THE 2020 MEMORIAL DAY PARADE IS CANCELED
Click here for pictures from the 2019 Parade
CANCELED — 2020 KENNETT SQUARE MEMORIAL DAY PARADE
It is with great regret that we have CANCELED the Kennett Square Memorial Day Parade currently scheduled for Monday, May 25, 2020 due to the increasing safety concerns in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic. There is a global cancellation of nearly all highly-attended events of its kind around the world. While this decision is disappointing, Historic Kennett Square and the Kennett Borough are acting with great concern for the well-being of the parade staff, borough employees, parade participants, spectators, and sponsors.
I will be retiring as Chairman of the parade and would like to thank everyone who has participated in our patriotic holiday event in memory of past and present veterans who have kept us safe and free because of their sacrifice. You have given us your best in making our parade and ceremony a success and for honoring our veterans for the past 16 years.
On behalf of my company, family and parade committee, I thank you for the privilege of serving our community.
Respectfully,
Bill Taylor, Chairman & Organizer
Kennett Square Memorial Day Parade Committee
Historic Kennett Square Press Release
For more information call:
610-444-8188
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information call: Bill Taylor, Chairman
610-444-3810
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kennett Square’s 2020 Memorial Day Parade Cancelled
Every year, Kennett Square’s legendary Memorial Day Parade involves up to 1,500 participants
—including hundreds of veterans, local organizations, historic re-enactors, and pieces of vintage
military equipment—and draws many thousands of spectators along the mile-long parade route.
This year, due to safety concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic and the impossibility of
maintaining mandated physical distancing at such a large-scale event, organizers have made the
difficult decision to cancel the parade as well as the traditional memorial service at Union Hill
Cemetery which had been scheduled for Monday, May 25. Kennett’s Memorial Day Parade is
one of thousands of large-scale public events worldwide that have been cancelled this year
because of the pandemic. “It was a hard decision to cancel the parade,” says long-time parade
organizer and veteran Bill Taylor, “but this is the best decision we could make for everyone’s
safety right now.”
The importance of remembering and honoring those who fought for our freedom has motivated
Taylor, in collaboration with the American Legion Post 491 and Historic Kennett Square, to
organize the Memorial Day Parade each May. “The American Legion started the parade after
World War II,” Taylor says, “but it grew smaller over the years as the older veterans passed
away.” In 2005, he was asked to revive the parade for Kennett’s sesquicentennial. The parade has
grown every year since and has become one of the signature events on the Kennett Square
calendar, eagerly anticipated by residents and visitors alike. “It’s also a great event for teaching
patriotism and history to the younger generations,” says Taylor. This year’s parade was to have
been one of the biggest and most vibrant yet.
“We’re disappointed to have to cancel the parade,” says Historic Kennett Square Executive
Director Bo Wright. “We’re grateful to Bill Taylor for all of his hard work and to all of the
event’s sponsors who make this community celebration possible every year.”
Taylor and Historic Kennett Square urge residents to show their support and appreciation for
veterans by flying flags at their homes on Memorial Day.
For updated information and resources related to the local impact of COVID-19, go to
HistoricKennettSquare.com and listen to Around the Square, Historic Kennett Square’s new
hyperlocal podcast, available on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Founded in 1986 as the Kennett Square Main Street Association, Historic Kennett Square is a
volunteer driven, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, focused on Kennett Square’s economic well-
being, historical integrity, programmatic development, vibrant culture, and urban hospitality.
Memorial Day Parade Route
Start: Kennett High School to East South Street
South Union Street to East Cypress Street
South Broad Street to West State Street
West State Street to North Union Street
End: Union Hill Cemetery on the left.
