The Fulton Service Clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions and Rotary Sunrise) have completed the planning for the 29th Annual Memorial Day Salute to be held on May 28 and 29th. The parade committee has been working for several months putting together the area’s largest parade. The parade date is Saturday, May 29th, and it will start at 10:00 A.M.
The Memorial Day parade is the Fulton Service Clubs’ way of honoring all area veterans. However, the parade is open to all groups and businesses in the area. The theme for this year’s parade is “America The Beautifulâ€. The committee will award trophies in several categories for the best representation of the theme. Last year’s winners of the three Children’s Awards were: the Off Broadway Dance Studio, Calvary Baptist Church and the Fulton City School District Pre-Kindergarten Program. Winner of the Grand Marshall Award was the Oswego Industries Life Program. The best Music Trophy was awarded to the Towpath Volunteers Fife and Drum Corp from Macedon, NY for the second year in a row. The State Street Methodist Church won the Theme Trophy. The Fulton Veteran’s Council, for which veterans groups only are eligible, gave three trophies. The winners were the Riderless Horse entered by the Clarkson Horse Association, Fulton VFW Post 569 and the Towpath Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps.
The parade route is the same as it has been for the past 28 years. The formation of the parade is in the New York Chocolate parking lot and adjacent streets. The parade then starts north on South Fourth Street by Lyons Street to pass by the Oswego Health facility and the Michaud Nursing Home so that the patients who are able to get outside or to their window can see the parade. The parade proceeds north to Broadway and then west to Recreation Park. The reviewing stand will be positioned at West Broadway and West Third Street, in front of Brewer and Brewer’s Mobil station. Typically, thousands will line the parade route.
The lead band in this year’s parade will be the 10th Mountain Division, United States Army marching band. The Fulton Memorial Day Parade tries to be a balanced community based parade. Active military service units, veterans from all services, several color guards, bagpipe bands, youth groups, fire companies, clowns, school bands, adult bands, some vehicles, lots of walkers, business and industries, scouts, street vendors, usually hundreds of balloons, and even cartoon characters will be in this year’s parade. The Memorial Day Salute Committee feels that this parade mixture makes for a most interesting event and represents and entertains the community.
A Grand Marshall leads each Memorial Day Parade. The Fulton Veterans’ Council, which is made up of all the veterans’ organizations in the greater Fulton area, chooses a “Veteran of the Year” each year. This year’s Veteran of the Year and parade Grand Marshall is John LaClair. The Fulton Veterans’ Council provides the leading color guard for this year’s parade. All of the bands in the parade are sponsored by area businesses and local industries. Several bands that have been in the parade every year are returning this year. Also, the Fulton School’s music department will have all of their bands in the parade this year as they have had since the beginning of the event. Several colorful floats in each year’s parade make it an event you should not miss. Many area businesses and industries have entered a float in the parade over the years. Sometimes an employee group or union have dreamed up the idea and built the float. There is still time to enter a float in this year’s parade. Call Parade Chairman, Zach Menter, at 598-6631, for more information on how to enter your float or unit in the parade.
The Memorial Day Salute Parade is just one part of the Memorial Day Salute weekend. The event will open at 5:00 PM on Friday evening and close after the fireworks, which are scheduled for 10 PM. Food, rides, games, vendors and free entertainment are available throughout the event. The main entertainment on Friday evening will be 2 Kool 4 Skool. This new group will play popular and rock favorites.
Saturday’s hours are from 10 AM until 10 PM.
After the parade, the parade bands will do a “Stand In†on the Community Center stage. Virgil, the Magician, the Fulton Dixieland Band, Larry Kyle and the Fulton Community Band will provide steady entertainment from noon until closing at 10 PM. “Elvis will be in the House†on Saturday evening as Terry Buchwald, the best impersonator of Elvis Presley in the country, will be on stage from 7 to 10 PM singing all of Elvis’ hits. All of this entertainment is free, thanks to the support of local Fulton and Oswego merchants and industries.
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