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07/25/2017 12:00 AMThe highly anticipated Guilford Fair and Citizens Day Parade may still be more than a month away, but organizers have already been hard at work to develop a theme and recruit participants for the parade. When the parade makes its way around town on Saturday, Sept. 16, participants will march to the theme “Commit to Be Fit.”
The parade and fair have been around for more than 150 years. Viewed as the traditional opening of the fair, the parade kicks off the festivities. Guilford Rotary organizes the parade. Heading up the Rotary Parade Committee are co-chairs Suzanne Locke and Nancy Bishop as well as Tom Terribile, Al Jacobs, and Riefe Tietjen.
To come up with the theme for the parade, Bishop said the committee went through several options before settling on “Commit to Be Fit.”
“Our goal was to select a theme that is currently relevant to many shoreline citizens,” she said. “‘Commit to Be Fit’ seemed appropriate, as people of all ages are aware of the importance of improving their health through food and activities that nourish the body and mind. In addition, it was important to select a theme [that] schools, organizations, and businesses could express in their floats, banners, and costumes.”
With this theme, Bishop said sports groups, teams, and schools can focus on things like getting outside, being active, and making healthy choices in their float or costume designs. Bishop said she hopes organizations and businesses who march in the parade will embrace the theme as well.
“Committing to be fit takes many forms,” she said. “Our hope is that area businesses and organizations that focus on food and activities that improve the health of our shoreline residents will enter the parade. Several examples of groups that have already registered include Animal Assisted Therapy Services, the Guilford Racquet & Swim Club, and the Nutmegger Chimney Service, which will be emphasizing the importance of creating a healthy home environment as they march for the 27th year.”
This year’s grand marshal embodies the theme of the parade according to Bishop. Guilford’s John “Cadillac” Saville will serve as the grand marshal. Saville is a well-known radio personality on Country 92-5FM and is also the owner of the John Saville Entertainment DJ Company. Bishop said in addition, Saville is committed to numerous charities, many of which focus on being healthy.
According to Bishop, a special feature in the parade this year will be the celebration of the Yalesville Senior Ancient Fife and Drum Corps’ 100th year of active participation in statewide events. This year also marks the 50th year that the corps’ director, Bernard Lindauer, has been drumming with the corps. For this occasion, they will march after the Honor Guard at the beginning of the Guilford Fair Parade.
With the parade date fast approaching, Bishop said Rotary is trying to get as many groups signed up to participate as possible.
“We currently have 37 groups who plan to march on Sept. 16,” she said. “Hopefully, by the Sept. 1 deadline, we will have approximately 70 groups, as we did last year.”
The deadline to enter the Saturday, Sept. 16 Guilford Citizens Day Parade is Friday, Sept. 1. For more information or to enter, visit www.guilfordfairparade.com.