Parade Policies

The Villages Independence Festival was created to provide an opportunity for the citizens of the Memorial Villages to celebrate our Independence Day in a family oriented, wholesome manner.  Persons participating in the parade should keep this in mind when planning their floats and entries.
The following specific policies have been established:
There are no pre-registration requirements, showing up on time is all that is required.

Motorized entries will line up in an area separate from non-motorized entries.

Official floats, those of the six sponsoring cities, SBISD, municipal agencies, elected officials, other governmental agencies and floats identifiable as affiliated with a Church will line up separate from all other entries.

No livestock will be permitted in the parade.

Commercial advertising of any nature is strongly discouraged.

Political advertising, including handing out flyers, is strongly discouraged.

The entries of the six sponsoring cities will be judged in the Eagle Trophy competition.

Church floats will be judged in a separate competition.

No other floats will be judged.

Variations from these policies must be approved by the Chairing Mayor and the Parade Chair.
Parade Information

The parade will start at the intersection of Gaylord and Echo Lane.  Motorized entries will be staged in the parking lot of the Memorial Church of Christ.  There is limited parking on the periphery only of this lot while the parade is being organized.  Entries should line up where instructed facing south.  For safety reasons, do not enter the Memorial High School field house parking lot on the north side of Gaylord .

Skaters, bikers, hikers, strollers and other non-motorized entries will be staged in the Memorial High School field house parking lot on the North side of Gaylord.  For safety reasons, motorized vehicles will be allowed into this parking lot only to drop off parade entries and only in a designated, coned off drive through.

General parking is available in the Memorial High School parking lot on the west side of Echo Lane.  A shuttle bus service will run from the Festival grounds to the corner of Gaylord and Echo Lane throughout the Festival until 2pm.

The parade is an open parade, which means residents are welcome to come and be part of it.  You can design and decorate your own float or you can use balloons and American flags which will be handed out by the Memorial Exchange Club at the beginning of the parade.
Parade Float Competition

In 2019 there will be two classes of floats competing for best float recognition.  All entrants are reminded that there are two minimal requirements for all float competitions:

  • The name of the entrant, city or church, must be visibly displayed on the float; and,

  • Floats must have a patriotic, not political, theme.

The two classes of floats competing for recognition in 2017 will be:
           
Official floats from the six sponsoring cities; and,

Floats entered by local Churches.


Churches are asked to advise us that they will be entering a float to assist us in managing the parade marshaling area.  This is not a requirement and you can still come if you don't advise us but if you can, it will help us. Please email Parade Chair Marc Schwartz and let him know you are coming at w[email protected]  .