COMMUNITY & CULTURE
2017 Ameren Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Thanksgiving Day Parade!
B y T r i s h M u y c o - To b i n
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f you’re looking for a way to officially christen the holiday season in St.
Louis, the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade may just be your ticket!
The downtown St. Louis tradition, recognized by U.S. News
and World Report as one of the top Thanksgiving Day parades in
the nation, delights and entertains with marching bands, floats,
giant balloons and more. This year’s parade will commemorate the
November rededication of the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum,
with Missouri Historical Society president and CEO Frances Levine
serving as honorary grand marshal. A float depicting the ship’s bell
from the USS St. Louis, which is on display at the memorial, will carry
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GAZELLE
retired military veterans for the parade. The parade begins at 8:40 a.m.,
but organizers strongly advise getting there as early as 7 a.m.
“C’mon down to the parade by no later than 8 a.m.,” parade grand
marshal David Plufka suggested. “In the area of Market, between
Jefferson and 20th, and along Chestnut and Pine, you can see the Wells
Fargo stagecoach getting ready, marching bands practicing, floats
arriving, and even balloons being inflated just west of Maggie O’Brien’s.”
If you’d rather view the parade near KMOV TV’s broadcast area,
park near Kiener Plaza, and enjoy the Festival of Lights Christmas tree,
or spend some time ice skating at Winterfest nearby, Plufka added.
Justin
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