1st Annual Art of July Parade

By: Kelli Safford

Fountain Square Arts Council (FSAC) moved ahead with the 1^st annual Art of July Parade on July 4^th despite the weather. Of the 50 registered entries for the parade, over half showed up to show their support for the event. Groups such as the Libertarian party, Friends of Fact and Herron School of Art and Design students were in full parade attire to march on even with rain falling throughout the day.

The parade commenced promptly at 6 pm and continued on the mile route through Fountain Square and Fletcher Place. Residents of the community stepped out with umbrellas and rain gear to watch the parade. Former Fountain Square resident Katie Burk, in town visiting from Hawaii, was on hand to volunteer for the event and was surprised at the turnout with the rain. “FSAC has done a tremendous job in planning this event and it feels great to be here and see it transpire.”

FSAC spent the last year planning the event from gathering funding to creating marketing plans to focusing on public relations initiatives. The groups volunteered many hours and, regardless of the weather, were pleased with the results of their efforts. Elizabeth Ryan, founding member of the FSAC, stated, “Even though the weather was not what we hoped for, we still had around 200 people show up to participate. FSAC views our first year a success and looks forward to next year!” A first year in an event can paint a pretty clear picture of the future and the entire community will look forward to seeing what next year will bring for the 2^nd Annual Art of July parade.

Questions? Interested in learning more? Please email fsacouncil@yahoo.com.