Veterans Parade has over 120 entries
20 floats, 13 bands expected
When the 99th annual Porterville Veterans Day Parade steps off at 10 a.m. Saturday, 20 floats and 13 marching bands will be among the more than 120 entries.
Parade chairman Ed Flory, heading up his 39th parade, said this year’s lineup is shaping up nicely. The number of entries is 123, down slightly from last year’s 130.
“The balance is there, just one or two missing here and there,” Flory said.
Leading the parade will be grand marshal Rick Elkins, a long-time veterans supporter, and 2017 Veterans Day Queen Brianna Torres of Porterville High School. This year’s theme is “Over There — Remembering World War I.”
The parade route is down Main Street, beginning at Morton Avenue and continuing south to Orange Avenue. A beautiful day with temperatures in the upper-60s at parade start expected.
The parade will again be preceded by a pre-parade of three local baton groups. That will begin at 9:30 a.m.
Joining Miss Torres on the Queen’s Float will be her court: Princess Calista Spohn of Porterville High, First Attendant Jasmyn Franco of Monache High, Second Attendant Abygail Saieva of Porterville High and Third Attendant Shelby Whinery of Porterville High.
The Monache High School Marching Band will be leading off the parade. Porterville and Granite Hills bands are also in the lineup, as well as several elementary schools.
Again, as has been done every year, the parade will pause at 11 a.m. to mark the historic armistice signing.
The first organized parade was in 1919 and was known as the Armistice Parade. A group of Confederate sympathizers, the last in the area at the time, gathered for a photo during the parade.
The Old Timers’ Tea, also known as the Veterans Day Tea, will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Historic Women’s Clubhouse at 265 N. E St.
The day’s activities will begin as early as 7:30 a.m. with the Veterans Day Run — a 10k run, 5k run and 5k walk as well as a free threeblock run for children ages 10 and under.
Awards will be given to first through third place in each age category for running and walking events. All participants of the 10K and 5K runs, or the 5K walk, will receive an official race-day T-shirt.
The cost of registration is $25 for those who register the day of the event.
Registration the day of the event will be taken from 6-6:45 a.m. at City Hall at 291 N. Main St.
The annual Band-arama will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at Jacob Rankin Stadium at Granite Hills High School.
Motorists should avoid street closures downtown. Streets will be closed beginning at 4:30 a.m. and remain closed until the parade is over at about noon.
Main Street will be blocked off beginning at the Ford dealership, near West Danner Avenue, and extending to Orange Street. Hockett Street and Second Street will also be closed, but will remain open for street traffic.