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4th of July parade gets green light: Arts in the Park, fireworks also scheduled

After being canceled in 2020, Brainerd's Fourth of July parade will take place as planned in 2021.

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Fireworks above the West College Drive bridge reflect in the Mississippi River Saturday, July 4, in Brainerd. The fireworks show went on as one of the familiar celebrations of Independence Day while the entertainment and parade were canceled due to the pandemic. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

There will be a Fourth of July parade in Brainerd this year.

After 2020’s Independence Day festivities were canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 show will go on, Brainerd Community Action Executive Director Dave Badeaux told the Dispatch Wednesday, May 12.

“After trying to figure out a way that we could have some kind of parade-like element to the Fourth of July with the restrictions and trying to work through what that would look like with Governor Walz’s new message last week and with the opening of those restrictions, our board has decided it is time to move forward with the parade as traditionally presented,” Badeaux, also the mayor of Brainerd, said in a phone interview.

The parade, scheduled for Sunday, July 4, in downtown Brainerd, may be a little later in the day than normal, but the exact time has not yet been determined.

The theme, however, is for certain. The parade will be branded as a 150th anniversary celebration this year, as Brainerd celebrates its sesquicentennial later this fall.

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Fireworks will also take place that night, as Community Action works with Brainerd Public Schools to determine the best plan for seating. Because of the ongoing construction at Brainerd High School, fireworks-viewers might not be able to sit on the hill they are accustomed to. But the school’s lower site and the football field will hopefully be available, Badeaux said.

“The way we did the fireworks (last year) worked really, really well, and we’re going to try to do that again this year where we shoot them up as high as possible so that people can still socially distance if they choose,” Badeaux said. “I know last year people were saying they could see them all the way from White Sand Lake, and we want people to be able to enjoy them from wherever they feel comfortable, but we do want to try to get them back on premises as well.”

There will not be a band or any entertainment with the fireworks, as that decision had to be made earlier in the year, but Badeaux said the emphasis will be on the parade and the fireworks anyway.

The cost may also be a concern, as fundraising has not gone on like normal with the uncertainty of how the festivities would shake out this year, but Brainerd Community Action is now working to reach out to businesses and services groups to secure enough funds.

“Obviously putting on a really good, festive Fourth of July has a price tag,” Badeaux said. “So we want to be making sure that those that were really clamoring for us to have that celebration are kind of showing up now as well.”

Community Action’s annual Arts in the Park event will take place this year, too, and is set for June 27. There are still spots available for artists.

Anyone who wants to participate in Arts in the Park, the parade or any of the Fourth of July festivities should contact Brainerd Community Action at 218-829-5278 or info@brainerdcommunityaction.org .

“We’re just really excited,” Badeaux said Wednesday. “This has been a long time coming, and we know that this is something that means a lot of the community, and it’s important for us to be able to move forward with this, and we’re super excited to get back out there and celebrate.”

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THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa .
Theresa Bourke started working at the Dispatch in July 2018, covering Brainerd city government and area education, including Brainerd Public Schools and Central Lakes College.

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