Appleton parades won't happen as planned this year

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For the first time in decades, Appleton won't be hosting its Memorial Day or Flag Day parades this year. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and in the interest of safety, the physical parades won't be happening. But the parade committee still intends to commemorate the days.

Appleton's Memorial Day and Flag Day parades have become a tradition. Tens of thousands of people, for decades, have lined city streets to commemorate the days.

"This would have been the 70th annual Appleton Flag Day Parade and it's the biggest on and we feel the best in the country," says Parade Committee Chairman, Corey Otis.

But with such large groups of people participating, gathering and volunteering for the parades, the committee just didn't feel this year with the coronavirus pandemic lingering, that it could hold the events while keeping everyone safe.

According to Otis, "The safety of the public and the people who are participating in our parade is our top priority we just have to make sure we take care of them."

But just because the parades won't be marching down the streets, doesn't mean the public can't be involved in commemorating the days. A virtual event for June 13th, Flag Day, is in the works and the memorial service, held at the end of the Memorial Day parade in Riverside Cemetery will now be an online moment of remembrance.

"We're going to try and include as many of those elements in this year's virtual ceremony which would include speeches and poems performed by Appleton high school students, we'll have our new mayor give some remarks, and we'll have some music, and just got word today that we do have our rifle squad ready to go with the 21 gun salute," says Otis.

And while the physical parades won't be taking place this year, the committee says it expects things to be bigger and better in 2021.

Otis adds, "We're already talking about next year and how to come back from this and really show the community that we appreciate them and that we're all going to get through this together."