Publication select ▼FRASER — The annual Fraser parade will roll through town on Oct. 26 for one time only to celebrate the spooky season with costumes and fun.
Parks and Recreation Coordinator Chris Delmege said that the parade is traditionally held in July. Due to road construction this year, the parade was rescheduled. Delmege said it took a couple of months to come up with a solution.
“The first couple months we were trying to figure out when would Garfield be done, trying to talk to the (Macomb County) Department of Roads to see when they were slated to be finished and also trying to come up with a secondary plan to (determine) what happens if we can’t do it,” Delmege said.
Some of the options were to cancel the event for the year or to move it to a different date.
Delmege said when they first contacted the department, they were slated to be done in July. With delays, that was moved into September, and the crews were contracted to Oct. 1.
Delmege talked to many people in the city to figure out the details of the parade including the staging and finishing areas but eventually decided after discussions to cancel the parade in July and postpone it to October.
“There’s nothing like a parade that brings the community together,” Delmege said. “It’s unique, where it’s for all ages, for all different people. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a resident or not. It just brings the entire community together and that’s what we wanted to do rather than an alternate event.”
Line up on Oct. 26 starts at noon and participants must be checked in and ready at 1:15 p.m. at the Fraser High School/Richards Middle School shared parking lot located at 34270 Garfield Road.
Fraser Mayor Michael Lesich said he wants people to come out and have a little Halloween fun.
“Come on out, celebrate, get dressed,” Lesich said. “There will probably be candy.”
He said he is excited for the parade and he’s sure he’ll be dressed up as well. He reminded residents to be careful on the roads.
“Clap loudly and cheer loudly for anybody that has the courage to walk down the street in a parade and have fun,” Lesich said.
People are encouraged to dress up whether they are in the parade or watching from the sidelines. This is a one-time parade event, and it will move back to July next year.
Delmege said in an email the event will also include stilt walkers, a John Hammond impersonator, a Jurassic Park Jeep Explorer and more.
He has the applications for those who would like to participate in the parade and can be contacted at his email, recreation@micityoffraser.com, or by phone at (586) 293-3100 extension 205.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a Fraser resident or (a resident of) the surrounding community. We would love to have you in the parade,” Delmege said.
