150 Years of WY Women’s Suffrage: the Jubilee Days Parade Theme
LARAMIE – The Laramie Jubilee Days Parade, set for Saturday morning at 9:30, is to further the promotion and celebration of Wyoming’s Statehood.
This is the first year that Ishtar Hogsett has taken the reins as Jubilee Days Parade Chair.
As of Monday morning, she was pleased with the response to the parade.
“I have 58 entries so far. We have a great mix of people and floats coming out to celebrate 150 Years of Women’s Suffrage. And there are some really great themed floats coming out this year.”
Is there still time to register your entry in the parade?
“We did have a deadline that was over July 5. However, I’m trying to be very flexible in that, so if I get information in the next two days, I will squeeze you in somewhere.”
Hogsett was also honored to name this year’s Grand Marshal.
“Our Grand Marshal this year is Justice Marilyn Kite, and she has played a significant role in the women’s movement in Wyoming.”
Being her first year as parade chair, Hogsett’s expectations for a successful parade are basic ones: Have fun and start on time.
“I’m fairly new to this . . . the great people before me, I have taken their information and compiled that. I’m just really hoping for a smooth parade with not a lot of hitches. We got off a little late last year, so we’re really hoping to just get out on time this year. The board has been really, really great in helping me learn about the parade and Jubilee Days. I’ve lived in Laramie for about 8 years now and definitely been to my share of rodeos and parades. But this is my first time behind the scenes. So it’s just really a lot of fun to get to know everybody personally, and learn more about it.”
Hogsett said the parade starts at the usual place – LaBonte Park.
“We’re going to start at LaBonte Park as we have in the past, and it’s going to go out Canby to 3rd St.; then 3rd to Grand; Grand to 9th; then back up to LaBonte Park. We know there’s construction on Grand, however, they have promised us that they will be cleaned up, and it looks like they are right on track to do that. So, we will have the parade right down Grand as we planned and have had in the past years. I don’t foresee any problems with that happening, and I think it’s going to be a really great parade.”
She said the parade staging area will be blocked off from the public for parade entries.
“But other than that, they’re welcome to pull up chairs and watch from any place that’s safe, like a sidewalk area. We want to make sure we’re not out in the street. We ask that parents keep hold of their children to keep it safe and make sure they’re not run over by any horses or anything. And we’re also asking that there’s no guns or anything like that to help keep the horses and animals from getting scared.”
And what’s a parade without fire trucks!
“We get plenty of fire trucks, too! So all the stages of the parade come out in sections. We’ll start with the horses and animals, and end with the loud fire trucks!”
The parade is just the beginning of Saturday’s events. Stick around for more fun-filled events. Visit LaramieLive.com or LaramieJubileeDays.org for a listing of the complete schedule.
“We hope that everybody comes out and has a lot of fun, and comes out to all the Jubilee Days events!”
For questions about the parade or to email your application, contact the Parade Chair: parade@laramiejubileedays.org