2024 Warren 4th of July Parade and Festivities

Join us for the Full complement of parade, kids’ activities, street dance, Buddy Badges and more on Thursday, July 4, 2024 RAIN OR SHINE! Details will be added below as they are confirmed.

Would you like to be an individual donor/sponsor for the 2024 Parade to help offset expenses of the day?? We would love for you to show YOUR love with a donation! By clicking here: https://bit.ly/3il9OVf and making a donation of $10 or more through the Town of Warren website (please choose “Utilities/Other) you will make the day one to remember!

Alternately, you can send a check in any amount (mark “4th of July Parade” in the memo) payable to Town of Warren, PO Box 337, Warren VT 05674. Thank you!

For 2024, the 75th-almost-consecutive-year (an election year, to boot!), we will celebrate our independence with a wild, wacky, and wickedly fun parade, street dance, and family festivities at the Warren 4th of July Parade and Festivities! Parade starts at 10 AM on July 4, 2024. Main Street in Warren closes at 8:30am SHARP. Please remember that everyone is welcome to participate in the parade, regardless of political leanings – please be respectful. Freedom of Speech is still one of our inalienable rights.

No alcohol permitted in Warren Village during the parade hours of 8:30am-2:00pm. Lawsons will be served at Brooks Field (elementary school) following the end of the parade and the start of festivities. Live music plus supervised kids’ fun by Kidventures, along with the Beer Garden at Brooks Field. The Village will feature high energy tunes by Jewel House for dancing and listening, and featuring Harwood Union H.S, alumni musicians.

This event is hosted by the Town of Warren and produced by the Mad River Valley Rotary Club

Theme: “State of the Union”

Grand Marshals: TBD

Floats: No need to register. Arrive at the south end of Warren Village’s Main Street by 9am. (TIP: enter by SOUTH Main Street – south of Covered Bridge Rd – and get in line). You will be facing in the correct direction. Parade starter will put you in place as you move forward once parade begins.

Buddy Badges: $1 donation requested at the town entrances for a numbered badge. Find your matching number in the crowd, report together to the town gazebo and claim a matching pair of prizes, while they last. Sponsored by WDEV Radio.

Free Shuttle: Free yellow school buses will travel between the satellite parking at Sugarbush Lincoln Peak to drop off at the Covered Bridge Road/Rt 100. Bus will begin running at 8am and will not make any stops along the route. BE EARLY – DON’T WAIT TO THE LAST MINUTE! Buses will end service at 4pm.

Handicap Parking: Parking placard required. In all cases, vehicle must be in the village before 8:30am. Parking at the Municipal/Church parking in the center of town (behind the fire station). Limited parking available at the “grist stone” commuter parking at the north end of Main St. 4-wheeled transport utility vehicles available by chance. If you ask a security person, they can relay to the drivers to come to your location. Note that these vehicles and personnel are doing parade prep, so you may have to wait….

Parking: There is LIMITED parking along Rt 100 in places where all wheels can be to the right of the white line. There is no parking on Brook Road. There will be a substantial number of No Parking signs on the roads that enter Warren Village (Fuller Hill, Covered Bridge Rd, Brook Rd, School Road). These are required to ensure emergency vehicles can access those areas as may be required. There is limited parking around the perimeter of Brooks Field at the Warren Elementary School (see image).

Port-O-Lets: There will be 1 by the Covered Bridge, 3 at the Municipal Office/Warren Church parking lot, 12 behind the Warren Store and 5 at the Warren School.

Fireworks: Dusk at Sugarbush Resort on Tuesday, July 4

The Parade Boss strongly discourages bringing dogs to the parade. Please leave them home (not in the car) for the day. They won’t have nearly as much fun as you at the parade. If you MUST bring a dog, please supply adequate water and keep them leashed at all times. Please keep horses at home, too!

Sponsors: Waitsfield Champlain Valley Telecom, Lawsons Finest Liquids, WDEV Radio, rk miles Lumber & Building, Mad River Glen, Sugarbush Resort, Town of Warren Casella Waste Systems, Jamieson Insurance.

Questions should be directed HERE, or leave a text/message with your question at 802-498-8545 and Susan will respond as soon as she can.

TIMELINE:

8 a.m.: Vendors must have arrived in Warren preparing for setup.

8 a.m.: Mad Bus begins running from Lincoln Peak (Sugarbush) until 4 p.m. Pick-up after the parade is at Covered Bridge Road and Route 100. There are no other satellite parking areas. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE – BOARD EARLY BUSES!

8:30 a.m.: Main Street Warren closed to the intersection of South Main Street and Covered Bridge Road, intersection of Brook Road and School Road to Main Street and the intersection of Fuller Hill and Main Street. Only emergency and pre-authorized traffic will be allowed through.

8:30 a.m.-9:00a.m.: Floats should arrive by this time, entering the village from South Main Street and Route 100 (not Covered Bridge Road) and line up in the order you arrive or as assigned by the Float Patrol. Floats and marchers should be respectful of Float Patrol and stay in the order assigned.

10 a.m.: Parade starts with cannon boom

11:15 a.m.: Parade winds down, Jewel House will warm up and the street dance begins, rain or shine! You may not know the band name, but locals will know the band! Phineas Gage & Phriends phunk it up at Brooks Field.

11:15 a.m.: Kids’ activities hosted by KidVentures at Brooks Field (Warren School), Beer Garden hosted by Toast & Eggs, Food with Rotary hot dogs and Toast & Eggs burritos, Live music (Phineas Gage). Take the path from the village (Brook Road, look for the ladder with the sign pointing to the path!) – it’s MUCH shorter than walking all the way up the hill to School Rd.

Limited street opening as crowds disburse. Warren Village Main Street from intersection of Brook Road south to Flat Iron Road will remain closed until band is done and street is swept.

3 p.m.: Warren Village and Brooks Field activities wind down, streets re-open.

9:15 +/-: Fireworks at Sugarbush Lincoln Peak. Arrive early, sit back and enjoy!

Just for fun (Year; Grand Marshall; Theme):

2006 – Radio Vermont/WDEV – [unknown]
2007 – [unknown] – Fueling the Future
2008 – Addie Munro – Back to the Future
2009 – Becky Peatman – It’s Easy Being Green
2010 – Chuck Allen – Life, Liberty & Pursuit of Healthiness
2011 – Bisbee Hardware – Act Like a Local
2012 – MRV Flood Recovery – We the People
2013 – Interfaith Council – Bridging the Gap
2014 – Volunteer EMS/Fire – Patriots ACT!
2015 – MR Path/MR Riders – Live it! Love it!
2016 – Troy Kingsbury – State of Independence
2017 – Claudia Becker – Stars & Stripes
2018 – Hannah’s House – Happy Birthday to US!
2019 – Sean & Karen Lawson – Symbols of Freedom
2020 – canceled, dang it!
2021 – none – Heroes Among Us
2022 – Win Smith & Maggie Smith – LIBERTY
2023 – Harwood Union HS Music Educators – Sounds of Freedom!