Join the Parade! PNH400 Invites Residents, Businesses and Visitors to Participate in the PNH400 Anniversary Grand Parade on Saturday, June 3,2023
March 30, 2023
Portsmouth, New Hampshire – Strike up the band! Portsmouth NH 400 th , Inc. has unveiled the details for The Portsmouth NH 400 th Grand Parade, scheduled for Saturday, June 3, 2023. The parade, the first major public event of the anniversary summer, is one of three Signature Events being planned to celebrate the city’s 400th. It will be followed by the Little Italy Carnival on August 6 and by street.life!400 – Celebrating Commerce and Community Since 1623 – with a New England lobster bake under the stars on August 15th .
The PNH400 Parade Committee and City of Portsmouth note that The Portsmouth NH 400th Grand Parade takes the place of the annual Memorial Day parade and has the support of local veterans’ organizations who encourage their members to participate. The PNH400 Parade Committee is comprised of Portsmouth Halloween Parade champions Trevor Bartlett and Monte Bohanan and Russ Grazier, CEO of Portsmouth Music and Arts Center, in company with Brinn Sullivan, organizer of the City’s Illuminated Holiday Parade. Russ is coordinating a Portsmouth High School Band alumni reunion. Applications are now open for those who would like to participate. Floats, bands, antique cars, street performers, scout troops and anyone else who would like to march is welcome. As the rules and regulations put it, “Walking, driving, bike riding, skate boarding, dancing and general merriment allowed.” For details and registration, go to: https://portsmouthnh400.org/s/230603-PNH400-Grand-Parade-Rules-Registration.pdf
“Listen, everyone loves a parade, but Portsmouth’s relationship with its parades cuts a little deeper,” said Trevor Bartlett. “The Portsmouth Halloween Parade invites wild individual and collaborative creativity, while our Illuminated Holiday Parade showcases the great pride we have in our local institutions, community groups and businesses. They’re both fantastic. We’re hoping to marry both those sentiments by inviting all our neighbors here, both civic and corporate, to celebrate all that they bring to our vibrant, welcoming community.”
He continued, “Whether you’re just a small business with a loyal following, or a company with a staff of dozens, we want you to form a group to walk together and bask in the fanfare. Wave your flag, hoist that banner! Build a float! We’re hoping to see registrations from neighborhood crews, churches, schools, marching bands, period re-enactors and businesses both small and large. Marchers both civilian and military will follow each other in our celebration of all things Portsmouth has to offer. We invite representatives from all corners. The theme of the Grand Parade is the PNH400 tagline, ‘History Lights Our Way’ and we encourage concepts that reflect how the past has fed the present, or how the present may lead to an even brighter future. The theme is remarkably broad and we can’t wait to see how many shapes it might take. As with our Programming Partnerships, our goal is to always start with ‘yes,’ so fill out that registration form! We want to dance with YOU!”
The Portsmouth NH 400th Grand Parade route will follow the path of the Illuminated Holiday Parade: from Plaza 800, down Islington Street to Market Square, turning right on Pleasant Street and ending on Junkins Avenue. The parade is scheduled to step off at 11 am on Saturday, June 3.
Portsmouth NH 400 is committed to offering a safe and enjoyable parade. The organizers are working with Access Navigators to provide a wheelchair-accessible, seated viewing area for the parade. Reserved for people who have difficulty standing, along with their companions, the reserved area will be located on the sidewalk along Islington Street between Maplewood and Bridge Street and seating is limited and available on a first-come basis. Nearby public parking includes the Bridge Street Lot, Worth Lot and Foundry Garage.
“The June 3rd Grand Parade is the best opportunity for our residents and businesses to show their pride in our town. This is not the Rose Bowl or Macy’s Parade, this is how Portsmouth wants to celebrate our heritage, our history, our neighborhoods, our arts, cultural, culinary and fun community. I can’t wait to see how we all come together on this day,” said Managing Director Valerie Rochon. “Signature Events Team Leader Beth Moreau has been working with her committees for months to make the three PNH400 Signature Events spectacular. They will all be memorable and will set the bar for the 450 th celebrations!”
In addition to The Grand Parade, on June 3 families will enjoy:
Prescott Park Arts Festival ChowderFest and Summer Social, 11 am to 2 pm. Marking the return of the WOKQ Chowder Festival and featuring a fierce competition for ‘best chowder’ bragging rights among local restaurants. Enjoy music, merch and family friendly activities along with handmade ice cream sandwiches, fresh pressed lemonade, oysters, and other delicious treats.
Third Annual Piscataqua Riverfest, 10 am to 5 pm at Strawbery Banke Museum and on the waterfront. The Gundalow Company presents a small wooden boat show, maritime-themed vendors and demonstrations, environmentally-focused nonprofit partners, maritime music, food and the ever-popular Round Island Regatta.
Portsmouth Fire Department Open House at Fire Station #1 on Court Street, 1-5 pm. In honor of the city’s anniversary, the Portsmouth Fire Department, the Federal Fire Society and the Mechanic Fire Society host this open house to showcase Portsmouth’s firefighting history through photographs, artifacts, a demonstration on the making of traditional leather fire buckets, informal talks and displays of two early fire engines: the 1870 Kearsarge Steam Fire Engine and 1938 Seagrave Combination Fire Engine No 3.
For all these events and more details go to PortsmouthNH400.org.
About Portsmouth NH 400th, Inc. (PortsmouthNH400.org)
The Portsmouth NH 400 th anniversary celebrations are made possible in part thanks to the support of Bank of America, Piscataqua Savings Bank, Local IQ, Service Credit Union, members of the 400 Shoalers Club and 1623 Revolutionaries Club and additional sponsors and donors. The goal of Portsmouth NH 400 th , Inc. is to give the community an inclusive opportunity to tell the stories that are important to them, through programs, events, exhibits and legacy projects. Portsmouth NH 400th celebrates the diverse and animated social, political, intellectual, cultural, economic and spiritual history of Portsmouth, from before English settlement in 1623 to the present. Portsmouth NH 400 th, Inc. invites individuals and organizations considering programs and events for the Portsmouth NH 400th Anniversary celebration to join the collaborative effort. A key intention is for the Portsmouth NH 400th , Inc. team to engage the next generation(s) in exploring what the City’s 2023 legacy might be and deciding how they might steward Portsmouth and its history beyond 2023.
