One of the oldest town parades isn’t going down without a fight. The White Hall 4th of July parade and annual fireworks and homecoming festivities were canceled last month in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic’s restrictions. They did not want to subject the many families and people who line the streets to possible COVID-19 infection. The parade has been a part of the tradition of the town for more than a century.
A small group of citizens have recently gotten approval from the City of White Hall and the White Hall police to hold a small procession tomorrow to commemorate the holiday in the absence of the annual parade tradition this year.
Carl Lee May, a local veteran, is set to step off a small procession of local veterans and citizens carrying the American flag down Main Street beginning at 7PM tomorrow. The small procession is scheduled to stop at the intersection of Bridgeport and Main Street where local musician Stephanie Nash-Krempansky will meet and play the National Anthem. The procession will proceed down Main and finish at Carlinville Street. The procession route is the normal route of the White Hall parade.
Krempansky said in a Facebook post yesterday that there will be no floats, no bands, no ball teams, no horses, and no candy. The group has asked for families to socially distance and wear masks if they wish to line the procession route and maintain all health guidelines.