NORTH DAKOTA: Parade Sidelined in Consideration of Spectator Safety

Parade Sidelined in Consideration of Spectator Safety Staging and crowd control make safety measures too difficult to enforce May 21, 2020 (Mandan, ND) – Members of the Mandan Progress Organization (MPO) board of directors are down, but not out. At a meeting yesterday, the group voted to cancel the Independence Day Parade. This comes on the heels of an earlier announcement regarding the postponement of Buggies-N-Blues.

“We’ve delayed one, dropped another and are now working hard to preserve two other events,” said retiring MPO Executive Director Del Wetsch. Referring to Buggies-N-Blues, the Independence Day Parade, Art in the Park and the Mandan Rodeo.

The Independence Day Parade was sidelined after deliberation by the Parade committee and the MPO board. “The issues we couldn’t overcome included safely segregating people during the staging process at Dacotah Centennial Park and ensuring the spacing of spectators who sit along the route,” said incoming Director Dot Frank.

The MPO continues to work with its events committees to make modifications to two other 4th of July events – the Mandan Rodeo and Art in the Park Festival.

Those events present a better opportunity to accommodate social distancing and direct crowds. “At this point, we remain optimistic that the Rodeo and Art in the Park can continue,” said Wetsch.

Parade registrants will receive a full refund of their entry fee. Information regarding MPO events is available online at www.MandanProgress.org, on Facebook and by contacting the MPO office at 751- 2983.


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