Here comes the parade!

Green Valley News

Excitement is in the air.

The 43rd Annual Country Fair White Elephant Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday, the showpiece of the three-day event in Green Valley.

This year’s parade theme is “Doing for the Community,” and there will be approximately 100 floats, give or take a few on parade day.

The starting point is south of the Santa Rita Care Center on La Canada Drive at Esperanza Boulevard.

The parade, scheduled to last until noon, will travel south on La Canada, past the judge’s stand near the Best Western Green Valley to Paseo del Prado near the Continental Shopping Plaza.

Beginning at 8:30 a.m., all north and southbound traffic on La Canada Drive will be switched over to the west side of La Canada until 12:30 p.m.

Use alternative routes

All Green Valley and Santa Rita residents are urged to use alternative routes during parade hours.

The parade will be emceed by Green Valley News and Sun Lifestyle Editor Regina Ford and KGVY-Radio DJ Joey Lessa.

KGVY-Radio personalities Tim McCay and station manger Dave Schmidt, along with former Green Valley Mall manager Terry Klaum, will announce the parade from the parade route.

Community activists Maxine Freed and Dick Roberts will serve as grand marshals and parade judges are Continental Shopping Plaza Safeway Store Manager John Preniniger, Sahuarita School District Superintendent Jay St. John, and Lisa Kemper, former Green Valley Community Food Bank manager, now working for a non-profit in Tucson.

Eight award categories

The traditionally heavily attended parade will feature an impressive number of entries all vying to capture the attention of the judges and win the coveted ceramic White Elephant trophies in one of eight categories, including special interest organizations, marching bands, service and charitable organizations, commercial, youth groups, equestrian, church and social.

Throughout the festivities at the Green Valley Mall and Continental Shopping Plaza, you’ll find bargain sidewalk sales, dozens of booths of interest. Including arts and crafts, entertainment and plenty of food.

The Continental Shopping Plaza will feature the Green Valley Bavarian Brass Band at 10:30 a.m. in the courtyard. Local cowboy singer and performer, Tom Chambers will emcee the three-day event, and there will be musicians strolling among the shoppers, including Ken Noveck, and Sarno Duo.

Running Bear Productions will hold their annual art show and sale and the Santa Cruz Valley Car Nuts will display “classic cars” throughout the plaza.

Cookout finale

The grand finale of the three-day event will be the Green Valley Rotary Club’s “Courtyard Cookout,” a traditional favorite at the end of the parade, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Green Valley Mall on Friday will feature the Green Valley Stage Band from noon until 1 p.m. and Joey Lessa and the Velvet Swing from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. with the String-a-Longs ukulele band from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

On Saturday, the Green Valley Mall will host the Sahuarita Dance Team from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.; Big Band Sounds of Green Valley from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. and the Green Valley Concert Band from 2:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. Other activities continue throughout the day.

rford@gvnews.com