The Little Egypt Festival Parade in Salem will be bigger this year.
Festival General Chair Jay Henke says the parade completes a big day of activities in Bryan Memorial Park and downtown.
“Starting early in the morning, 8am in the park is the car show. About 8 a.m. we will start downtown, our vendors will be set up. New vendors, food and craft. Across the street at 10:00 we have the big wheel race and also throughout the morning they will have the children’s area open with all sorts of free games to play. There is also horse rides there. Then at 1:00 is the horse show at Franklin Park Junior High.”
Henke says the parade will follow at two, once again this year stepping off down North Broadway and then west on Main Street to Indiana.
“We’ve got a lot more entrants this year than in the years past. We are over 80 entrants and usually pick up a few along the way until Friday.”
Henke says agriculture takes the spot light in this year’s parade.
“Theme will be Agriculture Sustains Us, it goes with our Grand Marshall’s which is past and present Marion County Fair Board members. They will be leading the parade with the Fair Queen’s, Junior Miss and Salem FFA.”
Henke says the parade route won’t be closed down until 1:30 this year at the request of the Illinois Department of Transportation due to heavier traffic through Salem as a result of the I-57 construction work. Parade entrants should be in the park before the roads close at 1:30.
You can receive updates on the festival and live coverage of the parade on WJBD-FM 100.1 beginning at two on Saturday afternoon.
Click below to open the parade line-up:
