Evergreen Park Independence Day Parade Paused For Second Year

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Evergreen Park’s popular “Third of July” parade celebrating America’s independence is paused for the second year in the row. Mayor Jim Sexton announced during his final board meeting last month that he did not see the wisdom of putting 31,000 people up and down 95th Street with COVID-19 cases still going up.

“We’re experiencing some additional cases of COVID-19. We’re not out of the woods as of yet,” Sexton said. “There have been 36 new cases. Everybody seems to be letting their guard down. Don’t quit, take the proper precautions.”

The Village of Evergreen Park distinguishes itself from surrounding communities by holding its "Fourth of July Parade" on July 3. It has evolved into one of the biggest parades in the Chicago-area. Until 2020, the parade ran on a 51-year streak.

The village needs to obtain a permit from the state to close a portion of 95th Street, since it is a state route. Police from neighboring towns also pitch in to help with traffic and crowd control, but other towns are still strapped from lost revenue during the pandemic.

“We don’t want to be responsible for an outbreak here amongst Evergreen Park people,” Sexton said. “We’re looking to do something in and towards Labor Day.”

Fireworks and other favorite summer events are being pushed to later in the summer. This includes the village-wide garage sale “Memories On The Go,” which will take place in September.

Evergreen Park’s Farmers Market opens Thursday, May 6. Outdoor summer concerts are also a go in 2021.