Independence Day Parade

Orange Township Honors America's Heroes

The best parade around?

In 2023, Orange Township brought back the Independence Day Parade. This year we are honoring Veterans for their service and sacrifice to our great nation. Join us on July 4, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. to celebrate!

Parking: Parking is available at Olentangy Orange High School, Orange Friends Church, Walker Woods Park, and along the streets.

Route

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Meet the 2024 Grand Marshal : Ferdinand Garcia

Major Ferdinand Garcia recently retired after 34 and a half years in the United States Army. He has lived in Orange Township for the last 18 years. Thank you Ferdinand for your service!

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the parade? What time should I be there?

The parade will be on Thursday, July 4 and will start at 10:00 a.m. We recommend parade participants / marchers arrive by 9:00a.m.

When will the parade be over?

That is difficult to predict and depends on the number of participants.

Where is the parade?

The parade will start at the round-about in front of Olentangy Orange Middle School on Orange Road, will progress east along Orange Road to the round-about at Walker Wood Blvd and Abbey Knoll Dr, then turn south along Walker Wood Blvd to Olentangy Orange High School entrance, then west through the High School drive. Spectators may sit on either side of the streets along the parade route.

Will there be parking available?

Limited parking will be available for parade participants at the Olentangy Orange Middle School and Olentangy Orange High School.

Limited parking for parade spectators will be available at Olentangy Orange High School at the lots next to the soccer and baseball fields. Olentangy Orange Middle School will be closed for spectators.

Parking will also be available along the street on nearby neighborhoods, at Walker Wood Park, and at nearby churches.

If possible, please carpool, or walk or ride your bikes!

Will the parade be cancelled if it rains?

The parade will occur rain or shine.

Will there be fireworks?

No. The parade will be in morning, during daylight. The township is not sponsoring fireworks later in the day. Check your local listings for other local fireworks displays.

Will candy or other giveaways be required?

Participants in parade are not required to pass-out candy or SWAG / giveaways, although they may chose to do so. No items may be thrown to the spectators. All items must be handed to spectators to prevent injury.

Do I need to have a float or a theme to participate in the parade?

No, a float is not required but strongly encouraged to make for a quality parade.

We discourage participants from simply driving in an un-decorated car.

There are many easy, cheap, and creative ideas for floats available on internet searches, balloons are a quick and easy way to decorate a trailer or car.

Is there a fee associated with registering as a participant?

While we have many volunteers, parades do have costs associated with them for clean-up, law enforcement / road closures, etc.

The township is asking participants to pay a registration fee of $100 to help offset costs of this community event, and to treat this as a marketing cost, as they will be advertising their businesses and hopefully getting more community interest in their company. Fees should be paid via check or online.

Who will be in the parade? Can I join as a participant?

Registration is open to the general public. If you would like register a group to march in the parade, visit our registration here. To participate, you must accept the parade rules and waivers.

We encourage small businesses to join, school or church groups, or just a group of residents to get together with neighbors to create a float and make this a community event worth celebrating!

In the unlikely event we are inundated with hundreds or participant requests, priority will be given to businesses and residents of Orange Township and creative floats. We challenge you to test our limits!