There are a lot of minor details that can create major hiccups on parade day if you didn’t properly prepare. The speed of the floats, do you have security, who cleans after, are permits required, what is the route, how much space in between floats, the order of floats, insurance, etc. These and so many more questions need to be answered well before parade day.
Reach out to your city administrator right away to book a date and to apply for your permits. In most cases, you will need an event permit and a sound permit. It is highly suggested to have all of your guidelines set in place before applying for your permit to expedite the process. Permits can range in price, check to see the cost so you can factor that into your budget. To provide adequate time for your permit to be reviewed and approved by the multitude of entities that will be involved; Clerk’s Department, Police, Fire, Planning Department, and Engineering Departments, we recommend at the very least 60 days prior to the event, this will also give the city council enough time to add it to their agenda to discuss the final approval.
When it comes to insurance, you will want to check with the city to see the required coverage. The last thing you would want as the liable party is to have something unfortunate happen and not have it covered. Most cities will be able to point you in the direction of where to obtain your ‘event insurance’.
When it comes to the speed of the float and the space between floats, the general rule of thumb is to keep a 30-foot distance between floats and to never exceed a walkers pace. The insurance company could have different guidelines so we suggest reaching out to them in order to fully comply with the policy. It is never safe to mount or dismount a moving float and the driver must advise its riders of an upcoming stop of the float, as this will allow the passengers an opportunity to brace themselves to avoid potential injuries.
Whether you get volunteers or local officials to secure your parade, chances are the insurance policy will require some protection. Plus, it is just nice for spectators and participants to know that they are safe and being looked after while enjoying the festivities.
The city admins/council will be the ones who determine the route of your parade as they understand the traffic flow in town and the best ways to not interfere with folks who may not be attending your event.
Volunteers are going to be your saving grace. These are the people who will help keep spectators out of the streets, help clean up after, and ensure public safety. Volunteers may be hard to come by, so planning well in advance with clear expectations of their roles will go a long way in securing people to volunteer their time.
Using Parade Cloud will provide you the opportunity to categorize your floats and to set the parade line-up. Using the color-coded tabs makes it very simple to see what kind of float you have. For example, if you had three different real estate companies, chances are you wouldn’t want them one after another, so by seeing the color line-up, you can quickly alter their position to create breathing room between the multiple companies of the same business type.
To see the full spectrum of capabilities Parade Cloud offers, visit our website https://www.paradecloud.com and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ParadeCloud/. Make sure you Like and Follow the page so you can stay up to date on the newest ways to make your parade the best that it can be!
