SALAMANCA — The climactic event Salamanca-Seneca Falling Leaves Festival patrons look forward to all weekend will take over the downtown area on Sept. 30
Beginning at 1 p.m., the festival’s Grand Parade will strike up at the north end of Main Street and make its way toward the festival center.
“We feel confident that we will have at least as many units in the parade as last year and possibly a few more,” said Donna Raahauge, festival committee member in charge of the parade.
An expected six bands, including several returning favorites, will be among the roughly 20 units making their way down Main and Broad streets to Triangle Park that also include local organizations and community groups.
However, the parade could still grow in the coming week.
“So far there’s a lot of verbal confirmations, but only a few applications,” Raahauge said. “Everyone likes to wait until the last minute or else they forget about sending in the application.”
All of the bands for the parade have been confirmed, with most the same as last year with the Rushford Town Band added.
“This is the most we have had in several years,” Raahauge said.
The Lancaster Renegades Drum Corps and 23Skidoo from Hamburg will be there, she said, in addition to the Rushford band, the Marilla Firemen’s Band, NorthCoast Brass from Erie, Pa., and the the Hit Men, who came from farthest away.
“A highlight is always the Hit Men from Rochester,” she added. “They will be playing under the tent after the parade along with the Marilla Firemen’s Band and the NorthCoast Brass.”
Another highlight will be a new unit, the Seneca Marshalls with their dunk tank.
Setting the parade’s line-up will be among the expected challenges, Raahauge said, especially with last minute additions. Planning and executing the physical line-up will take place around the Dudley Hotel and nearby streets about an hour before the parade begins.
“My favorite part is when my husband sounds his air horn for the start and I jump into the city police car to start off,” Raahauge said. The city police car will take her down to intersection at Clinton and Broad streets where she will survey the rest of the units.
“While the parade is a great feature for the festival, I don’t see it as the finale,” she said. “To me the parade is a highlight, and there are a couple more events that will be going on.”
Three of the parade musical units, the Hitmen, the Marilla Band, and Northcoast Brass, will be performing under the tent for about an hour after the parade.
“Plenty of time for parade watchers to sit and rest, grab a bite and listen to some great music,” Raahauge added.
Although registration is open until Friday, Sept. 28 at noon, the sooner participants register the better.
School district entrants can contact Raahauge through her school email, general entrants by emailing drparades@gmail.com or call her at 716-378-5468. Applications are also available at the city comptroller’s office.
The anticipated parade units, in no particular order, are as follows:
