Events
View more photos from the 2007 Parade and Festival
Memorial Day Parade and Festival
Event Narrative
Our 2008 Memorial Day Parade & Festival will be held on Monday, May 26, 2008. This fourth annual community event will be co-sponsored by VEP and three public schools (Carson Elementary, Parkview Elementary, and Gunderson High) in our area. It is open and free to the public.
Our event begins with a parade from Vista Park to Parkview Elementary School. It will include two marching bands, clowns, school choirs, color guards, Armed Forces representatives, Scouts, Sharkie, choral and dance groups, a barbershop quartet, SJPD Horse Mounted and K-9 Units, SJFD, and others who will perform for the enjoyment of the hundreds of participants and spectators we expect that day. Members of the public are also encouraged to participate in our parade which ends at and is followed by a festival at Parkview Elementary School. Our program is shown below. Our Festival features games for kids and free entertainment for all.
This event was a great success last year. SJPD estimated that more than 2,000 people attended. We are working to make this year’s event an even bigger success.
VEP is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit association. We use membership dues and donations from residents and local businesses to underwrite the costs of this event. This year we have invited a licensed vendor (Mojo Burger) to provide all prepared food. Our co-sponsoring public school organizations will charge modestly for canned/bottled drinks and pre-packaged refreshments donated by local businesses; they will also charge modestly for children’s game concessions. Those discretionary items constitute the only costs to anyone attending.
Although all co-sponsors agree that our objective is family fun, not fund-raising, any and all net proceeds from this event will be donated to Carson and Parkview Schools.
Draft Memorial Day Program
(as of 4/30/08)
Walk-thru Rehearsal: 9:30 am at Parkview School (330 Bluefield Drive) for performing groups and/or their directors
Costume Parade: From Vista Park (475 Hyde Park Drive) to Parkview School (330 Bluefield Drive)
10 am = Parade line-up begins at Vista Park.
10 am - 11 am = Costume judges review costumes and decorations.
11 am SHARP = Parade steps-off.
Festival: (at Parkview Elementary School, 330 Bluefield Drive)
11:30 am = Memorial Day Ceremony begins
- Gathering Music - Sylvandale Middle School Band.
- Welcome: Dave Fadness, Festival Chair.
- Present Colors: Andrew Hill ROTC Color Guard, Honor Guard, Saber Team, Drum Corps, and Drill Teams.
- Pledge of Allegiance - Fair Middle School Choir.
- America the Beautiful - Sylvandale Middle School Band - an audience sing-along.
- Proud To Be An American - Parkview-Carson All American Kids’ Club Choir.
- Moment of Silence – Heralds from the audience of names remembered, lead by Sylvandale’s Andrew Love.
- Taps – Erik Gonzalez, Soloist; Fair Middle School Band.
- All Across America - Parkview-Carson All American Kids' Club Choir
- This Land is Your Land - Parkview-Carson All American Kids' Club Choir - an audience sing-along
- God Bless America – Fair Middle School Choir
- Star Spangled Banner - Fair Middle School Band - an audience sing-along.
- Retire Colors: Andrew Hill ROTC Color Guard.
12:30 pm = Entertainment begins
- Introduction - VEP President.
- Costume awards – Councilwoman Nancy Pyle (Categories: Best Family, Most Patriotic, Funniest, Most Original, Most Beautiful, Best Bicycle, Best Coaster Wagon, Craziest, Most Colorful, Most Unusual, and Judges’ Choice.)
- Town Square Harmonizers - barbershop quartet.
- America Tae Kwon Do - martial arts demonstration.
- SJPD K-9 Unit – demonstration.
- Disc-Jockey interlude music (throughout the program) - Mike Lopez.
2 pm = Field games & prizes (three-legged, sack, and wheelbarrow races; water balloon toss; tug-o-war).
3 pm = Festival ends. Volunteers clean-up the school grounds.