Printer Friendly Version - Guilford Fair Parade Returns Sept. 17

Last year’s grand marshal Harland “Red” Case rolls through the parade in 2015. This year, the Guilford Fair Parade grand marshals will be Stephan Page and Frank Ifkovic, longtime organizers of the parade. Photo by Zoe Roos/ The Courier

Residents are getting ready to bring one of Guilford’s most beloved traditions back through town in just a few weeks. The Guilford Fair Parade will make its way though town on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. and this year the parade will be under a new name and new leadership.

Known for years as the Guilford Citizen’s Day Parade, the parade will now be known as the Guilford Fair Parade to align with the annual fair, which is held the same weekend, according to new Parade Co-chair Nancy Bishop.

“Because the fair and the fair parade are the same weekend, there is a strong link between them,” she said, noting that the fair’s organizer the Guilford Agricultural Society “has joined us as a sponsor this year.”

Bishop is one of two new co-chairs leading the parade, following in the footsteps of Stephen Page and Frank Ifkovic, who coordinated the parade for 35 years. Now Bishop and Suzanne Locke co-chair the parade with the assistance of Allen Jacobs, co-owner of Sunset Creek Realty; Tom Terribile, who retired as Guilford’s chief of police; and Riefe Tiejten, an attorney serving the shoreline area.

“Since there were big shoes to fill with the departure of Stephen Page and Frank Ifkovic, it took five Rotarians to create the new parade committee,” Bishop said. “All five have enjoyed the parade for years and have long been active members of the Guilford community through their personal lives and careers.”

While the name and the leaders may have changed, Bishop said the parade is still the same event residents love. Bishop said the parade includes many musical groups as well as traditional units all following this year’s theme “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.”

“All marching units, including floats, are asked to focus on the many ways volunteers have donated their time, effort, and money to support organizations and events in Guilford,” she said.

Following in the theme of volunteerism, Page and Ifkovic will serve as grand marshals of the parade this year. After organizing the parade for decades, Page said this is a great honor.

“The Guilford Parade was always a labor of love,” he said. “It is indeed an honor to be selected as one of the two grand marshals for this year’s parade. We are in the company of a select few and humbled by the committee’s selection.”

Bishop said so far 50 units have signed up to march in the parade. The committee hopes to have all groups submitted by Thursday, Sept. 1. Those interested in signing up should visit www.guilfordfairparade.com.