Parade Parade

A Celebration and Rededication of Pre-Revolutionary Parade Plaza

New London Mayor Rob Pero announced today Parade Parade: A Regional Celebration and Rededication of New London’s historic, Parade Plaza on Saturday, June 5, from 2:00 pm to 8:30 pm in the heart of downtown New London at the corners of State and Water Streets. Information and photos at 860-447-9490. The event is free with a range of family friendly events.

Parade Parade is a new creative multi-media event that will include: historic presentations, culturally diverse ensembles from around the world, and a newly choreographed, audience interactive celebratory dance. Parade Parade will present performances from the rooftops of adjacent historic buildings overlooking the Parade Plaza including the tops of the Water Street Garage. Rooftop buglers will welcome a massed convergence of performing ensembles approaching from interconnecting streets leading to the Parade site. Culturally diverse and historic vignettes will lead to a performance by the US Coast Guard Ceremonial Ensemble performing the Star Spangled Banner and the Mayor of New London (elevated by a cherry picker) will cut the symbolic ribbon spanning the plaza. A community participatory dance event will (seemingly) spontaneously erupt on the plaza as the adjacent harbor fills with the horns and bells of docked ships and bells of adjacent local churches. The event will close with fireworks launched from the top of the Water Street Parking Garage.

Invited guests include Governor Jodi Rell, Congressman Joseph Courtney, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and New London Mayor Rob Pero and the City Council, among others.

Parade Parade takes New London’s pre-Revolutionary public space and celebrates its history but also projects its future as an attractive open space for a culturally diverse 21st century city. The historical elements will feature New London’s maritime history, as one of the whalingcapitals of the world, and the Parade as an historical mediating point bringing the community together for discourse, political discussions, news, trade and commerce. Parade Parade will recognize the city’s historic connections to the sea and the Thames River and function as an attractive open space for residents, tourists, and travelers alike and make connections between the nearby transit systems. This event will be the culmination of a ten-year process involving the community, historic and cultural organizations, planners, and over $10 million in expenditures.

The Parade Plaza will enhance the quality of life by reopening a public space that will present an eclectic range of events for both the regional community and tourists. Currently plans are being discussed for a wide range of on-going events and programs including a weekly farmers market, a noontime summer concert series, spontaneous busking, and a world music concert series in addition to a Go Green Fair. These programs are intended to use the Parade Plaza as a mediating point for the region with a range of programs and entertainment with easy adjacent access to local restaurants and businesses. The Parade Parade schedule will include opportunities for visitors to visit local businesses and restaurants and the evening will end with a number of additional performances in local clubs.

Parade Parade is presented by the City of New London in partnership with a range of non-profit organizations. The partnership represents the most experienced presenters, historical organizations and the city working together. Parade Parade sponsors include Pfizer, Cross Sound Ferry, TCOR, and the CT Commission on Culture among others.