Logistics: Centennial Parade for Sunday, September 17, 2023 at 1pm.
Parade Coverage: WGAW Radio has announced plans to broadcast the entire parade live featuring MC’s Patti Bergstrom and Mike Richard. (AM 1340, 98.1 FM, and Live Stream OFFICIAL PARADE PROGRAM, CLICK HERE – pdf —- OFFICIAL PARADE PROGRAM, JPEG IMAGE, CLICK HERE Various floats, participating businesses, Antique cars, and Marching Bands are expected. – Notable Participants include: Public Safety vehicles from Gardner PD and Gardner Fire, Grand Marshal Ed Atter and others in antique cars, 50 marchers from Holy Family Academy, Gardner Boy Scouts Troop 4, a GAAMHA fall theme float, Horse-drawn hearse from Boucher, Gardner Relay for Life with float and dozens of marchers, Gardner DPW Little Big Chair, SK Pierce with mansion theme, TTT Family Farm Horse drawn carriage with princesses Cinderella and Belle. Marching Bands: Gardner High School Wildcat Marching Band, Oakmont Regional Marching Spartans, Ancient Mariners Fife and Drum Corps, Aleppo Shriners and Clowns, Hispanic Community of Gardner, Great American Marching Band, UMASS Minutemen Marching Band. Parade is scheduled to begin at 1pm. OFFICIAL PARADE PROGRAM, CLICK HERE – pdf —- OFFICIAL PARADE PROGRAM, JPEG IMAGE, CLICK HERE
CLICK BUTTON at left to Listen to Parade Live
Live Coverage of Parade begins just before 1pm
PARADE ROUTE
More Details have been released regarding the logistics of the upcoming Gardner MA Centennial Parade for Sunday, September 17, 2023. Complete Press Release from Mayor Michael Nicholson, CLICK HERE. —- Complete Map in pdf format, CLICK HERE.
Route Preparation – Trimming: DPW has weed-wacked and trimmed growth along the parade route. The City reports that the Department of Public Works utilized a mixture of white vinegar and dish detergent as a weed killer due to MassDEP regulations and then came back and cut the remnants.
Parking: The Press Release details the “No Parking” areas. Public parking is allowed at the Gardner Veterans Skating Rink on Veterans Drive, Park Street Park, and the municipal lots on Knowlton Street, Nichols Street, and Connors Street. West Street Parking lot will not be available as its only entrance is on the parade route.
Divisions: The 7 Divisions of the parade with a total of 70 participants are staging at different locations prior to parade start. Elm Street is closed to traffic at 11:30am, other streets on parade route close at 12:30pm
Security; All 30 Gardner Police Officers and the Chief and Deputy Chief have been called into duty and will be spread throughout the parade route. Additional support has been secured from the Massachusetts State Police. Officers will be on foot patrol, bicycles, and unmarked throughout the route as well as in cruisers at certain intersections. The K-9 and Drone units will also be in operation at the event.
Food: Six Food Trucks will be at the event, located on Cottage Street behind the Monument Park bandstand, former Bank of America parking on on Parker Street, and the GFA Federal Credit Union parking lot on Parker Street. Port-o-Potties: 1 additional at Monument Park in addition to the 2 already there and 1 in the West Street Parking lot. Additional at performer setup and breakdown locations.
Show After Parade: Following the parade’s completion, our police department motorcycle unit (2 bikes) and 2 cruisers will escort the 8 busses of the UMass Band and the 1 bus of the GHS band from Waterford Street School to Gardner High School. The show is scheduled to start at 3pm, but is flexible depending on the parade time. The GHS Band will perform their show, The Music of Stevie Wonder, followed by the UMass Marching Band. There will be a brief presentation between acts. Free food (burgers and hot dogs) will be provided at the newly completed concession stand by the Montachusett Suicide Prevention Taskforce. Free ice cream products will also be provided by Fidelity Bank.