seven marching bands from across the Quad Cities will participate in this year’s parade. This includes university bands from Western Illinois University and St. Ambrose University. High school marching bands from Alleman, Rock Island, Rockridge, Davenport Central, and Moline will also join the march. Musical groups and marchers also returning this year are the John Mueller Band and the youth drum group from Sheltered Reality. The popular Black Hawk Pipes and Drums and crowd favorite MetroSteppers, from the Martin Luther King Center’s Metropolitan Youth Program, will also return to the parade line-up.
The parade starts near Washington Jr. High School at 18thAve. and 33rd St. The route travels west along 18th Ave., turns south at 24th St., then west on 25th Ave., and disbands into the Rock Island High School parking lots. Several businesses along the route will be offering food and drinks to parade watchers.
The first Rock Island Labor Day Parade was held in 1985 as part of the City’s Sesquicentennial (150th Birthday) Celebration. Over the past 32 years, the parade has grown into a popular event that averages 120 entries and draws thousands of spectators.
For more information contact Art Milton at (309) 788-6157or Mary Chappell at (309) 269-7944. Details about the parade and a map of the parade route are available at www.rigov.org.
