The Ionia Free Fair Grand Opening Parade is always held on the first Saturday of the fair.

The 2011 Ionia Free Fair Grand Opening Parade's theme is 'America of the March' and is proudly sponsored by Firstbank and Berger Motor Sales of Ionia.  The parade application, guidelines, award rules, and route map are in pdf forms on the lower right hand side of the page.

You will need the free program, adobe acrobat, to view them.  It can be obtained by going to www.adobe.com and following the directions on how to download it.

It is important that parade entries adhere to these parade guidelines:

• The tossing of candy or other items is not allowed
• Commercial vehicles will be permitted if the participating business is a 2011 Ionia Free Fair sponsor.  Other commercial vehicles will not be permitted in the parade unless used to pull a float and/or to implement the theme of the parade
• Celebration queens and their court members should provide their own parade vehicles, including floats or convertibles
• The expression of political ideology, including vocal or printed criticisms of individuals and/or organizations is not allowed
• The hold harmless and release and indemnity agreement must also be completed, signed, and returned with the parade entry form
• The Ionia Free Fair reserves the right to deny participation to applicants not adhering to the guidelines

Please contact the Ionia Free Fair at 616.527.1310 or Dave Hess at 616.527.4161, if you have any questions.