The 2023 Rose Festival “Grand Parade”

Celebrating the 65th year of our beloved Rose Festival, encouraging residents past and present to come celebrate…telling them “Welcome Home” to State Center!

Already signed up?  Click on the link below for lineup specifics for Saturday!

ROSE FESTIVAL GRAND PARADE 2023 INFORMATION

Saturday, June 17th at 10:00 AM

The Grand Parade is the highlight of each Rose Festival, drawing the largest crowds who line nearly a mile of street curbs to view!  Thousands of people make a beeline at 10:00 am to witness over 100 floats annually make their way down our historical and beautiful main street.  Among the floats this year, our Grand Parade will feature many local businesses and fire departments, funny cars from the Za-Ga-Zig Shriners, local marching bands, and much, much more!

Again this year, KDAO will be LIVE STREAMING our parade, so if you can’t be here, you can still watch!

We want you!  Your participation, whether it be to showcase your business, promote a community service, support a candidate, or just for fun, is what makes our parade so “Grand”.  As a community, we enjoy seeing floats from other communities right alongside our own!  Cash prizes will be awarded for competing floats for best representation of the “A Summer of Roses” Theme in their entry:  1^st = $100, 2^nd = $75, 3^rd = $50.

You can download the 2023 Rose Festival Grand Parade Entry Form to learn more about entry fees and how to enter.  Once your form is received, you will receive an email confirming entry along with additional details for day-of line-up processes, a map of the staging area, and parade route.

The entry fee for any for-profit groups or individuals:  $20 for each 30 foot space required if your registration.  While same day registration will be allowed, we encourage everyone to turn in their forms by June 14^th. 

• Calculating fees for multiple spaces:  For example, if you are a trucking company and your entry is a semi that is 90 feet long, your entry fee is $60.  If you are an implement company and your entry is 2 tractors that each require a 30-foot space, your entry fee is $40.
• There is no entry fee for non-profit individuals/groups (must be a 501(c)3, church, school, or city vehicle)
• Questions:  Email us at statecenterrosefestival@gmail.com. 

Simply print off the 2023 Rose Festival Grand Parade Entry Form, complete it, and return it along with the entry fee by June 14th, 2023 to:

Rose Festival Association of State Center
Attn:  Grand Parade Entries
PO Box 398
State Center, IA  50247

For more information or assistance, please contact us at statecenterrosefestival@gmail.com. 

Our 2023 Grand Parade Route:  The parade begins on the East end of Main street and heads due West down Main street, ending at Old Lincoln Highway/Old Highway 30.

Parade Line-up Information: 

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

• Horses in the parade must be bagged or be accompanied by someone who is a scooper to be courteous and respectful of the other parade entries.  Horses need to stay off of private lawns.  In the event of inclement weather, we have arranged for a space near the parade line-up for livestock to be staged/held until the parade can safely begin.  This area will be marked on the map you receive with your line-up number.
• Candy is allowed to be distributed, but please be aware of children running into the street to pick up candy thrown.  You are allowed to have individuals walking with your float distributing candy if you wish.
• We will do our best to accommodate size needs, however larger equipment will be placed at the end of the parade in order to safely line-up and maneuver the parade pre-route.
• If you will be playing music from your float, please notate so we can properly space out floats with music and avoid placement near livestock who may be spooked.
• Entries will be lined up in the order and category received, but lineup is first come-first serve based on your Zone per info above.
• MEASURE CAREFULLY!  Our line-up/staging areas are filling up due to the increasing number of entries we have received recently.
•  It will be imperative that you FOLLOW YOUR SPECIFIC instructions for arrival in town and directions to your specific staging area.  The area becomes congested quickly and may limit your ability to turn larger entries around in the space if you do not enter from the right direction/road.
• Staff will be available to help direct you when you arrive and answer any questions you may have.