Theme Announced For Chatham July 4 Parade

CHATHAM – As the country celebrates its 250th anniversary, there is a lot of anticipation surrounding this year’s Independence Day parade. Already we’ve heard concerns expressed about potential record-setting crowds and more parade participants than usual. 

 Now those participants have a theme upon which to create their entries.

 The Independence Day parade committee last week announced this July 4 parade theme: “Anchored in Freedom: Timeless Tides and Traditions.”

The theme was submitted by Jennifer Patterson, who will be one of the parade judges, said committee chair Steve DeBoer. Between 50 and 60 theme suggestions were submitted. “Most of them were pretty good,” he said at the Feb. 25 select board meeting.

The theme captures the spirit of the national anniversary and honors the town’s heritage and community values, he said, reflecting how Chatham is “firmly anchored” in the freedoms and “timeless tides and traditions that continue to shape our town today.”

The committee will begin accepting applications from participants on March 25 and nominations for grand marshal will open April 15.

 “Thanks for bringing us a little bit of summer,” said Select Board Chair Dean Nicastro at last Wednesday’s meeting, which was delayed a day because of the Feb. 23 blizzard.

 Several major changes have already been made for the parade. The start time was moved back half an hour to 9 a.m., and vehicles will no longer be allowed to park along the north side of Main Street, as they have for many years. Organizers said that will open up more viewing areas downtown.

 The select board initially approved a change in the parade’s route designed to improve efficiency and safety but, after public opposition, voted to revert to the original route, which follows Main Street from the corner of Shore Road to Crowell Road, and then continues down Crowell Road to Lake Street.