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Rain or shine the traditional 4 th of July Parade marches down Union Ave, along Boston Post Rd and up Concord Rd to Town Center delighting residents of Sudbury and surrounding communities with the fabulous bands, multiple acts, vehicles of all manner.
It’s two hours of flag flying, cheering and community pride. As we lean in to the Sudbury 250 Celebrations and this year’s 4th of July Parade, we asked the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Parade Committee some questions.
These responses are provided by Mike Hamill, the official parade “Commander” and his wife Libby (Rankin) who both grew up in Sudbury. As lifelong town residents, they have watched the parade evolve over time. Rounding out the panel is Doug Haartz, another lifelong Sudbury resident, as parade logistics master.
Over the last 20+ years, Mike and Libby have managed the parade with the assistance of various committee members. Other 2025 key committee members include, Olivia (Hamill) and Frankie Plummer, Pat (Hamill) and Tom Blanchette and Mery Buono.
What goes into planning a parade of this scale?
Teamwork and lots of communication. Our group of 8 main volunteers works toward a common goal and we each rely upon any special skill sets of the team volunteers. We have team members who are good at overall parade management, email communication, logistics and problem solving.
We also have a secondary group of volunteers, (ie: family and friends) that show up on parade day to staff the staging areas, assist participants with questions and make sure the parade goes off on time. This parade “truly takes a village” to run.
How early do you have to start?
It is truly a yearlong endeavor. Starting with communication the day after the parade gauging interest in next year for participation. We plan our first official meeting in January of each year, and begin the outreach process to reconfirm interest and commitment to the upcoming July 4 th parade. We meet monthly initially, then move to biweekly and then weekly as we get closer to the parade date. There are also informal individual meetings, phone calls, emails, texts and tasks that occur daily on specific items
Are there any participants this year that you’re particularly excited about?
We are excited about all our participants, and we have some new performers joining us this year
- The Aleppo Shriners Team. The Shriners performing teams are in high demand, so we are very fortunate to have them join us this year.
- A Springfield MA based Veteran owned performing brass band.
- The Chinese-American Association of Sudbury and their team of dragon dance performers.
How do you decide who gets to participate in the parade—bands, floats, local organizations, etc.?
The parade is open to all who want to participate. We encourage local businesses, car clubs and youth organizations (just to name a few) to participate in the parade. Each year we post requests for participants on social media channels.
Have you had any “parade day surprises” in the past—good or bad?
The most unpredictable impact is the weather. We have been blessed with perfect weather and we have been deluged by rain.
One year we encountered a lack of shuttle transportation for some of the performers. As the parade ends at the town center, many performers park behind Town Hall and take the shuttle to the staging area of the parade in Chiswick Park. We overcame this issue by some of our team using their personal vehicles to get the performers to the parade start on time.
What are some of the biggest logistical challenges you’ve had to tackle this year?
Every year we need more volunteers and community involvement.
How big is the volunteer effort, and how can people get involved?
The main core is comprised of 8 volunteers, (6 of the same family and 2 longtime friends). Our additional support volunteers on the day of the parade are family, friends and interested high school students (who can earn 4 community service hours) and town residents.
We are always looking to have more people become involved in the Parade Committee. It provides a sense of town pride that we are carrying on a time-honored tradition.
What role do the businesses members of the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce play?
Many Sudbury Chamber of Commerce members help to underwrite the cost of the annual parade by sponsoring the banners that hang along Boston Post Road. Without their generous contribution and commitment to Sudbury, we could not host the parade.
New banners will be hung before the parade this year. Other companies make donations to the parade and they are all acknowledged post-parade on our website www.sudbury.org. We encourage people to do business with and thank these businesses.
What’s your favorite part of parade day, personally?
Celebrating America’s Birthday!
Are there any lessons you’ve learned from organizing the parade that you’d want to pass on to future organizers?
Check, double check and triple check. Due to the large number of participants, the parade lineup, and division lineup are important and can be logistically challenging.
Have a “Plan B” available, because you may need it.