After the 2020 Greenville Pots and Pans Parade was canceled due to COVID-19 and the 2021 parade was canceled due to rain, the event is taking place for the first time since 2019.
Festivities will light up Adams Street July 3 and into the early morning hours of July 4 to welcome the holiday.
On July 3, festivities begin on Main Street at noon with the Children’s Bike Parade. Children can decorate their bicycles and tricycles and line up at the former King House restaurant at 1 Dunster Ave. by 11:45 a.m. The parade starts at noon, and travels down Main Street to the Greenville Fire Station.
At 1 p.m., next to the fire station, the 150th Committee is sponsoring a rubber duck race. The rubber duck race is a raffle where residents can purchase a number written on a rubber duck. The ducks are poured into the Souhegan River, where they “race” to a finish line, and prizes are awarded for the winning numbers.
Festivities resume that evening at the Town Field at 8 p.m. A disc jockey will provide music for dancing, and food vendors will be available. Tables for vendors are still available for interested crafters.
A fireworks display begins at 11:15 p.m., prior to the parade. Awards for floats will be announced immediately before the display.
After the fireworks, marchers and floats can take their place in the parade line at Adams and River Street. The parade kicks off at midnight, and proceeds down River Street, to Main Street and Mill Street. The theme is “Light up Greenville,” and floats and vehicles are encouraged to decorate their entries with lights. The parade includes the sounding of fire and ambulance sirens, and marchers banging pots and pans, giving the parade its name.
Residents, businesses and civic organizations may enter a float, decorated vehicle, classic car or march as a group. Applications for a float or vehicle, parade rules, and vendor applications are available on the Greenville town website, greenvillenh.org.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.