The 13th Annual Greater Centralia Area Veterans Parade is set to step off at one Thursday afternoon.
Butch Mathus who sets up the parade each year says it will follow the same route as past years from Chestnut and Broadway downtown west to Fairview Park.
“Right now we are standing at about 37 entries. We will take anybody that wants to go into the parade. They can call me or come to the registration table at the corner of Chestnut and Broadway, I’ll be there around 10 a.m. You can sign up and participate in the parade.”
Mathus would like to see more family entries join the line-up.
“It doesn’t have to be a float. It can be riding a side-by-side or walking in the parade just carrying an American flag. But I’m very short on family entries at this moment.”
The parade will be led by Honorable E4 Gerald Wehrheim, U.S. Army. He was recently honored for being a 60-year member of the Centralia American Legion. Trophies will be given out to the winning entries near the War Memorial in Fairview Park following the parade.
Mathis has announced Thursday morning that the parade will take place as scheduled at one in the afternoon. There had been concerns of possible rain, but weather is now expected to be clear at the time of the parade.
The City of Centralia has announced no parking will be allowed on Broadway from Chestnut to Fairview Park along the 4th of July parade route from ten Thursday morning until two pm.
Here is the parade line-up:
