Parade Overview
There is nothing that epitomizes classic Americana more than a patriotic parade down a town’s main street. Each year tens of thousands of spectators gather along Yankee Doodle Road in Eagan to watch, cheer, and celebrate with marching bands, Soldiers and Veterans, first responders, clowns, entertainers, celebrities, ambassadors, and athletes during the Eagan July 4th Funfest Parade.
The parade begins at 10AM from the west end of Yankee Doodle Road (Highway 28) near Blue Cross (labeled Parade Start on map below) and finishes 45 minutes later at the corner of Yankee Doodle Road and Federal (labeled Parade End on map below). Each year the parade attracts multiple community businesses, non-profits, high school bands, and of course clowns!
Explore the map below to learn about optimal parking locations, road closures, and other information.
Map Legend
- Parade Route
- Participant Return Route
- Announcer Booth
- Road Closed
- Participant Staging Area
- Parade Parking
Map
Why Be a Parade Participant
Parade Participants have the opportunity to show off their talents, entertain the crowd with their creative design, and bring smiles to the faces of kids and adults. It’s a great opportunity to gain visibility in the community, engage with your fellow citizens, and overall have a good time
The Eagan July 4th Funfest Board is continuously working to re-invigorate and refresh the entertainment value of our parade. Please review the following suggestions when planning to participate:
- Theme: Historical themes have always focused on Patriotism, Freedom, Independence, and America.
- Unit Decoration: Whether or not you incorporate the annual theme, we encourage you to have some type of theme that is exciting for the crowd. Post parade surveys reveal that the most unique, funny, and engaging floats are remembered the most.
- Distributed Items: Parade attendees enjoy receiving candy, refreshments and other fun items to take home. Try to distribute to both sides of the road and to attendees and not the surface of the street. At no time should items be thrown from vehicles.
- Entertainment Value: The goal is the entertain and bring joy to the parade attendees, so here are some ideas to get you started: Use music, either live or recorded. Include props that support your theme and/or the parade theme. Demonstrate the talents of your parade participants along the route. Your efforts will be rewarded by smiles in the faces of the crowd.
- Additional Instructions: After your application has been reviewed and accepted, you will receive additional information related to the parade line up, drop off area, and other important information.
- Have fun!
How To Register
Parade registration is done entirely online, and uses the same form that sponsors and vendors use. If you are a sponsor or vendor you only need to submit one registration. If you are participating in the parade only, you will not need to complete the sponsorship and vendor portions of the application.
Use the link to below to begin completing the Parade Participation application.
