FROM: THE SIOUX FALLS AMERICA 250 INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE COMMITTEE
6/19/20262 min read
When the 2025 Sioux Falls Fourth of July parade was canceled, several citizens
independently started talking to the city to try to make sure this year’s event, the 250th
anniversary of our nation’s founding, would absolutely take place.
That was the genesis of the Sioux Falls Independence Day Committee: a bunch of
concerned citizens who started meeting weekly to do the behind-the-scenes work to get
the parade off the ground, and largely we have succeeded, with close to 100 committed
to marching (or driving) on July 4.
Because we are a first-time group running a formerly municipal event, we had a huge
learning curve in trying to organize the parade. After setting up the signup sheet online,
we eventually realized that we had to set rules for who could participate in the parade.
The consensus was that we did not want this to be an occasion for partisan or
ideological in-fighting but a moment for everyone in the community to come together to
simply celebrate America.
Our ultimate decision was that while political parties and candidates for elected office
would be welcome to join the parade, in the fine old American tradition, non-party
groups that were set up specifically to advocate for policy positions, whether on the left
or the right, would not be allowed to participate.
We have striven to apply this standard equally. Two political advocacy groups on
different sides of the spectrum were denied, as neither were representatives of an
official political party nor an elected official or candidate.
Unfortunately, our decision was not effectively communicated to some groups that
ended up applying to be in the parade. We regret that they did not know our policy
ahead of time, or that we didn’t communicate it well enough, and we also understand
that some believed this was a city-run event, which it is not.
As mentioned before, the parade committee was formed organically from a group of
interested citizens. It is our aim to represent the citizens of Sioux Falls as much as
possible and provide the best possible experience. In that sentiment, if any parade
applicants would like to discuss the decisions made about their application, we will
always provide an open ear to work with them.
Additionally, if anyone is interested in joining our committee next year or providing
feedback to make it better, we are always open to talking with anyone who is willing to
collaborate and put in the time and hard work that it takes to make this parade a
marquee event.
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Sioux Falls Independence Day Parade Comittee
Contact: sfindependenceparade@gmail.com
