America250 sparks grassroots-led Independence Day Parade revival in Sioux Falls
July 4 parade returns after three-year hiatus; event anchors months of activities commemorating country's birth
A few dozen colonists once set a revolution in motion, wagering that a small, determined group could do something far larger than themselves.
Now, another modest coalition in South Dakota’s largest city is betting on the same idea — that a handful of committed residents can revive an Independence Day tradition that’ll last long into the future.
After three years without a patriotic-themed summer parade through downtown Sioux Falls, a grassroots group of civic-minded residents, compelled by the nation’s 250th anniversary, is working to re-establish an Independence Day parade — and without much help.
“This is probably what it should have been all along. It should just be citizens that are gonna make it happen, and that’s it,” said Aaron Levisay, a retired master sergeant and Sioux Falls resident who didn’t want to see a fourth consecutive year without an Independence Day parade in Sioux Falls — especially in the midst of a nationwide America250 celebration.
