ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Pancake Day will be approaching quickly, and a big part of the day’s festivities is the parade.
With that in mind, the Pancake Day Committee is accepting parade float entries. The Pancake Day Parade will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, and will go the same route as the 4th of July parade and start at Trail Street and then go north. This year's theme is 'Bringing Everyone Together With Pancakes,' and the five divisions are Commercial, Non-Profit Organizations, Schools, Antique Automobiles & Equipment, and Motorized Vehicles, and the judges will score the entries on originality, creativity and effort.
“It's an overall great way to wrap up all the Pancake Day fun, and the Rotary Club's been in charge of the parade since the beginning, and it's always a fun time for everyone who comes out,” Chairman Mike Brack said. “It's a great way to highlight your business or organization and be seen by a lot of people in the community, so build a float that shows not only what your business/organization is, but also your love of the Liberal community.”
“The parade is just as important to Pancake Day as the races and community breakfast and everything else that goes on. It would be great to see a lot of individuals and groups/entities and businesses put something together so they're part of the fun,” committee member Chuck Bowman said. “And since the parade sees such a big crowd every year, there will be a lot of people looking at those floats, which could possibly mean some new customers. It's a very big event that draws in a lot of people, and it's just a lot of fun.”
A wide variety of floats would make the parade a great experience for everyone, fellow Pancake Day Committee member John Engel added.
“Pancake Day has some religious roots since it all started with ladies running in order to not be late for church, so if any local churches want to put a float together, we'd gladly welcome that. I know some civic clubs are planning to put something together, which is great, and we encourage that too, and I'd love to see more non-profit group floats,” Engel said. “Another big draw for people is the classic cars, and we have some people in town who have cars that are basically works of art. We also have people who put a lot of time and effort into their floats in every parade, whether it's the Christmas parade or this one, so we're expecting that again this year. If you're a local team or group, put something together and put a bit of a spotlight on yourselves – I know we've had the local wrestling group and some of the soccer teams participate, so we'd love to see that. We want to see people outdo themselves, whether it's with classic cars or the floats that really highlight the parade theme, because it's amazing to see what people come up with.”
“And now's definitely the time to put a plan together because while March 4 might seem far away, it'll be here before everyone knows it, so go ahead and get things ready,” Brack added. “I hope we'll have some great weather since Pancake Day is a bit later this year. And we'd love to see the different school bands and other school groups, those are also always a hit for the crowds.”
“And since that's also the day of Mardi Gras, we'd like to also see some floats that maybe play up that theme,” Bowman said. “There's honestly just a lot of directions individuals and groups can take their float, because this is really a big celebration.”
Brack and Bowman also offered encouragement for individuals and groups to sign up for the parade sooner rather than later.
“We know life can get busy and hectic, but if you plan some things ahead of time, it's not quite so bad. If you've got an idea for a float, and if you've got friends or fellow members of a civic group willing to help, we encourage you to go ahead and go for it,” Brack said. “And while we will get you in the lineup if you show up that day, it really helps if people sign up beforehand so we have a more firm idea of how to prepare and what to expect. Especially for businesses, whether you're a fixture in town or recently got started, we'd love to have you in the lineup so you can promote either your business as a whole or maybe whatever special promotion(s) you're doing. Overall, the more, the merrier. The form is available on pancakeday.net, or people can get in touch with me at (620) 482-0466 or at
“And the more floats/participation we have, the better the parade will be, and the more fun it is,” Bowman added. “We want to see a steady stream of floats and participants entertaining the crowd that day, so if you've got any idea, please go for it. And it also helps create a lot of great camaraderie when a group of people comes together to put a float together for such a big community event. And we want surrounding communities to feel free to join in the parade and show some of their community spirit since we're all around the same geographic area. We'd welcome school groups from Tyrone or Turpin or Southwestern Heights, etc., to join us, that would be amazing to see them.”
Overall, the committee members agreed, this year’s Pancake Day Parade should be a good one.
“Just get in touch with us and let us know what you want to do, and we'll get you in. It doesn't cost anything, and it's a great way to highlight your business or organization or civic group, etc., so come and celebrate with the community as we commemorate the 76th iteration of Pancake Day,” Engel said.