Community Fair Parade

REGISTRATION:

Contact us at admin@unitedwaycares.org with your interest in being a participant in the NWMT Fair Parade. We reserve the right to approve or reject applications for any reason. To offset costs of the Parade there is a $50 registration fee for all participants, except for non-profit Veteran’s Groups and Emergency Responders Entries.

MANDATORY SAFETY BRIEFING:

1. The Mandatory Safety Briefing will be held on Saturday, July 25th, 2026, at 10:00, and will take approx. 1 hour of your time.
   1. The Mandatory Safety Briefing will be held in the Country Kitchen Building at the NW Montana Fairgrounds. Please park responsibly.
   2. Only one member of your entry needs to attend. They will be responsible for sharing all of the Safety Information with every member of your entry.
   3. Please bring the signature page of your application, with the entry fee or proof of online payment with you to the safety briefing.
2. Only those groups who have a member that has attended the Mandatory Safety Briefing will be allowed to be a participant in the Parade.
3. No Day of the Parade registrations will be permitted.

DAY OF PARADE:

1. The parade will begin at 10:00 am on August 7, 2026. The parade will occur rain or shine; there is no make-up date for this parade so please come prepared.
2. You will receive an email with your respective check in time for the Parade by July 29th, 2026. You are requested to check in at the check tent at your designated time, if you are not on time, you risk your placement in the lineup.
   1. There will be a lot of congestion, shifting and movement during the lineup period, please practice patience and tolerance.
   2. Only the float entry will be allowed past the check-in tent; no support vehicles will pass this point; they will have to park elsewhere. To this end, please ensure your float has everything it needs before checking in (you will have plenty of time in the line up before the parade begins to make any last minute set up or alterations).
3. The first entries will begin checking in at 0730, as stated you will be assigned your parade day check in time via an email by July 29th, 2026. If you have a problem with your check-in time, please respond to that email ASAP with your reasoning and accommodations for a different time will be made if possible. Please understand there are a lot of entries, and we will be as accommodating as possible, help us help you. The parade begins at 10:00.
4. Parade Day: Enter the Kalispell Center Mall Parking lot from 1st Avenue West North, proceed West behind the Mall to the check-in tent. To facilitate a smooth line up please come at your designated check in time. You will then be directed to proceed around the West side of the mall and guided to your line up or staging position. If you believe your entry is too large to maneuver in the Parking lot, please contact us days in advance and you will be given alternate instructions.
   1. You will be given your entry number at the check-in tent for you to display, please place it on the passenger/left side of your vehicle so that the Parade Master of Ceremony can properly identify and announce you as you pass them.
   2. The check-in tent will be located at the NW corner of the parking lot, behind the mall building. You must come and check in at the tent at your designated time to be given your place in the parade. You will receive further instructions then.
   3. To ensure excellence in presentation and efficiency in coordination, all placements within the parade lineup are at the discretion of the parade organizing committee. The individual lineup order will be finalized on the day of the parade; you will be guided to your line up position. If you need assistance, look for a Civil Air Patrol Cadette. If they can’t immediately help you, they will contact someone who can. Be advised you may be asked to shift your position in line.
   4. Any conflicts will result in your immediate ejection from the parade and forfeiture of entry fee!
   5. SAFETY FIRST! The lineup and staging areas will become congested with vehicles, pedestrians, and animals. Please always yield to pedestrians and animals; inform your participants to please be aware of vehicles. In order to ensure safety for all participants please keep your speed limited to <10 mph in the lineup and staging area and always remain alert.

GENERAL RULES:

1. Entry Definitions: Each entry has a $50 entry fee. If you exceed the number per entry stated below a 2nd entry fee will be charged. We are a non-profit and sponsor this Parade for the benefit of the community, the entry fee is to help offset our costs to put on the parade.
   1. Walkers and Pedal Bicycle numbers are limited to <20 with/for any entry.
   2. Animal Groups: in your application, please indicate the number of and type of animals ridden, walked, or pulling wagon/carriages; each entry is limited to <10 animals and <2 pulled wagons/carriages.
      1. You are responsible for picking up your own animal’s poop! To that end each animal group must have a designated pooper scooper and receptacle. If you do not pick up your animal’s poop you will not be allowed to be in future parades.
   3. Motor Vehicles: groups are limited to 4 vehicles per entry fee.
   4. Motorcycles: groups are limited to 8 vehicles per entry fee.
   5. Businesses: are limited to 2 vehicles with a trailer per entry fee.
   6. Political & Religious: are limited to 1 vehicle with a trailer per entry fee.
   7. Emergency Responders: no vehicle number limits within their own department.
2. Motor Vehicle Participation:
   1. All drivers of a motor vehicle must have a valid driver’s license and proper insurance coverage.
   2. All motor vehicles must be operated in a safe manner at all times!
   3. During the Parade speeds are limited to <5 MPH and should flow with the speed of the entry in front of you. Please keep your spacing as stated below.
   4. No “Burnouts, Wheelies, Drifts, Stoppies” or other unsafe driving acts are permitted. Several observers of the Parade will be children. Practice SAFETY FIRST!
      1. Failure to follow this rule will result in an immediate removal from the parade and appropriate action by law enforcement. You will be held liable for any accidents.
   5. All motor vehicles and towed trailers should have visible operating brake lights, turn signals, and properly functioning brakes.
   6. Vehicles towing trailers must utilize safety chains as required for legal towing.
   7. All vehicles in the parade must be able to navigate the entire parade route and make all turns and clearances without difficulty. It is the responsibility of each driver/entrant to see to it that their float clears all obstacles (tree limbs, traffic lights, overhanging utility wires, etc.). You will personally be financially responsible for any damages caused and the Kalispell Police Department will be informed.
   8. Each driver is responsible for the actions of the people on their vehicle and their float/towed trailers.
   9. People are not allowed to get in/on or out/off vehicles/floats/towed trailers during the parade procession. Practice SAFETY FIRST!
3. Parade Participation and Decorum: Failure to abide by any of the rules will result in immediate removal from the parade.
   1. This year the theme for the Parade is Raised on Freedom Rooted in Montana’s Best.
   2. Each registered organization, group, or person(s) are permitted to carry banner(s) advertising their registered organization or group.
      1. No Sexual Preference, known hate group, or foreign flags or banners will be allowed to be displayed in any manner in the Parade. We reserve this right of refusal and will enforce it.
   3. No profanity, nudity, lewdness, violence, obscenity, hate, racism, signs or other materials insulting any ethnic, religious, political, or other identifiable group or individuals, or any material that is sexually explicit in nature is allowed. This is a family friendly and all-American melting pot event, express tolerance, and friendship.
   4. No physical or verbal displays of aggression with other parade participants, parade officials, or spectators will be permitted.
   5. Parade participants ARE NOT permitted to throw items of any kind from floats or from the middle of the road to observers.
      1. Candy or other promotional items must be HAND DISTRIBUTED by WALKERS ONLY.
      2. See the attached representative photos.
      3. This entry application is your FIRST WARNING; you will have your 2nd warning at the safety briefing. If you are found to be in violation of any of these rules, the parade will stop and you will be immediately escorted out of the Parade! This is a non-discussion issue, and you are required to immediately comply.
   6. Consumption of alcoholic beverages or illegal substances in any manner by the entry participants is prohibited.
   7. Discharge of firearms or fireworks is prohibited.
   8. No fire eaters, flaming hoops, flaming jugglers, or anything on fire is allowed as part of an entry.
   9. It is requested that no extremely loud noises/music be played, there will be children and animals present which may get startled by this. (Emergency Responders Entries are exempt.)
   10. Participants should keep pace with the entry ahead of them! Please keep at least one vehicle length between yourself and the entry in front of you but no more than three. Please do not stop your entry, there are entries behind you, be courteous of them.
   11. If you cannot keep up the pace and a gap develops in front of your entry, you will be asked to close the gap.
4. Animals:
   1. Entrants are not permitted to allow spectators to have any contact with any animals.
   2. You are expected to maintain control of your animal(s) at all times; riders not exhibiting control will be immediately removed from the parade for their own and spectator’s safety.
   3.  Animals must have updated vaccinations and be in good medical health and be able to cope with crowds, noise and other animals. You will be held liable for any accidents.
   4. Animals of any size or breed must be kept on a leash or other restraint at all times; none are allowed to free roam. No exceptions.
   5. Animal Entrants are required to provide and utilize their own ‘pooper scooping’ support. Failure to clean up after your animal either in the staging area or on the parade route will result in a lack of future participation.
5. Emergencies and other information:
   1. There will be parade road guard assistance patrolling the parade. Look for individuals with a yellow safety vest on. If they can’t immediately help you, they will contact someone who can.
   2. Participants should be aware that it is possible that an emergency vehicle may need to leave, or maneuver within the line up in the event of an emergency. Please courteously yield to such activity, a life may depend on it.
   3. This is a controlled, forward-motion parade. If your entry experiences problems during the parade, please exit the parade route in a safe manner ASAP! Ask a parade road guard for assistance. Please do not block or delay the parade procession, be considerate of the entries behind you.
   4. There will be Porta Johns for your use in the lineup / staging area at the South side of the Kalispell Center Mall parking lot.
   5. It is the signatory of the entry’s responsibility to ensure every member of their parade entry is aware of these rules and regulations. Ignorance by anyone in your party is not an excuse and will reflect on the entire entry.
      1. If you are approached with a problem or violation that is a no discussion situation. If compliance is not made immediately then the Kalispell Police Department will be contacted and you will be escorted out of the Parade.
   6. If there is a problem with your entry registration you will be contacted, otherwise follow the guidelines listed for participation. An insufficient funds charge of $50 will be charged to the individual or group submitting the parade registration.
   7. Our primary goal is SAFETY FIRST! Please always adhere to that.

Please keep these pages for your reference. Your entry and signature are your acknowledgement of these rules.

Proper way to hand out candy or promotional items:

Placing the candy or promotional items in the hands or bags of the crowd is the SAFE way to distribute.

The Un-Safe and Improper way to distribute Candy and Promotional items!

At the center of the road, throwing candy is un-safe! 
Children will run into the road to get the pieces of candy that did not make it all the way to them.

Safety First!

Don’t be a Clown, follow the rules.

Original Photos by Casey Kreider, published in The Daily Interlake July 5, 2025.
Transformative photos utilized for educational use.