Story posted Friday, July 3, 2009
Parades Kick Off '4th' Party
Mt. Prospect's July 4th parade will follow its traditional path, while the Prospect Hts. parade marches a new route tomorrow (Saturday). Here are the details:
Mt. Prospect
Certain streets in central Mt. Prospect will be closed tomorrow (Saturday), July 4 for the village's annual Independence Day parade.
The parade will kick off at 1 p.m. The route begins at Prospect Avenue and Emerson Street, proceeds west on Prospect to Central Road and then west on Central to Melas Park.
Public Works crews will begin closing off streets that are part of the route and connecting streets at 11 a.m. and expect to re-open them by 4 p.m.
Approximately 90 different individuals or groups will participate in the parade. The list includes Mayor Irvana Wilks and village trustees; police and fire departments; numerous churches; U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-10th) and State Sen. Matt Murphy (R-27th); school marching bands; Cub Scouts; and more.
Parade commission members are asking parents to make sure their children stay close to the curb during the approximate hour-and-a-half event. Parade participants will walk next to the curb to hand out candy.
Friedrichs said the parade will proceed rain or shine, unless there is a severe case of lightning.
Prospect Hts.
In Prospect Hts., the city's Independence Day parade will kick off at 9 a.m. on July 4 from the south side of the Palwaukee Plaza parking lot, located at the southwest corner of Palatine Road and Milwaukee Avenue.
The route will continue west on Apple Drive to Piper Lane. It will then proceed south on Wolf Road, then left onto Old Willow Road, a quick right onto Mandel Lane, where it will then turn westbound on Camp McDonald Road, north on Wheeling Road, west on Willow and north on Schoenbeck.
The 4.5-mile parade route ends at Kenilworth and Schoenbeck where lunch will be provided by Hebron Presbyterian Church.
Groups, organizations, or departments scheduled to participate in the parade include Public Works, Prospect Hts. Fire District, Chicago Executive Airport (CEA), Brighton Gardens, 2d ward Ald. John Styler, Cub Scout packs 336 and 347, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, American Taxi and Prospect Hts. Park Dist.
Inclement weather will not damper the festivities unless it is a downpour or a lightning show. If that is the case, other arrangements might have to be made.
Streets along the route will be blocked off beginning early that morning. They will be re-opened once the parade has concluded.
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