Parade

A parade is a public procession along a street or route, typically featuring organized groups, marching bands, floats, dancers, clowns, and officials. Parades are held to celebrate, commemorate, or promote a cause or organization, and are usually designed for spectators who line the streets.

Parades have ancient roots in religious processions and royal pageantry, but modern, secular parades emerged in the 17th–19th centuries with military displays, civic ceremonies, and cultural festivals. They take many forms, including military parades, civic or municipal parades, religious processions, and cultural or seasonal processions. In recent decades, specialized forms such as Pride parades have combined celebration with advocacy.

Typical elements include a designated route, permits and security planning, crowd management, and traffic control. Participants may include marching bands, drum and bugle corps, flotillas of floats, elemental performances, mounted units, and ceremonial escorts. Many parades feature music, costumes, choreography, and awards for best units or floats. Parades are often sponsored or funded by governments, associations, or corporations.

Parades play a role in national identity and community life, with well-known examples such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Bastille Day military parade in Paris, and numerous city Pride events around the world. Local traditions include harvest festivals, religious processions, and school or veteran parades.

Parades can raise concerns about public safety, traffic disruption, and commercialization; inclusivity and access for participants with disabilities or minority groups are ongoing considerations. Despite these debates, parades remain a common form of public spectacle and communal expression.