2013  Parade Information

THEME:  The theme for the 2013 parade is Flag for All Seasons.

This year's participants:

 

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May, 2013

Dear Organization Representative,

            As the President of July 4 Plymouth, Inc., I would like to invite you to participate in this year’s parade.  The theme for the 2013 parade is “A Flag For All Seasons”. If you do not wish to use the official parade theme you may choose your own theme that honors our country and the spirit of the day.  Please include on the back side of the parade entry form any information that you would like to have announced about your entry as you pass the official Reviewing Stand on the Plymouth waterfront.  As you know, Plymouth’s 4th of July parade has become a great annual event for young and old and my hope is that you will join us this year.

            As always, we will be awarding prizes for three different categories in the parade.  These categories are as follows:

COMMUNITY CATEGORY         No entry Fee                 1st/2nd/3rd place Awards

COMMERCIAL CATEGORY       $150.00 Entry Fee         1st/2nd/3rd place Awards

MUSICAL CATEGORY              No Entry Fee                 1st/2nd/3rd place Awards

In addition, there will be three other awards presented:

THEME TROPHY:  This annual trophy will be awarded to the parade entry that best depicts the 2013 parade theme, “A Flag For All Seasons”.

COLOR GUARD AWARD:  This award will be presented to the best color guard in the parade.

PRESIDENT’S TROPHY:  This trophy will be awarded by the July Fourth Committee to the individual or organization that best personifies the spirit of the day.

An additional category that will NOT be judged is POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS and/or POLITICAL CANDIDATES, for whom the entry fee is $500.00 each.  There is no award for political entries.

All entry applications must be returned to the July 4th Committee no later than June 22, 2013.  On or before June 24, 2013 your group will be notified by mail of their placement in the parade.  If you have any questions, please contact me at (508) 591-3411.  For more information, please visit our website at www.july4plymouth.com.  My committee and the community hope you will join us for a wonderful day of honoring our country!

Sincerely,

Ken Tavares
President
July 4 Plymouth, Inc.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please Note:  It is not required that floats utilize the official parade theme to enter the parade.No commercial vehicles will be allowed in the parades that are put in for advertising purposes.  

ENTRIES IN THE PARADE NOT PRE-REGISTERED WILL NOT BE
ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE. 

Motorcycles/ Antique and Classic Vehicles:  Go behind the fire trucks at the start of the parade.  Lineup is at Bourne Street and Standish Ave. at 8:00 AM.  Motorcycles are first in line followed by all other vehicles.  Entry application is not required. NO APPLICATION NEEDED.

IMPORTANT PARADE SET-UP INSTRUCTIONS!
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE NOTICE!!

Dear Parade Participant:
We are very pleased to have you participating in Plymouth’s Fourth of July Parade. We have provided accessible routes to the parade assembly area for you (see map at end of this letter) and we have established rules which will ensure an enjoyable day for all concerned.

Please retain this letter to use as a reference on the day of the parade and pass this along to everyone who is participating and be aware of the following:
With the exception of the participants that will be lining up in the preliminary division, all participants will be lining up in the old Stop & Shop parking lot.  Your division is indicated at the upper right hand corner of this document. If you are in the preliminary division there will be a “P” at the top of this notice and you should proceed to Bourne Street as in previous years. If there is no “P” you should plan on lining up in the old Stop & Shop parking lot.

Arrival time to your designated assembly area is 8:00 A.M. SHARP. The parade will step off at 9:30 A.M sharp on July 4th. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE LATE!!

ALL PARADE PARTICIPANT PARKING WILL BE IN THE PARKING LOT BEHIND THE OLD STOP & SHOP BUILDING.  DO NOT PARK YOUR CAR IN THE FRONT OF THE OLD STOP & SHOP PARKING LOT AS WE HAVE A LIMITED AREA FOR PARADE SET-UP!

The Assembly Area for each division will be marked at the entrance to the division with roman numerals I, II, & III (Preliminary division is NOT marked). At the entrance to each assembly area please identify yourself to the resident marshal who will provide you with your position in the division. The Preliminary division assembles on Bourne Street. Division I, II, & III now all assemble in the old Stop & Shop parking lot.
Parade Marshals will be made up of July Fourth officials, identified by OFFICIAL July 4th Staff T-Shirts. Please be patient and obey their directions. Each Division will be assigned marshals who will accompany that division along the parade route.
The Parade follows Route 3A South towards downtown Plymouth and turns left onto Water Street at Dunkin Donuts continuing on Water Street past the Mayflower. The parade route ends at the entrance to the State Pier where Mayflower II is moored.
The Reviewing Stand is located on Water Street, in front of the Governor Bradford Statute across from Coles Hill. Only bands and musical units are permitted to perform ONE musical number at the reviewing stand due to time constraints.
Rain Date: No rain date.

IN THE EVENT EMERGENCY VEHICLES NEED TO USE THE PARADE ROUTE ALL PARADE PARTICIPANTS AND PARADE VEHICLES WILL CLEAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STREET. AFTER EMERGENCY VEHICLES HAVE PASSED BY, DIVISIONS WILL RE-FORM AND WAIT FOR A SIGNAL FROM THE DIVISION MARSHAL TO PROCEED.

If you have any questions regarding the parade, please call me at (774) 454-7316. Thank you in advance for making this year’s parade a memorable and enjoyable occasion.
Sincerely,

Jeffrey Metcalfe
Parade Chairman

Click here for map!

Directions to assembly area:
From the North, take Route 3 South, to Exit #9 marked Kingston. At the end of the ramp take a left (Rte. 3A South) towards Plymouth. Follow for approximately 2 miles. The entrance to Mayflower Business Park, (formerly Stop & Shop parking lot), 428-430 Court Street is on the right.  All divisions except the Preliminary division will enter here.
From the West, follow Route 44 into Plymouth. Take Rte. 3 South exit and get off at Exit 6A. Follow until you get to the intersection of Rte. 3A (there will be a Gulf station at this intersection). Take a left at this intersection onto Rte. 3A North and follow for approximately 3 miles.  For Division I, II, and III keep on Route 3A North for just a short distance and take a left onto North Spooner and enter Mayflower Business Park, (formerly Stop & Shop parking lot), on right.
From the South, take Route 3 North to Exit #8. Take a right off the ramp and follow the directions from the West above.

GENERAL PARADE INFORMATION

1. Portable Rest Rooms are available in the parking area. Please make sure children’s needs are taken care of BEFORE the parade starts!
2. Please keep a short distance between you and the unit you are following, but not so much that there is a break in the parade. The only exception is the first unit in any division which should leave a longer space between itself and the unit ahead of it. Marshalls may ask you to speed up or slow down during the parade in order to keep the parade moving at a good pace.
3. We ask for your understanding in regards to your placement in the parade. Not everyone can be in the first division. Our first division is made up of units that must get to the Duxbury parade following our parade. Other units are placed based on spacing needs for musical units as well as prior parade placement. We try to alternate placement each year to give all participants equal opportunity in each division.
4. Please READ AND UNDERSTAND the following restrictions that we must enforce during the parade. Participants not adhering to the following rules will be told to leave the parade route.
5. Prize winners will be listed on our website: www.july4plymouth.com and all prizes will be arranged for pick up following the event or will be mailed to out-of-town winners.  

RESTRICTIONS

1. Any parade participant wishing to distribute candy must do so by hand only. Candy or other items MAY NOT BE THROWN FROM A VEHICLE due to the danger of someone being injured while running into the street to retrieve it. INSURANCE REGULATIONS PROHIBIT THROWING ANY ITEMS TO THE SPECTATORS FROM VEHICLES!
2. No recorded or live broadcasting of political or commercial messages allowed!
3.  No distributing of leaflets, brochure, etc. of any kind.
4. No use of alcoholic beverages allowed before or during the parade march.
5. Positions assigned in the parade order may not be changed.
6. Any commercial vehicles entered in the parade MUST BE DECORATED!
7. Politicians and Political entries will be limited to ONE vehicle, which must be decorated, and a maximum of 30 people. There are to be NO LEAFLETS distributed.