Racine has a long-standing history of larger-than-life festivities and celebrations. 4th Fest of Greater Racine will be celebrating July 4th with the 86th annual parade in Downtown Racine. On Independence Day, gather along the streets and get ready for a fun time as you watch the festive floats, marching troupes and more make their way through the city.
On July 4th, the pre-parade will kick off the festivities at 8:30 a.m. Police cars, fire engines, military vehicles, classic cars, tractors, and others will fill the streets first. Those watching who may be sensitive to loud noises should understand this part of the parade can get very loud.
At 9:00 a.m. the official parade will step off. Floats from local businesses, organizations, churches and community members will ring in Independence Day together. If you’re not in the parade, stand along the streets cheering on your friends, family and community members walking the route.
The theme of the 86th annual 4th Fest of Greater Racine parade is “Home of the Brave,” and according to the 4th Fest of Greater Racine committee, “the theme highlights that the USA is the land of those brave enough to have fought, and to continue to fight, for our freedoms.”
Silly string, poppers and firecrackers are not allowed to be used at the festivities. Be mindful of your surroundings at the parade. Do not cross in front of the units and floats making their way along the route.
4th Fest of Greater Racine Parade Route
The route for the 4th Fest parade is not only a great tradition in Racine, but gives the opportunity for many parade-goers to have a great view of the floats and other entries from different spots in Racine.
The parade route is 2.6 miles and begins is at Goold and Main Streets. The parade will continue south on Main Street and turn-up 14th Street.
Street Closures
On the 4th of July, street closures will being to start at the north end of the parade route at 7 a.m. and be fully closed off at 8 a.m. to prepare for the parade. If you are planning to go to the parade, the earliest you can claim your spot is at 5 a.m. on July 4th.
Can’t make the parade?
Anyone in Racine can tell you that the parade is a big deal. If you can’t make the parade, but still want to watch the fun take place, then tune in. Watch the parade live on Channel 24 or watch the Livestream from the My24 website if you are outside of the broadcast area or want to watch from the comfort of your house.
Before the 4th of July, you can catch previous parades by watching old clips on the Fourth Fest of Greater Racine’s YouTube channel.
The parade and festivities are sponsored by numerous community organizations and businesses. View a list of this year’s sponsors online.
More information about the parade can be found on the 4th Fest of Greater Racine’s website.
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