(Independent File Photo/Graham Sturgeon)
by Karen Mead-Elford, co-editor
The 2020 Shiawassee County Fair Light Parade is planned for dusk on Saturday, Aug. 1. The trucks will be leaving the fairgrounds on Bennington Road at 9 p.m. The parade will follow the usual route through downtown Owosso and Corunna.
Please note, the fairgrounds will not be open to the public and the traditional truck show is not happening. Parking is permitted along the 14-mile parade route – allowing the community to enjoy the show while still social distancing and being safe during the ongoing pandemic.
The parade is bright, loud and fun and generally includes decked-out trucks from all over the state, as well as many locals – sometimes even a cement mixer.
According to Truck Show Chairman Brian Jones, who has been helping organize the parade, there is no fee this year for semis wanting to participate – since the show was cancelled. He wants possible participants to know they don’t have to own a show quality truck to be a part of the event.
“As long as the lights work and the horn works, we’re saying bring them out,” Jones shared.
Jones also detailed another addition to the 2020 parade. A “Quiet Zone” is being introduced on M-21, between Walmart and the Secretary of States Office. The point of the new “Quiet Zone” is to allow for people with special sensory needs to enjoy the parade, as well. Truckers will not use horns or air brakes in the “Quiet Zone” out of respect to these individuals.
Jones also shared that while people were disappointed in the cancellation of the annual truck show, he has not received any negative complaints. He is looking forward to helping with a great truck show in 2021. “This has been such a great event,” he shared about the truck show. “The spectators and the drivers all love it. We put on a good show.”
Watch for updates and further information on the Facebook/social media page.
