Budweiser Clydesdale Parade set in Dewey Beach July 12
The Dewey Business Partnership in conjunction with the Town of Dewey Beach will host the second annual Budweiser Clydesdale Parade at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 12. The regal hitch of horses will be coming through town and offering photo opportunities as well as a fun, family-friendly parade that boasts American spirit and honors heroes. The theme of the event is The Great American Summer Celebration.
Steve "Monty" Montgomery, who originally orchestrated the Budweiser Clydesdales' arrival last year, is excited to see the town turn out for unique events like this one. "Dewey Beach is built on nightlife, but we also have opportunities to engage families and have events like this, which make our town one of a kind," he said.
The horses and the iconic wagon they are hitched to are not only a symbol of the Budweiser legacy, but a celebration of the end of Prohibition in America. The original team of Clydesdales was given as a gift when Prohibition ended in 1933. They were then hitched to the original beer wagon and went on a post-Prohibition tour. It was a marketing sensation and a tradition that has endured ever since. In 1950, they also added the dalmatian mascot who now travels with the wagon, crew and horses.
For the parade, the horses and their team will be strutting their stuff through town beginning at 5 p.m. when they will stage at Saulsbury Street. From there they will make their way to the Starboard for a parade pre-party. While petting the horses is a no-no, the public will have opportunities to get photos with the Clydesdales, from a small distance. Also on hand will be the Quaker City String Band Mummers from Philadelphia.
At 6:30 p.m., the parade will begin at Saulsbury Street and move south along Route 1. The Clydesdales, as the parade's main attraction, will stop at 7 p.m. at the Dickinson Avenue circle for an hour, then continue to Van Dyke Avenue and the bay where they will be from 8 to 8:45 p.m. The Clydesdales will be unhitched at Van Dyke and go back to the Budweiser trailers.
This is a great opportunity for the whole family to come out in their red, white and blue, and be part of a freshly minted Dewey Beach tradition. Parking meters and permitted spots are free that night from 5 to 11 p.m., though organizers are encouraging everyone to arrive early. Those with children are encouraged to go to the bayside beach at Dickinson at the Lighthouse/Rusty Rudder or the bayside beach at Que Pasa for ease of access.
