Mars 4th of July parade to start later this year
MARS — This year, the borough’s annual 4th of July celebration and parade will start just a bit later in response to public feedback.
The patriotic event in downtown Mars, which typically starts at noon, will be pushed back to either 2 or 3 p.m.
Assistant secretary and event manager Amy Brown said the change is being made to move the parade portion of the event closer to the fireworks display, which comes at dusk. The event will otherwise remain unchanged from previous years.
“We’ve had some people complain that there’s a big gap between the parade and fireworks,” Brown said. “So hopefully pushing it back a few hours will help.”
Borough council approved the necessary street closures for the July 4th event during their meeting on Monday night, April 7.
Street closures were also approved for the Mars New Year Celebration on June 6 to 7, as well as Brewfest on June 14. Mars New Year is especially notable, as it is only held once every two years — roughly the same length of time as it takes for the planet Mars to orbit the sun.
Mars Mayor Gregg Hartung is promising numerous space-themed events and exhibitors for this year’s event. The event’s website promotes a 2,000-square-foot area to showcase robotics technology, a planned space-themed concert and a drone light show.
“We’re confirmed to have exhibits from a variety of space industry people, like Astrobotic in Pittsburgh and the Moonshot Museum,” Hartung said. “We’re also working with local industry, like Belleville International and Coherent, who do things for the space industry.”
