APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – The City of Appleton is preparing for one of the year’s most significant events, the Appleton Flag Day Parade.

Scheduled for Saturday, June 10, from 2-4 p.m., the route starts on the corner of Oneida Street and Wisconsin Avenue before going downtown along College Avenue.

Each year, the committee rotates between all the military branches to honor, and for 2023, the United States Coast Guard has been selected. Parade Chairperson Corey Otis says,

“It lets them know that we’re thinking about them, but it also lets the community know that they are very important to the rights, freedoms, and the quality of life that we enjoy in Fox Cities,” said Corey Otis, Appleton Parade Committee Chairperson.

In addition to honoring veterans, there will be live performances before and after the parade by some of the area’s most outstanding individuals.

Saturday calls for a chance of rain in the forecast, but the committee is prepared regardless of whether it’s rain or sunshine.

“We’re not afraid of getting a little bit wet, so we will march on,” added Otis. “If there’s any chance of a dangerous weather situation, which at this time there is not, then we would have to make a decision whether to hold the parade.”

For Otis and many other committee members, hosting the Appleton Flag Day Parade has been a tradition in their families for generations.

“It’s a lot of work, and it can be frustrating at certain points, but it’s really rewarding on parade day,” said Otis. “You go down the route, we walk through at the end, and we get to see a lot of smiling faces and a lot of families that are in the same places every year. It’s a tradition for us, but it’s really a tradition for the community.”

The Appleton Parade Committee is expecting about 50,000 people to attend the event.