Snow remained on the ground on Tuesday and temperatures actually hovered around zero early that morning.
Yet for a few brief moments that night, thoughts at City Hall turned to summer and the Fourth of July.
Now that the Harvey Street project has been completed, city officials gave the green light to allow the annual July 4 parade to go back to its usual route.
That decision came at the end of the regular council meeting and with a joke from police chief Chad Houde, who noted “it’s too early to put out chairs” for the annual parade, which brings thousands to Ely’s streets.
In 2024, the Harvey Street reconstruction forced some alterations to the usual route, closing off portions of Harvey that were part of the parade route with parade activities happening on Chapman Street from Fourth Avenue East to Second Avenue East, instead.
This year the parade will resume its usual route, with lineup on Fourth Avenue East near the ice arena, then on to Harvey, and north on Second Avenue East to Sheridan Street.
From there, the parade follows a similar path from Sheridan down Ely’s main drag to Eighth Avenue East and Whiteside Park.
The parade begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, with lineup beginning during the late-morning.
Ely’s fireworks celebration is part of the July 4 docket and activities include food, games and music at the park.
The festivities actually begin on Friday, July 3, with the Rock the Park concert (see related story) at Whiteside Park.
