Wood Dale Memorial Day Parade Application 2025

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Tioga Post 2149 of Wood Dale, IL, in conjunction with the City of Wood Dale, would like to extend an invitation to your organization to participate in our annual Memorial Day Parade and Memorial Services that follow. The parade will be held on Monday, May 26. The lineup will begin at 10:00 AM and will step off at 11:00 AM About the event: Wood Dale's Memorial Day Parade is a community tradition. This year, we are also celebrating VFW TIOGA 2149's 90th Anniversary! We hope to make this year's parade bigger and more impressive than ever! As always, we are expecting a fun-filled family day. Wood Dale's, Irving Park, and Addison Roads are the locations for the parade. Memorial Day brings out a huge crowd to honor those we have lost and to build a strong community. Candy may be distributed along the route. Please toss candy to the curb or have volunteers walk close to the curb to distribute it. The parade will depart from Elizabeth Drive and proceed north on Addison Road and Irving Park Road. At Irving Park Road, it will then turn east and end just beyond the bridge. Shuttle service will cycle to and from the Wood Dale Bowling Alley, 155 W Irving Park Rd, to the parade formation area. Parking at the bowling alley is highly encouraged.

Please read the following Parade rules, regulations, terms, and conditions carefully.
 
 
You are applying to participate in the Wood Dale Parade. If accepted, you agree to follow and abide by all Parade rules and regulations.
While in Staging, on Route, or in any Parade operational area, Parade Participants, Volunteers, Spectators, Vendors, Sponsor representatives, and Staff will be required to follow the City of Wood Dale, State of Illinois, and United States Government regulations regarding health and safety protocols for COVID-19.  By submitting an application, you consent to receive electronic communication from the City of Wood Dale and TIOGA VFW Post 2149.  
Not every applicant will be accepted.
The City of Wood Dale and VFW reserves the right to accept or reject any Parade unit application.
The application serves as a waiver of release for your organization and/or Parade unit. By submitting the application, you are thus signing the waiver and agreeing to the terms therein.
All accepted organizations must provide the City of Wood Dale a certificate of insurance naming the City of Wood Dale as additional insured. Your organization assumes responsibility for your participants.
All accepted units are responsible for all their costs/expenses associated with performing in the Parade.
Parade participants are allowed to distribute candy, pamphlets, or other materials along the Parade Route. 
No vehicles with participating units are allowed on the Parade Route unless approved by the City of Wood Dale.
All vehicles approved to be in the Parade must be licensed, registered, and insured. Proper paperwork must accompany the vehicle at all times.
All drivers must possess a valid operator’s license for the type of vehicle they are driving. All vehicles must have valid insurance, with proof of valid insurance in the vehicle at all times.
Parade participants must stay in their assigned Staging location unless otherwise instructed by a Parade official. Failure to do so will result in removing your unit from the Parade.
Parade participants must keep pace with the line of march. All units must maintain forward motion during the Parade. No countermarching or other maneuver contrary to the forward progress of the Parade is allowed. Gaps are not allowed to occur. Parade units must follow instructions from Parade marshals, Police, and volunteer staff.
Alcoholic beverages and other controlled substances are forbidden on and along the Parade Route. This policy includes all Staging, Routes, and all operational areas of the Parade. Participants consuming said substances before or during the Parade will not be allowed to participate and will be removed from the line of march.
Improper use of the American flag is not permitted. Proper use of the flag is governed by the U.S. flag policy outlined in the U.S. Code. 
The City/VFW must approve any additions or changes made to Parade units after being accepted. Parade units with changes that have not been approved will not be allowed in the line of march.
The Parade staff reserves the right to remove any unit from the line of march for any reason or cause without advance notice. The Parade will take place rain or shine.