43
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Austintown trustees have appointed Bruce Shepas as the new Parade Chairman for the 41st annual Fourth of July parade.
Shepas said he was honored to be selected as the Parade Chairman by the trustees and he takes pride in his involvement in the community. The parade committee has been working together to continue making the parade a success like it has been in the past.
“I’m very honored that they asked me to take this position. I’m glad to contribute to the community in any way that I can,” said Shepas.
The theme of this year’s Fourth of July parade is “Austintown: A Slice of Heaven” and participants are encouraged to design their floats to show what their slice of heaven is; whether it be something like a vacation spot or their favorite food.
One of the biggest changes of the parade this year is the start time. The parade will start at noon and will begin at Highway Tabernacle. The earlier time will allow everyone in the community to enjoy the rest of their day with friends and families. This is the first time in 41 years the parade has changed times.
The parade will begin at Raccoon and Kirk Road and will end at Falcon Drive. There will be an emcee who will announce information about floats the and the participants as they go by.
Following the parade there will be awards given out to the first, second and third place floats that will be judged by a selected group of people. Shepas was a judge at the parade in 2016 and is working with the committee to select a group of people to be this year’s judges.
This year, the Grand Marshall of the parade is Fernando Riccioni, owner of Wedgewood Pizza.
On July, 2 there will be fireworks at the Austintown Plaza. Shepas is also on the committee for the fireworks event, where there will be vendors, live entertainment, inflatables from Shepas’ business Austintown Bounce and more.
Anyone that would like to participate in the parade can contact Shepas at 330-506-2570 by June 1 with any questions or to get more information.