Festival of States parade, family fest stride into St. Petersburg on Saturday
By Austin Bogues, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Hermitage High School band marches down Central Avenue during the Festival of States Day Parade in 2008. The Richmond, Va., musicians won the Festival of States band competition in the late 1990s.
ST. PETERSBURG — The annual Festival of States festivities conclude Saturday.
In its 88th year, the event will showcase its biggest spectacle, a performance by the 750-member Awesome Original Second Time Arounders Marching Band, at the parade at 10 a.m. The band performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Ten high school marching bands will participate.
The parade will begin at Central Avenue and Fifth Street, proceed east to Bayshore Drive NE, and then north to North Shore Park.
Each Pinellas County high school band performing will receive a $500 scholarship.
Organizers are expecting 12,000 to 15,000 people this year.
The parade, which began in 1896, was called the "George Washington Birthday Parade." Back then, according to St. PetersburgTimes archives, small bands of schoolchildren marched down Central Avenue, which was at the time paved with seashells.
The parade has taken place every year except during World Wars I and II, according to Rick McCollum, executive director of the Suncoasters, the nonprofit group made up of 275 business and community leaders that organizes the event.
"Our parade costs us on average around $20,000," said McCollum. Annual membership dues for the group of $600 per year help with the costs, in addition to private fundraisers. The group does a number of scholarship events for schools and students.
"I think it's unique in the fact it's one of the longest-running civic celebrations in the South," said Marcus Greene, president of the group.
The Family Fun Fest will begin immediately after the parade at noon in North Straub Park.
Entertainment on the main stage includes performances by Ella Jet, a local 11-year-old singer; the Cross Bayou Elementary Signing Chorus, composed of both hearing and deaf students; Silly Sam the Music Man; the Suncoast Dance Academy; Company B Ballet; and Dancemoves Studio.
Busch Gardens, Radio Disney, the Science Center of Pinellas County, the Salvador Dali Museum, the Pier Aquarium, Celebration Station and others will provide giveaways during the afternoon.
Admission to the event and most activities are free, according to organizers. Some games, however, will require a ticket or wristband.
Times researcher Mary Mellstrom contributed to this report. Austin Bogues can be reached at abogues@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8872.
News
