HEROES Mandan Event

Who: Dennis Friesz

What: Mandan Independence Day Parade Presented by Chevrolet of Mandan and Your West Dakota Chevy Dealers

Why: Dennis Friesz has been the parade chair for Mandan’s long-running 4th of July parade since 2009. The parade itself has been going as long as the Mandan Rodeo. Dennis explains, “The rodeo and parade kind of started at the same time. They used to take the livestock to the old rodeo grounds, that turned into the parade.” Now, the tradition continues today with over 100 floats every year and thousands of attendees.

Dennis has been involved with the parade since 1983, first with the Jaycee Club and then with the Independence Day Committee and has seen countless changes to the parade over the years. One thing that has not changed, however, is the excitement around the parade, both from those watching and those participating. “Everybody talks about the parade… some people are already doing a countdown to the parade… it’s great to be a part of it,” says Dennis. “My favorite part is when people are coming out, setting up their floats, having fun, they’re laughing, joking around with each other.”

The parade is a longstanding tradition in the area, with people coming from out of town to watch. The event takes tons of volunteers to put on and countless hours of hard work, but Dennis says it is always worth it in the end. “It always feels good to put on a successful parade for the community,” says Dennis.

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Theme: "Cruising with Red, White and Blue | Thousands attend every year | Starts at 10am, hits Main Street about 10:20am | 100-125 Floats