Orland Park parade kicks off despite chilly weather

The annual Orland Days parade kicked off in Orland Park on West Avenue Sunday with an impressive crowd despite the unusually chilly weather. The parade included all of the ingredients of fun for the public that lined both sides of the the parade route, soldiers, veterans, politicians, kids, high school bands, fire department trucks with sirens wailing, police and gobs and gobs of candy

By Ray Hanania

Orland Days Parade Orland Fire Prevention District fire truck

Orland Days Parade Orland Fire Prevention District fire truck

One of the most anticipated events of the year especially for family and children is the annual Orland Days parade which coincides with the Orland Days festival of food and carnival rides.

This year’s parade drew an impressive crowd that braved the chilly temperatures that hovered around 59 degrees, far below the hot temperatures of past year parades.

But the Orland Days parade included all of the ingredients of parade fun including military soldiers, veterans, politicians, children, high school bands, fire department trucks with their sirens wailing, police cars and candy tossed from parade floats and participants to the anxious children that lined the route that began at 150th and West Avenue and snaked around to 153rd Street west to the Orland Days parade grounds.

“This is a great parade again,” waived Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin whose float included all of the villages elected officials that also included Clerk John Mehalek, and Trustees Jim Dodge, Pat Gira, Carole Griffin Ruzich, Kathleen Fenton, Dan Calandriello and Michael Carroll.

“How about those military vehicles and veterans?” McLaughlin asked pointing to the veterans groups that had already passed and led the parade with flags. Unlike a lot of parades, Orland’s officials allowed the veterans and military to walk first to enjoy the initial accolades from the public.

The parade kicked off with a contingent from the Orland Park Police Department and the Orland Fire Prevention District.

The fire trucks and ambulances that drove by wailed loudly as firefighters tossed out candy to the children who grabbed as much as they could.

There were the usual contingents of old cars, fast cars, a man on stilts, and local businesses.

Here are some of the photos. Enjoy

Orland Days Parade, veterans marching

Orland Days Parade, veterans marching

Orland Days Parade, POlice Cars

Orland Days Parade, POlice Cars

Orland Days Parade, Orland Fire Prevention District Ambulance

Orland Days Parade, Orland Fire Prevention District Ambulance

Orland Days Parade OFPD Ambulance

Orland Days Parade OFPD Ambulance

Military veterans at the Orland Days Parade

Military veterans at the Orland Days Parade

Orland Days Parade with Orland Park officials including Mayor Dan McLaughlin

Orland Days Parade with Orland Park officials including Mayor Dan McLaughlin

Orland Days Parade featuring Vietnam Veterans

Orland Days Parade featuring Vietnam Veterans

Man on stilts walking the entire length of the parade. That's not easy!

Man on stilts walking the entire length of the parade. That’s not easy!

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Ray Hanania

Blogger, Columnist at Illinois News Network Online
Ray Hanania is senior blogger for the Illinois News Network news site. He is an award winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist who covered the beat from 1976 through 1992 (From Mayor Daley to Mayor Daley). And, Hanania is a stubborn and loud critic of the biased mainstream American news media.

Hanania covered Chicago political beats including Chicago City Hall while at the Daily Southtown Newspapers (1976-1985) and later for the Chicago Sun-Times (1985-1992). He published The Villager Community Newspapers covering 12 Southwest suburban regions (1993-1997). Hanania also hosted live political news radio talkshows on WLS AM (1980 - 1991), and also on WBBM FM, WLUP FM, WSBC AM in Chicago, and WNZK AM in Detroit.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media;In 2009, he received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. Hanania has also received two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild, and in 1990 was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

Hanania’s writings have been published in newspapers around the world. He currently is syndicated through Creators Syndicate. He has written for the Jerusalem Post, YNetNews.com, Newsday in New York, the Orlando Sentinel, the Houston Chronicle, The Daily Star of Lebanon, the News of the World in London, the Daily Yomimuri in Tokyo, Chicago Magazine, the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, The Saudi Gazette, the Arab News in Jeddah, and Aramco Magazine.

Hanania's Chicagoland columns are published in the Southwest News-Herald, the Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News and the Palos Reporter newspapers.

He is President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group media and public affairs consulting which has clients in Illinois, Florida, Michigan and Washington D.C.

His personal website is www.TheMediaOasis.com. Email him at: [email protected].