We are looking forward to and planning the 2009 Andover Fall Festival and Parade!!! You are cordially invited to join us for a wonderful afternoon on Saturday, October 17, 2009!!! This year is our third year for the Fall Festival and Parade and we hope it is better than ever.

We will be following the fall theme, so please remember this theme as you plan to prepare to join us for the Fall Festival in Andover, Ohio. We hope you can join us in presenting a very special parade in our community!!

Many of you receiving this letter were not part of the physical parade in 2008, but were lining the square cheering on the participants. Our goal this year is to create and present a fun-filled afternoon for spectators, participants and volunteers. We hope to double the size of our parade this year. We encourage you to sign up your group or organization to be part of the parade. For those of you who are considering joining our event for the first time, please take that step and say “Yes, count me in!!!” It will be a fun-filled afternoon for everyone!!

Registration Information: We must ask that you pre-register using the attached form. We must have a registration application from you in writing-either our form or an email contact. Phone registrations will not be accepted. We must receive your group information by October 14, 2009 or we cannot guarantee that all of your information will be read at the announcer’s stand, or that you will receive a guaranteed spot in the parade line-up.

Walk In Participants will not be permitted to join the parade. ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST APPLY ON THE “GENERAL APPLICATION TO PARTICIPATE.” You may either return the application in paper form or via email. There will be no exceptions. PLEASE DO NOT ASSUME that because you have participated in prior parades that you will be included in the line-up. If we do not receive your information in written form by the deadline, you will not be permitted into the line-up area.

Accordingly, our line-up will be finalized by October 14, 2009 and we will make every effort to notify you of your line-up number prior to parade day. If you provide an email address, we will send this information via email; otherwise we will contact you by telephone. Do Not Call to request this information. Your help and patience with our volunteers will be sincerely appreciated.

Please do not request that our announcer ad-lib. Without your information on hand, it is unfair to expect an announcer to know each group individually. We hope our parade will grow over the next few years and we want to be able to recognize each group as it passes and make sure your accolades are shared with the spectators. We must have your information by October 14, 2009 in order to include it in the announcer’s book. – Information turned in after October 14th or on parade day will be discarded.

8:00 a.m. – FLOATS ONLY may arrive to begin final set up in the area designated for float parking (judging will commence as soon as you notify the sign in area you are ready-you will be deemed ready by 9:45 a.m.) Judging of floats must be completed by 10:30 a.m. in order that the judges may tabulate results and notify the announcing stand. Decisions of the judges are final.

Non-Float Participants are not permitted in the line-up area until sign-in time listed below (i.e., any participants other than floats)

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Arrive and Sign in at the Pymatuning Valley School District Bus Parking lot on Chestnut Street. You must sign in so that we know your group is on the premises prior to step off. Please send only one representative from your group to sign-in to save on congestion at the sign in area. (Please share your line-up number with other members of your group when you receive it prior to the parade day.)

We do ask that you extend every courtesy to your fellow participants and volunteer staff during sign-in, line-up, step-off and the parade itself. Inappropriate behavior will necessitate departure from the line-up areas.

10:45 a.m. – Parade steps off

Rain Date: There is no rain date, we will only be hosting the parade on the day of the Fall Festival, October 17.

We will be out and about finalizing preparations on parade day, therefore, we will not accept or return telephone calls or emails on parade day. IF weather forces us to cancel, we will do our best to have it announced on the radio. A final decision will be made at 10:30 a.m. We do not plan to cancel; we do plan to have the parade.

Please join us to show off your fabulous modes of transportation and many, many talents!!! We anticipate a great turn out this year and your presence in marching bands, floats, drill teams will add to the excitement of the day. If you have another type of group than is included in your information packet, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your entry and answer your questions.

We look forward to an exciting event this October and look forward to seeing you there!! If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact Andrea Wonderling at 724-815-6967 or Sheila Michael at 440-293-6566. THANK YOU for all your efforts and enthusiasm!!