One 'summer' tradition my family never misses is the annual Memorial Day Parade in Downtown Pecatonica.

Obviously, last year's parade didn't happen thanks to COVID-19, but what made that cancellation even more of a bummer was that 2020 marked the 150th anniversary of Pecatonica's Memorial Day Parade, and they couldn't celebrate the major milestone properly.

The way I see it; we now all have an obligation to come to Pecatonica this Memorial Day and help them celebrate bigger than ever before!

If you've never visited Pecatonica on Memorial Day before, let me just tell you this; Pec's parade is the second largest in Illinois, about an hour and a half long, and your kids will need to bring along a BIG bag to hold all the candy they collect during the parade route. (Seriously. Its A LOT of candy.)

If you're concerned about bringing your family to a highly attended event right now, just know that the parade organizers have been working since the beginning of the year on different scenarios and COVID regulations to make sure the 2021 parade can officially hit the road.

Parade Coordinator Ted Deppe recently told WIFR;

Not having it last year broke a very long streak. One way or another we knew we’d find a way to have it. We actually started back in January and early February planning.

 

Obviously we have to go by some of the guidelines and it’s all about comfort level, but it’s an outdoor event so we have a little more latitude.”

The 2021 Memorial Day Parade in Pecatonica will begin at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 31. Make sure you bring some sunscreen and a face mask, just in case.

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