Questions? Contact:
Parade Chair, Jimmy Hamilton or Parade Co Chair, Ellan & Charles Spring
E-mail: mhdparade@gmail.com, Phone: #301.370.8144
PARADE INFORMATION
Parade Registration Package
Your registration form/application should be returned to Town Hall (31 West Main Street, Middletown MD 21769), Attn: Parade Coordinator by Sept 16, 2011. Please complete the form completely, including the Release and Indemnification Agreement.
Parade Route, Staging Areas and Time
Main Street, School House Drive and Martha Mason will be used for staging areas. You will receive a registration confirmation email that identifies your staging area and number.
On the day of the parade, volunteers will assist in locating your specific spot in the designated staging area. There will be various road closures in Middletown for the Parade Route, so please plan for delays when arriving.
Participant and family parking is available at the Middletown Middle and Elementary Schools located at the end of School House Drive. Arrival time is 8:30 a.m. The Parade will begin promptly at 10 a.m.
Click here for a full version of the staging map.
Participant Specifications
Floats. Float entry vehicles must be in good working condition. Floats should include a sign identifying the business or group that is sponsoring the float. Sponsors may enter and be judged in only one category. Float sponsors will specify the desired category on the Registration Form. Float drivers are encouraged to park their floats in the Elm Street Parking Lot after the parade, offering a further chance for spectators to appreciate the creativity and time involved in its construction.
Equestrians. Equestrian entries should make provisions for clean-up during the parade. Each equestrian group should provide a sign identifying his or her group. Equestrian entries will not be judged (why??).
Groups. Marching Bands, Boy/Girl Scout Troops, Cheering Groups and Performing Groups who are walking the parade route are asked to provide enough chaperones for proper supervision before, during and after the parade. Please carry a sign identifying your group or sponsor.
Judges & Judging Criteria
There will be five Judges, selected for their backgrounds in the areas of entertainment, community activity, and/or parade experience.
On Festival Day, the Judges will be given their Judge’s forms and an orientation by the Parade Coordinators. Each Judge’s form will include a list of participating groups, the category in which each is competing, and a brief description of the float provided in its Registration Form.
Pre-Judging will begin at 8:30 a.m., when Judges will begin judging floats in the staging areas. Judges may ask questions about the concept, building process, materials used, theme, etc. A float representative should be available to answer these questions. Judging will continue during the parade.
Performance groups will be judged during the Parade only. No pre-parade judging will take place for performance groups.
Winners will be announced at 1:00 p.m. on the Stage.
Prizes will be by check, mailed to the Parade Float or Performance Group Sponsor.
Judging Categories & Prizes
You may enter to be judged in only one of these three categories.
Category selections will be reviewed and finalized by the Heritage Parade Coordinators.
1. Floats
2. Performing groups
3. Other entrants
Prizes in each category above: 1st = $100.00, 2nd = $50.00, 3rd = $25.00
**Judge’s Choice Grand Prize ** – The entry that stands out for appealing most to the crowd and capturing the spirit of the Heritage Festival will be the Judge’s Choice Grand Prize Winner of the Heritage Festival Parade.
Grand Prize = $500.00
Judging Criteria
Parade Theme (25 points)
How well does the portray the theme of the parade, “Symbols of Freedom”??
General Effect/Execution in Presentation ( 25 points)
How well does the entry present itself? Was its execution during the Parade creative, eye-catching and fun? How well did it entertain the audience? There were no mistakes with execution of any kind, or, if there were, the mistakes did not take away from the overall presentation.
Workmanship (25 points)
Is the craftsmanship in the entry is complex, in its details?. It is obvious that creative thought and time was put into the workmanship of the entry and/or it used unique materials. What was the level of construction difficulty? Are there “moving parts” on a float? Did the performance group design a difficult routine, have appealing movements and reflect the use of creative thought and time. Uniform/costume reflects well upon the performance.
Originality (25 points)
The entry impresses the audience and judges with its overall creativity and uniqueness in appearance and presentation.
Click here for the 2011 Parade Registration Application.
