Parade marchers are preparing to take over Wauwatosa's State Street in honor of the nation's veterans on Nov. 8 as the city hosts the Wisconsin Veterans Day Parade for the first time — including a flyover.
The parade, previously held in Milwaukee, was moved to Wauwatosa this year partly in an effort to develop more community involvement and business support. The organizers found a welcome reception from Tosa officials and business leaders, especially in the Wauwatosa Village Business Improvement District.
"There was a lot of interest," Doug Heding, one of the organizers with the Wisconsin Veterans Community Foundation, told Tosa Forward News.
Heding, a Coast Guard veteran, added that staging the parade down State Street created a more compact parade route and opportunities for spectators to stay after the parade and enjoy Tosa Village's restaurants and other businesses.
It will start at 11 a.m. near Harwood Avenue and head east on State Street, with a reviewing booth set up in front of Leff's Lucky Town, which is sponsoring the parade. The event also will feature pre-parade performances by local school bands, including the national anthem performed by the Wauwatosa Joint School Choir.
Heding expects it to last about 45 minutes, and about 35 different groups have signed up to march. Village streets will close starting at 9 a.m. to allow marching units to assemble.
The parade flyover will feature vintage military airplanes, Heding said, though he was not able to provide the precise timing.
Tosa Mayor Dennis McBride hopes this is the beginning of a long tradition of Veterans Day parades in the city.
"As the son of a World War Ii veteran, I am grateful to the parade organizers for bringing this important event to our historic Village district, and grateful to the committee that is creating a veterans memorial in our city," McBride said in a statement to Tosa Forward News. "Wauwatosa is honored to remember the sacrifice of America's veterans and to welcome Wisconsin’s living veterans to our community."
Chris Leffler, owner of Leff's Lucky Town and president of the Tosa Village BID board, is eager to host the parade both as a show of support for veterans and to showcase the village to people coming from outside the area. The village hosts many events throughout the year, but a parade will be something new, he told Tosa Forward News.
"I'm excited to see what that looks like," Leffler said. "It's a great spot for it."
