LEWISBURG, Pa. — The yearly Fourth of July parade in Union County is a big deal. It's typically held in downtown Lewisburg the last weekend in June, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to cancel last year's parade.
When it was time to make the decision on holding this year's event, committee president Terry Burke says they did not know what things would look like in June.
"We didn't want to put tons of planning into this to have it possibly not happen. So this was a way we could still have it and do something even though we are a little distanced from the 4th of July," Burke said.
The Union County Veterans 4th of July Parade will be held this weekend, six weeks later than usual. It will look a lot different too. The parade will be held at the Silver Moon Flea Market Complex near Lewisburg and will be drive-thru style.
"Gold Star families and veterans will be stationary in this parking lot and will have parking spots. Community members will line up and drive through them, so a reversal of roles," Burke said.
More than 60 veterans will be participating, along with marching bands and firefighters.
"We'll be handing out flags, we have like 1,000 flags to hand out. It's a way to still keep that patriotic feel, even though we're not downtown," Burke said.
To help with traffic flow, those who attend the parade are asked to enter through Route 15 and continue through Ziegler Road.
Burke says the group plans to return to downtown Lewisburg next June but did not want to go two years in a row without honoring our veterans.
The parade is Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon at the Silver Moon Flea Market Complex near Lewisburg.