Welcome
to the OFFICIAL
website for
Memorial
Day in Dacula |
31st
Annual Memorial Day parade in Dacula
 Memorial
Day
Monday, May 26, 2025 10:00 a.m.
The Memorial Day parade
in Dacula is a
solemn event intended to remember and honor the
men and women who made the ultimate
sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedom we have today.
* * * * * * *
A COMPLETED PARADE
ENTRY FORM MUST BE POSTMARKED, RECEIVED and ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT OF BY
THE PARADE ORGANIZERS ON OR BEFORE DEADLINE DATE FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2025.
NO EXCEPTIONS!
NO PARADE ENTRY
APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE ABOVE DEADLINE DATE.
NO EXCEPTIONS!
* * * * * * *
|
2025
Parade Theme
They Answered the Call,
They Paid the Price
|
2025 Grand
Marshal
JAMES L. DAVIS (102 YEARS OLD)
U.S. ARMY
WWII - PACIFIC
|
Meet the Grand Marshal - James L Davis
Born on March
31 1923 in Lexington Mississippi. His family relocated to St Louis
Missouri where he grew up during the Great Depression. He worked as a
projectionist for segregated movie theaters in the city.
He answered our
nation's call of duty when he was drafted into the United States Army
in 1943 to serve in WWII. He was based at Jefferson Barracks MO. Mr.
Davis fought in Saipan in the Pacific and obtained the rank of Sergeant
with numerous awards and medals. He was sent for training to Jungle
Nair Camp in Hawaii, where he trained all soldiers heading to the war
in the Pacific. Mr. Davis was honorably discharged on January 18, 1946
with the rank of Sergeant and returned to Jefferson Barracks MO.
He served as a
guardian of this nation's freedom and liberty...valiantly and
courageously protecting his fellow Americans during WWII.
Over the course of
his life he has witnessed remarkable change. He has lived through the
terms of 18 US Presidents, seen world altering events and watched
history unfold across more than a century.
When asked what his
advice for a long life is, Mr. Davis simply said, “You’ve got to keep
moving.”
|
What
is Memorial Day all about?
Click HERE for Memorial
Day Facts, Meaning and Traditions
Parade
Route
The parade starts at Hebron
Baptist Church, 202 Hebron Church Road, Dacula, GA.
Parade participants will be lined up in order of march onto Hebron
Church Road from the main church parking lot.
The parade will proceed up Hebron Church Road, cross Broad Street,
continue on Second Ave.,
turn left on Wilson Street, turn left on Dacula Road and continue back
to Hebron Baptist Church.
The entire parade route loop is approx. 2 miles long.
Click HERE for the Parade
Route Map
Parade
Announcing Stand Location
The parade
announcing stand location will be in
front of the Shell gas station
at the corner of Dacula Road and Fence Road. Click HERE to see
location.
The National Anthem will be presented here along with parade commentary
as each entry goes by.
Traffic
in Dacula on Memorial Day
Please
Plan Ahead!
Due to the
Memorial Day parade,
traffic
through Dacula will be disrupted with road closures on
Memorial Day, May 26,
2025.
Safety of the event participants and spectators is most
important!
Expected
road closures are:
• Parade route is Hebron Church Road to Second Avenue to Wilson Street to
Dacula Road to Hebron
Baptist Church.
These roads will be closed at 9:30 a.m. Other roads
in the Dacula area
will be very congested as well.
• All roads will
reopen at the end of the
parade (sometime between 11:45 a.m. and Noon)
• Residents
along
the parade route are urged to plan ahead and be
prepared for these road closures and traffic delays.
We ask for
your patience during this event as we
pause to honor our Fallen
Heroes
on Memorial Day.
|
About the Parade
The
annual Dacula Memorial Day Parade will once again step off on Monday,
May 26,
2025 at 10:00 a.m. The parade takes place rain or shine (unless there
are severe thunderstorms/lightning in the area).
There is no rain date.
Founded by Marvin Atherton, the Dacula Memorial Day parade has been a
proud tradition in Dacula since 1994. The parade has grown over
the years with an average of 90 units participating each year!
Families begin to line the street hours before the parade begins. There
are 10,000 plus
spectators lining the parade route when the parade steps off at 10:00
a.m.
The Dacula Memorial Day parade is one of the most high profile events
in the metro Atlanta area on Memorial Day. It is important that
we take this opportunity to honor the sacrifice made by thousands of
Americans who died guarding our precious liberties and way of
life. As founder of the Dacula Memorial Day parade, it is my goal
to see that today's youth understand the significance of Memorial
Day. For this reason, every parade unit is to focus on honoring
our Fallen Heroes and display Patriotism.
The parade remembers and honors our Fallen Heores and features
Veterans, Veterans
organizations, active and
reserve service
men and women, active and restored military vehicles,
marching bands, Scouts, schools, churches, youth groups, community
groups, local businesses,
horses, antique and classic cars, tractors and
much more!
We hope you will plan to join us while we remember those who gave their
lives for our freedom!
|
NOTICE TO ALL 2025 PARADE APPLICANTS
|
* * * PLEASE
READ THE
COMPLETE LIST OF PARADE RULES AND REGULATIONS
CAREFULLY AND IN FULL. * * *
Click
here for the complete list of
PARADE RULES AND REGULATIONS
NO
POLITICAL ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED OR ALLOWED IN THE PARADE. THIS
IS NOT A POLITICAL PARADE!
A
COMPLETED PARADE ENTRY FORM MUST BE POSTMARKED, RECEIVED and
ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT OF BY THE PARADE ORGANIZERS ON OR BEFORE DEADLINE
DATE FRIDAY,
MAY 16, 2025. NO EXCEPTIONS!
NO PARADE ENTRY APPLICATIONS WILL BE
ACCEPTED AFTER THE
ABOVE DEADLINE DATE. NO EXCEPTIONS!
ENTRY DESIGN GUIDELINES - The
Memorial Day Parade is held to
remember and honor the men and women who bravely sacrificed and
proudly served
our
country. Please keep this
in mind as you and/or your organization designs and builds its entry.
ALL PARADE ENTRIES MUST observe the
Memorial Day parade's purpose and
theme: They Answered the Call, They Paid the
Price.
ALL
PARADE ENTRIES ARE REQUIRED TO
RECOGNIZE A FALLEN HERO OR DECEASED OR LIVING VETERAN WITH SOME TYPE OF
SIGNAGE ON THE ENTRY.
A Fallen
Hero is one that died in the line of duty. Knowing that everyone
doesn't have a Fallen Hero in their family or have a friend or neighbor
that does, a deceased or living Veteran would be fine to remember and
honor on
your entry. You can display on your entry however you like, on both
sides of the entry...on poster board or on a banner just as long as it
is readable from the sidewalks.
I want people to remember what Memorial
Day is all about and remember why they are in the parade. Not just to
be there for self exposure. Reading the names of our Fallen Heroes
helps to keep their legacy alive.
NO
SEMI TRUCK TYPE VEHICLES AND/OR TRAILERS ARE ALLOWED.
Candy
IS NOT TO BE TOSSED OR THROWN FROM PARADE ENTRIES! The candy MUST be
distributed to parade spectators by walkers alongside the parade
entries and tossed in the direction of peoples feet. This is
for the safety of everyone but especially for the safety of our
children to keep them from running into the parade stream of vehicles
to get that coveted piece of candy.
NO DISTRIBUTION of
advertising, promotional items, political campaign
literature, flyers,
coupons, brochures, pamphlets, and the like is
permitted from parade entries or walkers alongside parade entries.
ALL ENTRIES WITH ANIMALS
of any kind are responsible for their
animals’ safety and well-being. We strongly suggest that
animal owners have water available, protection from the sun and
protection from the heat of the pavement. Please be
responsible and clean up any “deposits” made by the animals in the
staging area and along the parade route.
INCLEMENT
WEATHER -
While we are hoping for wonderful weather, the parade will
take place rain or shine. In the event of severe weather in
the area, delay of the start of the parade may occur. If the
severe weather continues, the parade organizers and/or local
authoriites
may make the call to cancel the parade at that time. Safety
of all parade participants and volunteers is a priority!
Sorry, no refunds if the parade is cancelled due to weather as there is
no rain date. |
Do you want to participate
in the 2025 parade?
Parade Entry
Form and Information
In
order to open these
forms, you will need to have
the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Here is the link
to download Adobe Reader for Free
Have
a Parade Question?
Email
us Here
Do you want to carry a Fallen Hero sign
in the parade this year?
The
involvement of the Fallen Heroes of Georgia in the Dacula Memorial Day
parade represents
the true meaning of Memorial Day. You don't want to miss this
opportunity to volunteer your time to carry a Fallen Hero sign in this
parade.
|
|
To
Volunteer:
- Click here to email
the Fallen Heroes of Georgia
- List your name
and number of your very reliable volunteers. You will be the team
leader and sole
point of contact for your group.
- The 18" X 24" signs of our Fallen Heroes will be given out on a first
come and first serve basis
until the number of volunteers needed has been reached.
- As the parade
draws
closer we will request that you follow up with your volunteers.
- No one younger than 12
years old will be allowed to carry a sign.
- No one of questionable
health should participate, |
|
