Pictures of
Past Parades

The Parade Board

The Parade Route

How
To Participate

Youth Involvement

Contact Us
Eileen Howe
Executive Assistant
Colorado Springs Veterans' Day Parade (719) 282-3862
E-Mail

 

Scout Involvement

  

In past years the Colorado Springs Veterans Day Parade has had as many as 500 Scouts participate in the parade.  This is a great thing but the Veterans Day Parade has grown each year as word spreads about our success.  We are limited by the city to a one-hour event.  Therefore, we have had to limit the number of scouts we can allow to march in the parade.The maximum number of boy and girl scouts groups that can participate in the parade is 10 boy scout and 10 girl scout groups.

The 2011 Veterans Day Parade is scheduled for Saturday, November 5, at 10:00 AM in downtown Colorado Springs.  The parade will progress down Tejon Street from St. Vrain Street to Vermijo Avenue. 

SCOUT GROUPS
This year we are asking the boy scouts and girl scouts and other youth participants to complete a registration form and return it to one of our addresses; email to parade4va@gmail.com  or by U.S. Mail to our office address (431 N. Cascade Avenue, Suite 1, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.)

You may request to be assigned a Veterans’ Group to march with in the parade if you are not already working with a one.  Assignment of scout and veteran groups will be made as soon as registration forms are received.  Entries can have a maximum of 25 scouts and should be at least 9 years old.  Younger scouts may participate in the parade with a Veterans’ Group if they will be riding on their float.  Scouts and other youth must present a unified appearance (i.e., uniforms, matching vests or matching t-shirts).

If a scout group is small, they may combine with another scout group to form a larger marching unit with a maximum of 25 scouts but must be registered as such.  This way the parade announcers can pay tribute to both groups when they pass the reviewing stand.

Participation in the parade will be on a first come basis until we have (x number of boy scouts and x number of girl scouts).  If either the boy scouts or girl scouts fall short in their participation numbers we will fill in with whatever scout groups that have registered but fell into an overflow group.

Other ways for Scouts and Youth to participate in the Colorado Springs Veterans Day Parade.

  1. A very important way to participate is to invite your family members and neighbors that are military veterans to contact Eileen Howe, Executive Assistant, at the parade email address (parade4va@gmail.com) or by phone (719-282-3862) to request an information brochure.  Veterans are in no way obligated to participate just because they request an informational brochure; however those that have participated have enjoyed the experience of reuniting with other veterans from the same service period.
  2. A good project for older youth is to register to create a float (with the help of teachers, leaders or parents) that pays tribute to veterans and represents the theme of our parade (to be announced in July or August).
    1. A maximum of ten floats will be allowed in the parade due to space and time constraints on the length of the parade and accepted on a first come, first serve basis.
    2. Flatbeds can sometimes be borrowed from local companies.
    3. Floats need to be simple enough that they can be assembled the morning of the parade in the staging/line up area unless other arrangements are made with the flatbed owner.
    4. Floats must be “veteran focused” and reflect the theme of the parade or past parades.  (A list of past parade themes can be found on the History page of our website (www.csvetsparade.org). 
    5. Floats cannot be commercial in any way and cannot focus or advertise the group creating the float.
  3. Sign up to help with the following.  These are good projects for the younger scouts that do not march in the parade. 
      1. Make handmade “Thank You” notes to pass out to veterans gathering in the following areas approximately 15 – 20 minutes prior to the parade.  Many of our veterans have told us this is the highlight of the parade for them.  We can never have too many “Thank You” cards.
        1. Parade Staging/line up area is on Tejon between Cache la Poudre and Boulder Streets and the side streets one block East and West
        2. The Acacia Park Apartments are on the Northeast corner of Platte Avenue and Tejon Street.  This is where many veterans gather to ride down the parade route in military vehicles
        3. The Reviewing Stand area is on Tejon Street at Pikes Peak Avenue.
      2. Pass out small American flags or programs to the crowd along the parade route prior to the parade.
      3. All youth participating in the parade are encouraged to learn about a Colorado Springs Veterans’ Group.  The Pikes Peak Library District posts the names of books about courageous veterans and other military events for scout leaders to use as background information.
      4. Scouts can volunteer to remove “hoods” from the downtown parking meters after the parade.  This includes the length of the parade route on Tejon Street from St. Vrain to Vermijo Avenue and one block East or West of Tejon.  We always need more troops to help in this capacity.

 

How to get your participation/commemorative patches (Optional):

  • Scout patches need to be pre-ordered and pre-paid
  • They can be picked up behind the Law Office of Cornish & Dell’Olio (431 N. Cascade Avenue) which is just west of the intersection of Tejon Street and St. Vrain Street (the start of the Parade)
  • Patches cost $1 each.  This just covers our production costs.
    • Checks should be made payable to “Colorado Springs Veterans Day Parade”
    • Mail payment to:  Colorado Springs Veterans Day Parade, 431 N. Cascade Avenue, Suite 1, C/S 80903

Need more information?

  • Contact Eileen Howe, Parade Executive Assistant at 282-3862 or by email – parade4va@gmail.com