Special Notes: City of Appleton Flag Day Parade THIS SATURDAY!

Appleton to Celebrate Flag Day on June 11

APPLETON, Wis. -- The 71st Appleton Flag Day Parade is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, and this year’s celebration includes several pre- and post-parade events. “It’s more than just a parade,” said Corey Otis, Appleton Parade Committee Chairperson. “It’s a celebration.” 

The theme of the 71st Appleton Flag Day Parade is “Pride of Old Glory.” Fox Cities residents have honored “Old Glory” on the second Saturday in June since 1950, making the Appleton Flag Day Parade the nation’s oldest. The celebration annually attracts more than 50,000 spectators and participants from throughout the state and nation to Appleton. 

The Parade Committee encourages all to embrace Flag Day and celebrate our community’s unity, family traditions, and respect for the red, white, and blue. “There’s an unparalleled amount of pride and patriotism in the Fox Cities,” said Otis. “The Flag Day Parade provides a showcase for our community’s ingenuity and artistry as well as a reason to come together and celebrate with friends and family.”

The festivities begin at noon on Friday, June 10, with a performance by the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America’s “Airlifter Brass” at Houdini Plaza in Downtown Appleton. At noon on Saturday, June 11, Houdini Plaza will host pre-parade concerts by the 484th Army Band of Chicago/Milwaukee and the 1st Brigade Band, a Civil War era band from Watertown, Wisconsin. There is no charge for admission, and concertgoers are encouraged to bring their own chairs. 

The 71st Appleton Flag Day Parade begins at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 11 at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and N. Oneida Street. The route travels west down W. Wisconsin Avenue to N. State Street, north on N. State Street to W. College Avenue. At W. College Avenue, the parade travels east and ends at Drew Street. 

The Parade Grand Marshal, as always, is the United States Flag. This year’s escort to the U.S. Flag is Dan Balliet, who recently retired from the Appleton Parade Committee after 22 years of service. Balliet also served seven terms on the Appleton Common Council and taught social studies for 32 years at Wilson Middle School. This year’s parade spotlights the United States Air Force, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022. The Honorary Parade Marshal is Brigadier General Robert P. Palmer, a Plainfield, Wisconsin native. He is the Mobilization Assistant to the Air Force Director of Public Affairs under the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force.  

Other notable entries in the 71st Appleton Flag Day Parade include:

• Nearly 20 bands, including the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America’s “Airlifter Brass,” 484th Army Band of Chicago/Milwaukee, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing Band of Cherry Point, North Carolina, 1st Brigade Band, Americanos Alumni Association, Unity the Band, Echoes of Camp Randall (featuring members of the University of Wisconsin Band), and Appleton City Band. 

• Local marching bands, including all three Appleton public high schools, Kimberly and Little Chute community bands, Valley Troubadours, New Horizons, Lakeside Lutheran High School, and the Lutheran Vanguard.

• Veterans organizations, tributes to all five branches of the military, patriotic floats, marching units, antique vehicles, horses, clowns, scooters, tractors, and much, much more!

• Pierce Manufacturing and WHBY will hand out free flags to spectators just before the parade begins.

• 89-year-old veteran, Kenneth J. Coenen, will march in the parade as a long-time member with the Appleton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2778.

This year, the nation’s biggest and best Flag Day Parade will feature approximately 100 units and something new: The Flag Day Cavalcade of Cars! After the parade, automobile enthusiasts are encouraged to honor the flag and show off their wheels. Classics, collectors, modifieds, and more will celebrate America by cruising behind the Appleton Flag Day Parade. Those who wish to participate must register before noon on Friday, June 10. Registered vehicles will be automatically entered into a drawing for a $100 gas card.  

The Flag Day celebration concludes with two post-parade concerts in Houdini Plaza. The Echoes of Camp Randall, featuring members of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band, will play songs from the “Fifth Quarter, followed by a performance from the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing Band of Cherry Point, North Carolina. Again, there is no charge for admission, and spectators should bring their own chairs. The post-parade concerts will begin around 4:30 p.m.

The event is organized by the Appleton Parade Committee, a group of dedicated community volunteers. Follow the Appleton Flag Day Parade on Facebook for news and updates on this year’s event. Event details are also available on the City of Appleton website.