Linda Bettencourt decides how the banner will look on the Peabody Town Hall float that will be in the Centennial Parade on Sunday. Item Photo by Owen O’Rourke
By Adam Swift
PEABODY — The finishing touches on a parade almost two years in the making were being put in place across the city on Thursday.
At City Hall, final security and parking measures were implemented even as city employees at the Department of Public Works headquarters on Farm Avenue completed some of the dozens of floats that will take part in Sunday’s parade.
More than 30 bands, over 40 floats, a host of city celebrities and athletes past and present are lined up to take part in the Peabody Centennial Parade.
“The Centennial Parade promises to be a celebration like none other in our city’s history,” said Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr. “There will be dozens of floats, vehicles, bands, performers, schools and civic groups participating. Our past, present and future will be on display in a grand showcase of Peabody pride.”
The parade steps off at 11 a.m. at the corner of Washington and Foster streets and travels along the two-mile parade route, ending on Lowell Street at Northshore Road.
The parade is the latest in a year-long celebration of Peabody’s incorporation as a city. The Centennial Committee has already hosted a family festival at Brooksby Farm and a Centennial Concert that was interrupted by Mother Nature earlier this summer. Early next year will see a birthday party at City Hall and a grand ball at the Northshore Mall.
But it’s the Centennial Parade that promises to be the marquee event of the celebration. The final parade marching order was released Wednesday, and the list extends for 10 pages.
“We’ve put a huge amount of preparation into this, it’s been a year and a half at this point,” said Peter McGinn, City Council president and Centennial Parade Co-chairman. “It’s going to be a fantastic event and a fitting tribute for the centennial celebration.”
More than 30 bands will march on Sunday, including the city’s own PVMHS marching band, the UNH Wildcats marching band, the Danvers and Beverly High School marching bands, the NYPD Emerald Society Pipe and Drums, Boston Firefighters Band, Jim Kilroy’s Jambalaya Jazz Band, the Hills Mills Clown Band, the New Liberty Jazz Band and Banda Recreativa Portuguesa.
Military marching units scheduled to take part include the United States Navy Sea Cadet Color Guard and Marching Unit, howitzers from the Massachusetts National Guard, and the Massachusetts National Lancers and Lawrence Light Guard Horse Unit.
Over 40 floats will be featured, including ones sponsored by the United Polish Organizations of Peabody, St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church, the School Department, the combined Portuguese community of the city, local civic organizations and sports groups, service organizations and local businesses.
And that’s not all. Parade organizers promise hundreds of additional display vehicles and marching groups, the Aqua String Mummers, a special appearance by some of Peabody’s greatest athletes (including John Tudor, Rick Weitzman) and even some favorite Disney characters.
The end of the parade won’t mean the end of the celebration for the day, however.
The Parade After Party will run from noon to 4 p.m. at Emerson Park on Perkins Street.
“When we first started planning the Centennial events, there was a consensus that a post-parade event was needed to avoid major traffic problems caused by people leaving the parade,” said Julie Daigle of the Peabody Centennial Committee. “Emerson Park is in walking distance to the parade route. It’s an ideal location.”
The after party organizers promise plenty of food, entertainment and fun. Food trucks will include Chicken on the Road, Captain Marden’s Cod Squad, Trolley Dogs, Cupcake City, Classic Hot Dog Co. and Dean’s Concessions. There will also be a beer garden courtesy of Ipswich Ale Brewery, and DJ Rick DeSanctis will be pumping out the tunes and activities for all ages.
For more information on the parade and after party, including road closures, shuttle buses and parking availability, visit www.peabody100.com.
Adam Swift can be reached at [email protected].