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Photo© Matt Frank

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400th Parade
Safety 

To All Participants on Floats and Walking Groups on the Parade Line.
1 / In case of an emergency grab a police officer or a parade staff (purple t-shirts) individual. They will contact emergency services. 

Police are at every intersection.

2 / Do not pull anyone onto float or jump off floats.

Once you are on a float, please stay on the float until the end.

3 / Do not pull anyone off of the sidewalk to walk with you.

Line up for parade float participants will start at 11 a.m. at St. Rose Rectory. Parade walking groups line up behind St. Rose School Parking Lot. Once the parade is underway, no one should jump onto the float or parade line. 

4 / No throwing candy or anything hard to the crowd of spectators.

You may handout candy or other items. 

5 / Keep moving unless at City Hall Lawn. 

There are two-minute stops for some of the parade participants. At the lawn, stop for 30 seconds. TV broadcasters will read group's mission statements or introductions previously submitted by each group.

6 / Stay 5 feet to 10 feet away from the group/float/vehicle in front of you.

Keep space and pace.

7 / If someone shows up late, after you started in the parade they cannot join in later.

It is important to be at the parade line up area by 11:30 at the latest.

8 / All floats go to the parking lot behind the Rectory.

Please arrive at Crescent & Broadway, so that you may enter the Rectory Lot. Parade staff will help indicate where to park and assign your line number. Make sure to know your line number.

9 / All police, fire, boats, motorcycles park on Broadway beginning at Crescent to Gerrish.

Broadway will be closed, Tobin will also be closed due to construction. Please practice patience and seek alternate routes this day.

10 / All walking groups should meet at City Hall Ave.

All participating groups should have a designated number. Parade staff will help coordinate when each group will join the line based on this number. Please contact info@chelsea400.org if you have questions about your group number.

11 / Shuttles are provided at Chelsea District Court.

Parade participant groups seeking to park will be allowed one Court Parking Pass per group. Free Shuttle Route is to and from the St. Rose Rectory & Chelsea Court House. 

12 / Call Chelsea ECC - 617-466-4662, if there is an emergency.

Police attendance at the parade.

Parade & Chelsea Day Info

Dear Float Participants and Registered Walking Groups, please read the following information.

Parade Start

Date: September 21st

  • Vehicles with Floats should arrive at Crescent & Broadway to enter the St. Rose Rectory Lot at 11:00 -11:30 to line up.   

  • One car for your group may park at the District Court parking lot on Williams St. with Parade Permit (provided by the City Law Dept.)

    • Drop off at St. Rose and park on Williams and take back a shuttle back to St. Rose.

    • Shuttles will bring you back toward city hall after and during parade. 

  • Parade begins at 1 p.m. 

  • Parade Staff will be dressed in purple t-shirts. Public safety officers will be available.

  • St. Rose Parking Lots must be empty by 3:00 p.m.

Participant Parking

Information

  • Parking will be available at the District Court House for one vehicle per participating organization/group. 

  • Free Peter Pan Shuttle Service will be made available to participants from the Court House to the St. Rose Rectory Lot.

  • Additional parking may be available on 5th St. 

Parade Rules

Guidelines

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  • No alcohol, drugs or smoking are not permitted during the parade.

  • Once you are on the float, you may not leave the float unless in an emergency. 

  • A responsible adult must be on each float with each youth group.

  • No fire or flames on or near the float. 

  • No dangling of legs off the floats.

  • Do not throw candy or anything at the public. Please hand out items.

  • Judges will be ready by noon to look at your floats.

On-street Parking Restrictions

On-street parking will be prohibited in the following areas from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m:

  • Broadway from Crescent Ave to Mary O'Malley Park

  • Gerrish Ave in the area of the St. Rose Rectory

  • To help distinguish these areas, there will be no parking signs in all places where parking is restricted. Ticketing will be suspended on open streets.

Street Closures

Information

  • To ensure the safety of all community members during the Chelsea Day parade, many roads, including Broadway and all the streets off Broadway, will be closed. Detours will be in place where possible.

  • Broadway from Crescent Ave to City Hall Ave will be closed from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.

  • All other road closures will be in effect from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and are as follows:

  • Broadway from the Saint Rose of Lima Parish to Mary O’Malley Park, and all streets off Broadway along this route

  • Everett Ave from Spruce Street to Broadway

  • The State Police will be closing 4th Street off-ramp from Rt. 1

  • Williams Street and Second Street from Spruce Street to Broadway. All traffic will be detoured down Spruce to Everett Ave, which can go to Rt. 16 or Rt. 1

  • Pearl Street at Williams going into Chelsea

  • Marginal at Shawmut

  • Marginal at Charles

  • Marginal at Hawthorne

  • Eastern at Cottage

  • Marginal at Willow

  • Marginal at Shurtleff

  • Marginal at Highland

  • Hawthorne at Bellingham

  • Broadway at Crescent

  • Central at Hawthorne

  • Marlboro at Broadway

  • Library at Broadway

  • Broadway at 5th

  • Broadway at 4th

  • Chestnut at 4th

  • Congress at Broadway

  • Washington at Chestnut

  • Marginal at Central

  • Marginal at Williams

  • Marginal at Pearl

  • Broadway at Crescent

  • Eastern at Bellingham

  • Hawthorne at Chester

  • Highland at Gerrish

  • Central at Hawthorne

  • Broadway at Williams

  • Broadway at Medford

  • Broadway at Beacon

  • Chestnut at Williams

  • Spruce at Everett Ave

  • Arlington at Everett Ave

  • Spruce at 6th

  • Spruce at Williams

  • Washington at Crescent

  • Second St. at Spruce

  • Second St. at Chestnut

  • Second St. at Arlington

Line up Information

  • The morning of the parade it is important to check in, and get your lineup number with location. 

  • Some floats/ boats/vehicles will arrive at Broadway & Crescent to enter St. Rose Rectory Lot.

  • Walking groups may line up on City Hall Ave.

  • The parade will start at 1 p.m. 

  • Do not leave anything in parking lots, parking lot must be empty by 3 p.m. 

Broadway Parade Route

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  • Exit the St. Rose Rectory parking lot, turn onto Gerrish, then right onto Broadway.

  • Proceed down Broadway and then stop in front of City Hall Lawn. 

  • Proceed down Broadway with a slight right by Margolis Pharmacy.

  • Walk all of Broadway to the end. Water will be provided at the end. 

  • All groups should proceed up Commandants way to Mary O'Malley Park. 

    • Then to Williams and back to your vehicles at the Chelsea District Court parking lot.

Chelsea Day Festivities

  • Chelsea Day Tabling Groups should arrive early to drop-off items for their table by 12:30 p.m. at Mary O'Malley. Parade Staff will be onsite to help guide you to your table. [Tabling ends at 6:30 p.m.]  

  • Porta potties will be located at St. Rose Rectory, and Admirals Hill Dog Park.

  • Chelsea Day at Mary O'Malley starts at 2:00 p.m.

  • Music band at 6 p.m.

  • We will have amusements and information tables, beer garden, music and performers. Brown Jug Beer Garden is expected to close by 6:30 p.m.

  • Food Trucks [ Roxy's Grill, Chicken & Rice Guys] items (food for purchase) and the Copsicle Truck. Kayem Hotdogs will be provided.

  • Speech by City Manager Fidel Maltez 7:05 p.m.

  • Fireworks on the water at 7:15 p.m.  

Chelsea Day Tabling

At Mary O'Malley Park, 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Information 

Registered Table set up is from 12:00-12:30 p.m.
There will be No Parking at Mary O'Malley Park

  • Upon arrival, a Chelsea Day Staff Member (Wearing a Purple T-shirt) will be present and guide you to your assigned table. 

    • ONE table and TWO chairs will be provided.​

    • You may drop-off of additional materials for your table between 12:00 -12:30 p.m.

  • All Roads going up to Mary O'Malley Park will be closed off to traffic at 12:30 p.m. There will be no parking or driving through once the roads are closed, all drop-offs must be done by 12:30 p.m.​

  • If you are participating and walking in the parade, you must have someone at the park by 12:00 -12:30 p.m. to set up for you and secure your table. 

  • Chelsea Day events will begin at 2p.m. to 7p.m. 

  • Tabling for Chelsea Day is from 2p.m. to 6:30p.m. 

​

If you’d like more information about the Parade and Chelsea Day, get in touch today.

PARADE APPLICATION ENTRY IS CLOSED!

1st Place Float receives $1,500

2nd Place Float receives $1,000

3rd Place Float receives $500

Parade Date: September 21, 2024

Rain Date: September 22, 2024

Line up starts at: 11:30 a.m. 

Starting time: 1:00 p.m. 

Parade Float Competition Rules 

  1. Float Judging will begin @ 12:00 pm.  “Parade- Ready” float must be ready for presentation to the judges. If there will be riders/walkers in the parade, they must be there and in place at this time for judging.  Entire float “entry” will be judged.  If not ready when judges arrive, entry will be able to be in the parade, but will be disqualified for competition.  Those placing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place will have a display added to the float by the judges or the 400th Committee representative indication such for spectators to see.

  2. No one may get on or off the float once it has started down the parade route.

  3. No dangling legs over the edge of the float.

  4. No candy or other items can be thrown during the parade.  Walkers may hand out these items if desired.

  5. All floats must be of the “pull behind” type on a trailer.

  6. There must be a responsible adult present if any children are riding or walking with the float.

  7. Driver of vehicle pulling floats must have a fire extinguisher ready for every float.

  8. No real weapons/ fire arms allowed, except by law enforcement, on any float entry.

  9. No smoking or alcoholic beverages on any parade entry at any time before or during the parade.  Safety First!!

  10. All Floats should have an 8” clearance from the ground.

  11. The pull vehicle must be able to travel slow enough to avoid stalling.

  12. Float must be decorated on all four sides.

  13. No fire or flame-producing devices are allowed on floats.

  14. Floats will be judged on the following:

    • Whether “400th” is incorporated into the float theme

    • Originality  (Original artwork only please)

    • Workmanship

    • Overall appearance and adherence to all listed rules

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