A La Grange tradition like no other will take over the streets at 9:30 a.m. May 31, when the 79th annual Pet Parade steps off downtown.
This year’s theme — “One Sweet Day: 79 Years of Tails and Traditions” — promises just that. Expect marching bands, floats, candy-tossing kids, and pets in the spotlight as the beloved event winds through the village.
“We are set,” said Molly Price, executive director of the Pet Parade. “It’s coming together. I feel good about the parade.”
Kids can expect plenty of candy tossed their way while their four-legged friends take a starring role on the parade route.
Many residents have block parties and cookouts on the day.
A carnival will be held Friday through Sunday in downtown La Grange.
Scott Schneider of Fox 32 Chicago is this year’s grand marshal. He’s recognized for his longtime volunteer work with the West Suburban Humane Society, which regularly is in the parade.
The parade starts at Cossitt Avenue and La Grange Road. It heads north to the railroad tracks, then turns left and winds its way to Lyons Township High School’s north campus.
If it is a hot day, insiders suggest finding shade.
This year’s Junior Grand Marshal is Fiona Kennedy, a second-grader at Forest Road Elementary School who won the annual Pet Parade Coloring Contest.
There’s a costume contest in three categories: individual youth, individual adult and group/family, Price said.
There’s also a contest for the best floats in the parade which has 120 entries, nearly as many as we saw in the years before the pandemic that hit in 2020.
Entries include a wide range including floats, groups, families, businesses, marching bands, plenty of pets and other regulars like the popular Jesse White Tumblers and the band Evil Burrito.
For more information, visit www.lagrangepetparade.org