Ottawa Hills Village Life Parade 2023: A Community Celebration

Join in celebrating our community at the annual Village Life Parade! Mark your calendars for Friday, October 13, 2023, and be a part of a day filled with community spirit, fun, and local pride. Effler/Schmitt Co. Real Estate Brokerage is excited to share you with all the details about this year’s Village Life Parade and homecoming Ottawa Hills High School football game. Thank you to the Office of Village Life for all the parade information. Ottawa Hills residents can sign up to receive communication from the Office of Village Life here

Parade Route Details

The Village Life Parade will kick off from the Ottawa Hills Elementary School parking lot at 5 p.m. with the Ottawa Hills Police Department leading the way. The community in encouraged to gather in the grass and sidewalks along the parade route. Following will be other parade participants including class floats, athletic teams, Homecoming Court, other organizations, and groups, and of course the Ottawa Hills Marching Band. No matter where along the parade route you choose to watch, spectators should remain on the grass and avoid approaching any vehicles. Parade participants are encouraged to throw candy to spectators on the grass, so be sure to have your candy collecting bags ready and keep children on the grass and off the streets when collecting candy.

The parade will head west on Indian Road, turn south on Evergreen Road, then turn and head East on Brookside, continuing to Chestnut Hills Road. After making its way north on Orchard Road, with a turn on Kirkwall Road and following south on Hempstead Road, the Village Life Parade will close the route loop on Indian Road before turning north on Ashborne Place and ending in the junior/senior high school parking lot around 6 p.m.

Register for the Village Life Parade

To participate in this fantastic celebration of community spirit, make sure to complete your registration online by Monday, October 9, 2023, at 5:00 pm. Don’t miss out on being a part of this unforgettable Village Life Parade experience! The Village Life Parade is open exclusively to school/community groups or organizations. Commercial or political advertising on vehicles is not permitted.

Register for the Village Life Parade here

Village Life Parade Guidelines & Instructions

This parade is a unique opportunity for Ottawa Hills to come together and celebrate our vibrant community. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all, please adhere to the following Village Life Parade guidelines:

• Arrival time for parade line up at the elementary school for the Ottawa Hills Marching Band, all groups, and organizations: 4:15 p.m.
• Arrival time for line up at the elementary school for class floats & participants, Homecoming Court, Administration: 4:30 p.m.
• Participants have the option to walk, pull wagons, or utilize vehicles such as cars, minivans, SUVs, or trucks. Please note that scooters, bikes, skateboards, or rollerblades are not allowed.
• Vehicle Guidelines:
  • Drivers must be aged 25 or older.
  • Vehicles must not be overloaded with passengers.
  • Each group is limited to one vehicle, with additional participants encouraged to walk.
  • Ensure designated group members stand on each side of the vehicle to maintain a safe distance from parade spectators.
  • While vehicle decorations are encouraged, they must not obstruct the driver’s view.
  • Maintain a safe following distance from the preceding vehicle/group.
  • Participants must not exit the float or vehicle during the parade route.
• If walking, each student group must be accompanied by at least one adult.
• Encourage candy tossing during the parade, aiming for the grass area, not the road.
• Parade marshals will be present along the parade route to direct traffic.

At the end of the parade, please follow these instructions:

• All parade vehicles and participants will turn right on Ashborne to complete the parade.
• Once the parade reaches the stadium area, only class floats and Homecoming Court cars will enter the OHHS parking lot.
• All other vehicles are free to leave or may park along Ashborne or Osborn.

Homecoming Football Game Following the Village Life Parade

Extend the celebration by attending an exciting homecoming game on the same evening, Friday, October 13, 2023. Show your support for the Ottawa Hills High School Varsity Football Team as the Green Bears face off against the Montpelier Locomotives. Let’s unite in school spirit and cheer our team to victory! Stay up to date on all Green Bear athletics via the athletics calendar here and see the latest sports news here.

We hope to see you October 13

The Ottawa Hills Village Life Parade is an annual tradition that brings our community together like no other event. It’s a time to celebrate our shared values, our pride in our schools, and the strong bonds that make our village so special. Effler/Schmitt Co. is a proud supporter of Ottawa Hills Local Schools. Our team not only works in the village, but we also live here too! We hope to see you at the parade, hear your cheers for the football team, and share in the joy this fun evening with this wonderful community.

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