CALLING ALL 2024 PARADE ENTREES
Participant Information
On Thursday, July 4, 2024 from 11 am to 12:30 pm the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce will present the 24th Annual Fourth of July Parade. We are looking for engaging and interactive floats/entries to celebrate our nation’s birthday and our community. This year’s theme is “Sounds of Summer.”
The theme invites our parade entries to think about all of the special sounds of summer! If you had to create an ensemble of great summer music tracks or pair sounds together that make summer special . What would you create? Maybe it’s the sounds of seagulls and the waves crashing on the shore? Or could be the sounds of children at play or the roar of the crowd at a baseball game? The possibilities are endless and the parade committee wants you to get creative!
In addition to the theme, the parade committee encourages all of our entries to keep the chamber’s core values (trust & respect; welcoming; collaborative; continuous learning and supportive) in mind when creating your entry. We also encourage all of our entries to think about using recycled, recyclable and reusable building materials and incorporating DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) into your entry designs.
We will only be accepting approximately 30 entries in the parade, so be sure your entry stands out! As in years past, we will be including a panel of judges to select the top winners before the parade in the following categories: Best Overall, Spirit of the Parade, Mayor’s Choice and Chairman’s Choice Award.
We strongly encourage all participants to work with this year’s theme, want to know what you plan to create! We are looking for entries with entertainment value. Entries with musical entertainment and floats are especially encouraged.
Walking groups (unless you are a returning group like our youth sports entries, etc) will not be accepted. Please include information about all aspects of your entry, such as: musical entertainment, group participation, movement/choreography, and audience participation. Please see Design Requirements and Parade Rules for more details (attached). Remember to have fun, be creative and submit your entry form in a timely manner!
*If you are a new participant that had hoped to sign-up as a walking group, please reach out to the parade committee so we can try to pair you with another organization or find a good fit for participating in this year’s festivities.
MANDATORY GUIDELINES
MANDATORY GUIDELINES
- Submittal of an Entry Form to the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce no later than May 10, 2024
- Submittal of a signed Waiver of Liability Agreement
Attendance by at least one member of your group at a Pre-Parade Participants’ meeting. The meeting will be held in-person (virtual option available) in June. - No exceptions!
Agreement to provide banner identification of the participant group to accompany your entry - $25 Entry Fee for “Non-Profits/Schools” or $500 Entry Fee for “For Profit Businesses” (credit card or check payable to the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce, maximum of 5 “For Profit Businesses” will be accepted)
100-word writeup about your entry due Tuesday, June 4, 2024 (see participant writeup instructions)
If your entry is selected to participate in the 2024 LAX Coastal Parade, you will be notified by May 13. If you have any questions, please contact Chad Maender, President & CEO at chad@laxcoastal.com or 310.645.5151.
Deadline Checklist
Deadline Checklist
- Entry Application, Signed Waivers and Fee, Friday, May 10, 2024
- Participation Notification from Chamber, Monday, May 13, 2024
- Participant Writeup, Tuesday, June 4, 2024
- Participant Meeting, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 5:30-6:30pn
Parade Rules
Parade Rules
Before completing the application form, please review the following information regarding parade entries:
- All entry applications (including any required fees and insurance certificates) must be submitted by May 10.
- All participants must be uniformed, costumed or appropriately attired.
- The Parade Committee does not accept entries advocating or representing specific political and social viewpoints, or any campaigning political candidates (standing elected officials are accepted).
- FORWARD motion must be maintained at all times along the parade route.
- AT NO TIME IS ANY UNIT ALLOWED TO THROW ANYTHING ALONG THE PARADE ROUTE! No exceptions.
- No paper flyers, promotional materials or candy may be handed out to the crowd. It slows down the entry and creates excess trash pickup after the event.
- No shooting of firearms, starter pistols, sirens or loud noises that interfere with other entries is permitted.
- All entries must fit a pre-determined classification.
- The Parade Committee accepts no responsibility for false statements made by applicants or entrants.
- All equestrians and motorized entries must supply a certificate of insurance at time of application, valid through July 5.
- Floats must be self-propelled.
- No one under the age of 9 will be permitted to participate without an accompanying guardian.
- Violations of any of the above rules is grounds for disqualification and removal from the parade, including the disqualification of participating in future parades/events.
- Parade will start promptly at 11:00 a.m.
- All parade entries must have a banner 5’x2’ min. and 8’x3’ max.
Floats must be in position for judging by 10:15 a.m. For further information, please send an e-mail to info@laxcoastal.com
To help defray our costs, all participants other than musical bands and equestrian units are required to submit an application fee. $25 for “Non-Profits/Schools” or $500 for “For Profit Businesses”
Participant Writeup Instructions
Participant Writeup Instructions
PARTICIPANT WRITEUP INSTRUCTIONS
All entrants are required to submit a parade participant writeup no later than Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Your writeup is an integral part of the parade and allows the crowd and the community to learn more about your organization. Please take the opportunity to submit a thoughtful and informative writeup, as it will be heard and seen by thousands of community members.
The ideal writeup will have two sections, a mandatory first paragraph designed to be read aloud by the parade announcers, and a second paragraph containing additional details about your organization for the parade program. Although only the first paragraph will be broadcast from the announcer stages during the parade, the HomeTown News will publish both paragraphs in its special parade edition. Both the parade committee and HomeTown News reserve the right to edit scripts for length and clarity, and to ensure compatibility with the spirit of the event.
When composing your writeup, please arrange your facts in descending order of importance, as narratives that take longer than 30 seconds to read are subject to be “cut from the bottom.” Accentuate the local community angle when practical, and be sure to provide pronunciation information if there could be any doubt regarding the correct way to say someone’s name. (After all, the letters “ough” may be pronounced “ow”, “ooh”, “uh”, “uff”, etc.)
Also, in case the parade committee has follow-up questions, please provide contact information along with your writeup.
Some important things to incorporate in your writeup may include:
- The name of your organization.
- How long your organization has been participating in the parade.
- Who is marching and any special guests you might have (principal, mascot, head of organization).
- A brief description of how your float pertains to the parade’s theme.
Sample Writeup
For the past 22 years, Loyola Marymount University has been a proud participant and sponsor of Westchester’s Fourth of July Parade. Their float celebrates the best of our community and our country. This year, they celebrate Howard Drollinger, who was dedicated to serving the community, and his family who have continued in that legacy. Joining the LMU float today are members of the LMU men’s and women’s basketball teams and Iggy the Lion.
LMU is a private Jesuit university with 6,000 undergraduates, 2,200 graduate students and 1,100 law students from diverse backgrounds. Our seven colleges and schools on three campuses boast best-in-the-nation programs in film and television, business, education and more. Our mission is grounded in a centuries-old Jesuit educational tradition that produces extraordinary persons with and for others. Visit lmu.edu for more information. Go Lions!
Float Design Requirements
Float Design Requirements
On Thursday, July 4, 2024 from 11 am to 12:30 pm the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce will present the 24th Annual Fourth of July Parade. We are looking for engaging and interactive floats/entries to celebrate our nation’s birthday and our community. This year’s theme is “Sounds of Summer.”
The theme invites our parade entries to think about all of the special sounds of summer! If you had to create an ensemble of great summer music tracks or pair sounds together that make summer special . What would you create? Maybe it’s the sounds of seagulls and the waves crashing on the shore? Or could be the sounds of children at play or the roar of the crowd at a baseball game? The possibilities are endless and the parade committee wants you to get creative!
In addition to the theme, the parade committee encourages all of our entries to keep the chamber’s core values (trust & respect; welcoming; collaborative; continuous learning and supportive) in mind when creating your entry. We also encourage all of our entries to think about using recycled, recyclable and reusable building materials and incorporating DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) into your entry designs.
We will only be accepting approximately 30 entries in the parade, so be sure your entry stands out! As in years past, we will be including a panel of judges to select the top winners before the parade in the following categories: Best Overall, Spirit of the Parade, Mayor’s Choice and Chairman’s Choice Award.
We strongly encourage all participants to work with this year’s theme, want to know what you plan to create! We are looking for entries with entertainment value. Entries with musical entertainment and floats are especially encouraged.
Walking groups (unless you are a returning group like our youth sports entries, etc) will not be accepted. Please include information about all aspects of your entry, such as: musical entertainment, group participation, movement/choreography, and audience participation. Please see Design Requirements and Parade Rules for more details (attached). Remember to have fun, be creative and submit your entry form in a timely manner!
*If you are a new participant that had hoped to sign-up as a walking group, please reach out to the parade committee so we can try to pair you with another organization or find a good fit for participating in this year’s festivities.