The Town of Indian Trail will host its annual July 4 Parade on Friday, July 4. The parade will kick off at 10 a.m., beginning at Post Office Drive. Parade floats will travel one mile down Indian Trail Road, where they will exit just before Old Monroe Road into the Food Lion parking lot.
During the parade, attendees will be treated to the sight of floats, vehicles, and walking groups from our first responders, businesses and organizations, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the VFW and American Legion, as well as the Indian Trail Mayor and Town Council. Plus, there will be lots of candy! The parade is sponsored by Samson Tree LLC.
Parking will be available at Chestnut Square Park, the Indian Trail Town Hall, and Crossing Paths Park. Additional spots will be available along the route to watch the parade. Indian Trail Road will be closed from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the parade.
Leading the parade this year as Grand Marshal will be Gayle Ford, a Union County native, retired minister, and long-time member of the Indian Trail Lions Club. After graduating from high school in 1953, Ford went on to earn his undergraduate degree from High Point College, now High Point University, and his master’s degree from Duke University.
Upon graduation, Ford began his career as a United Methodist Church minister, serving as minister for numerous churches across North Carolina before returning to Union County and Stallings Church to be closer to his ailing father. He retired from full-time pastoral service after five years with Stallings Church. Ford continued to serve in retirement as an assistant minister for many years in Monroe. In addition to his service as a minister, Ford has been a member of the Lions Club for 50 years, with the past 20 years spent as a member of the Indian Trail Lions Club.
Ford has a daughter, a son, and two grandchildren. He resides in the same home in which he was born, just outside of Indian Trail.
The Town Council selected Ford for his decades of service to the community through his time as a minister and volunteerism through the Lions Club.
“The July 4 parade is a long-standing and much-loved tradition that we look forward to every year,” said Mayor David Cohn. “It’s the perfect way to bring the community together to celebrate July 4 and our great country. Mr. Ford is an excellent choice to lead the parade this year. He has lived a life of service, positively impacting countless people in our community and beyond. I look forward to seeing everyone decked out in red, white, and blue along the parade route.”