(La Porte, IN) - Military planes and a medical helicopter will fly over the parade route on the 4th of July in La Porte.
Dawn Zigler, one of the organizers of the parade drawing tens of thousands of people annually, said two A-10 Thunderbolt Warthogs from an Indiana National Guard base in Ft. Wayne were cleared last week to fly over the parade route.
A medical helicopter belonging to Lutheran Air out of South Bend will also take to the skies, something Zigler says the committee is excited to have. The flyover by the medical helicopter will kick off the parade scheduled to begin Monday at 10 a.m.
Two A-10 Thunderbolt Warthogs will not be able to be here for the start of the parade because of flyovers booked in several other communities. The military planes are expected to fly over at 10:23 a.m.
Her sister, Joy Zigler, said the parade heading westbound on Lincolnway and J Street would feature more than 80 units. However, there's still time for an individual or organization to enter a unit in the parade assembled by the Kiwanis Club of La Porte.
Past parades have contained over 100 units, but the number this year is about the same as last year.
“It just makes for a very time-wise a nice parade, so it’s not going on too long, especially if it’s hot. We try to keep it interesting so you will want to stay for the whole thing,” Zigler said.
La Porte has also been declared the State Capital for the Day, an annual proclamation from the governor dating back several decades in LaPorte.
La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody said the long-running proclamation is well deserved given the community's support for veterans. The parade is also billed as the longest one in the state.
"There's no better place in the State of Indiana to be on the 4th of July than the city of LaPorte," Dermody said.
Dermody said the fireworks show that night will be held at Clear Lake following a free patriotic concert by the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra at the nearby band shell of Fox Park.
"It's going to be a full day of events to remember our freedom and to thank those who fought for it," Dermody said.
