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Col. Joseph Sheffield and his family throw candy to onlookers at last year's Patriot Day parade in Box Elder. Sheffield will lead this year's parade on Sept. 10.
The route for the 2022 Patriot Day Parade, taking place Saturday, Sept. 10, at 2:30 p.m. in Box Elder.
The city of Box Elder’s fifth annual Patriot Day Celebration, a free event honoring all active and retired military personnel in the Box Elder community and greater Black Hills region, will feature the event’s largest fireworks display yet on Sept. 10.
The display will be the culmination of a day of activities intended to honor the area’s military. The display is estimated to last around 20-25 minutes, and will be set to music for the first time ever. Previous years’ displays have lasted about five minutes. Attendees can listen to the music accompanying the fireworks on 100.7 FM and 1380 AM.
“It’s going to be massive,” said Brent Hendrickson, city of Box Elder’s marketing and events coordinator.
Box Elder, home to Ellsworth Air Force Base, is seeking to honor not just the base with this event, but military personnel throughout the Black Hills region.
Hendrickson said the event is also a gateway to the fall season, closing out the summer with a parade, a vendor fair featuring over 50 vendors, 16 food trucks and the dramatic fireworks sendoff.
The base will be involved with a 28th Bomb Wing parade float, a B-1 flyover and the parade will be led by Ellsworth’s 28th Bomb Wing Commander Col. Joseph Sheffield.
“It’s an event where we want to support the military, make sure that we’re really putting them first and foremost at these kinds of events,” Hendrickson said.
Every person that comes to the event — military or community members — will receive a $5 token to use at the food trucks.
The parade will begin at 2:30 p.m. Last year’s event had over 60 entries, and Hendrickson said this year is bigger. The parade will feature floats from local clubs, organizations, school bands and more. Residents from Box Elder and the surrounding Black Hills area can enter a float in the parade free of charge.
The parade route will run from City Hall, west on Patriot Drive, south on Briggs Street, West on Villa Drive, north on N Ellsworth Road, east on 225th Street, south on Briggs Street, east on Don Williams Drive and finish south on Tower Road. All roads will be closed off during the parade.
Events kick off after the parade around 3:15 p.m., with Presenting of the Colors and the singing of the National Anthem. The vendor fair will run from 3:15-7:30 p.m., along with crafts, carnival games and bouncy castles. The fireworks display will close out the night around 8 p.m. The event will also feature live music throughout from the Sophia Beatty Band.
One new event to look for this year is the Highland Games, put on by the Box Elder Police Department. Hendrickson described the event as a strongman competition where you might see contestants hurling large telephone poles. The games are scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
In addition to the crafts, carnival games and bouncy castles, kids can also enjoy animal petting from the Charm Farm, face painting and candy strewn throughout the parade.
Attendance is expected to surpass last year’s record-setting attendance of between 4,000 and 5,000 people, Hendrickson said. He described the celebration as the city’s biggest event of the year.
“We are just excited to be able to see an event like this in our community,” he said. “Box Elder is the Gateway to the Black Hills and home to Ellsworth Air Force Base, and nothing excites us more than putting on an event that honors our military community, as well as the entire Black Hills region as a whole.”
Made possible by more than 20 sponsors, Hendrickson said the event is just one more indicator of the city's growth.
“More houses are being built, there’s more kids coming to the community, so sponsors and businesses are excited to be a part of these events,” he said.
Public Information Officer Matt Connor said Patriot Day is the city’s main event, with the “everyone coming out to support it. It certainly brings in the heritage of the city… and we just want to honor the values of America — patriots, freedom and liberty.”
All hands on deck for City Hall, Hendrickson said the event is a year-round planning venture.
“As soon as this event is over, we start planning.” Each year, it gets bigger and better, he said.
Parking for the event will be available in the high school parking lot and in the grassy area across from City Hall, with signage and people directing traffic.
Those looking for a good spot to catch the fireworks can sit anywhere around the parade route or grassy areas around City Hall. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged. The display will be shot off from an open field near the football complex.
“This isn’t just a Box Elder event,” Hendrickson said. “It’s a great way to support all military, active and retired, and just the community in general.”
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–Contact Laura Heckmann at lheckmann@rapidcityjournal.com–
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Col. Joseph Sheffield and his family throw candy to onlookers at last year's Patriot Day parade in Box Elder. Sheffield will lead this year's parade on Sept. 10.
The route for the 2022 Patriot Day Parade, taking place Saturday, Sept. 10, at 2:30 p.m. in Box Elder.
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