THE CAIRO SHRINER Northeast Clowns will return to Orwell’s fabulous Memorial Day parade this year.

ORWELL — If you want to see a Memorial Day parade, you can get start early and head out to Orwell for the community’s annual Sunday before Memorial Day festivities. As usual, the annual parade in Orwell starts lining up on North Orwell Road at noon and steps off at 1:30 p.m. this Sunday, May 26.

Many floats will be designed to reflect some of the many traditional Vermont activities and industries, and there will be plenty of just-fun floats and attractions.

American Legion Post 49 from Fair Haven will lead the parade and will honor our veterans with a 21-gun salute.

Organizers have lined up a great selection of marchers, players, riders and floaters. They will include the Catamount Pipe Band, the Fair Haven Union High School marching band and various local youth.

And, of course, there will be plenty of vintage cars, trucks and tractors at the 49th Annual Orwell Memorial Day Parade. Join in for this free event and parade through the village of Orwell to show the freedoms we enjoy and honor the veterans who fought for them.

Kate Hunter will be the 2024 Grand Marshal of the Orwell parade. In addition to being the librarian at the Orwell Free Library, Hunter is activity in community events. Thanks go to Randy Kavet from Orwell, who will be giving Marshal Hunter a parade ride in his 2007 Corvette convertible.

Always a favorite, the Cairo Shriner Northeast Clowns are returning for 2024. 

Keep an eye out for all those sluggers on the Orwell Little League teams on the May 26th Memorial Day Parade. Dancing in the Street will return this year with Rutland’s Cast Off 8’s Square Dance Club. Spectators will welcome two Orwell Devil’s Bowl drivers will be in the parade: Jakobee and Ron Alger.

A returning crowd favorite will be Dan Brett of Whiting and the Hearthunder Art Collective. This group uses art and creativity to show support for environmental and social justice causes in an effort to inspire positive change.

THE NEXT GENERATION of Vermonters are instilled with respect for the sacrifices of the women and men in our U.S. armed forces. Here, during a previous Memorial Day observance, young Scouts gather around a memorial monument on the Orwell town green.

Let’s not forget those awesome tractors that come out every year.

In the spirit of fun for the entire family, 802 Ghostbusters are expected to return to the parade this year. Also returning is the 1st Vermont Calvary on horses!

To register for a spot in the parade, head online to www.facebook.com/orwellmemorialday to get the latest contact information.

The parade will take the same route as in years past: beginning on North Orwell Road and running east to Main Street, before heading onto Church Street, circling Roberts Avenue, and then bending back to march west on Main Street. The parade will conclude on the town green, where many of the bands will perform for the crowd.

Lineup begins at 12 noon on North Orwell Road just north of the village green. All vehicles must obey posted traffic rules, no burnouts are allowed.