2010 PARADE RULES AND REGULATIONS

A. Date and Time: Sunday, July 4, 2010, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Note: information on this page was accurate as of July 5, 2009, and is subject to change without notice. Applicants to the 2010 parade should be aware that details of staging, parade route, dispersal, etc., are subject to confirmation later in 2009 and 2010. Final determinations of the 2010 rules, regulations, routes, instructions, etc., will be made on or about February 1, 2010.

B. Theme of 2010 Parade: to be determined

C. Entrants Description: The Bel Air Independence Day Parade includes many different sorts of units, including color guards, floats, marching units, wheeling or riding units ("scouts on bikes"), motorized units, emergency vehicles, military vehicles, comic acts, car clubs, novelty units, commercial or business entries, equestrian units, etc. The Bel Air Independence Day Committee, Inc., welcomes any and all groups and individuals to participate as entrants so long as they conform to the parade rules listed below. In the interests of presenting the finest entertainment value to the spectators, all businesses, associations, organizations and groups are encouraged to enter as FLOATS, decorated in accordance with the theme of the parade.

D. PARADE ROUTE: The Starting Point for the 2010 Parade is the intersection of E. Gordon Street and North Main Street, at the "Welcome to the Town of Bel Air" sign. After leaving the Starting Point, the parade will proceed south-eastward down N. Main Street (one way the wrong way!), to right onto Baltimore Pike just past the County Office Building. The parade then will turn left onto Kenmore and proceed to South Main Street until the intersection of Idlewild and S. Main, which is the Parade end. Marching units will be directed right onto Idlewild Street into the Middle School Complex, where they will be directed to designated dispersal areas; mobile units will be directed straight through towards MacPhail Road, where they may disperse and proceed as they wish.

E. Parade Formation: Staging for the parade will occur on E. and W. Gordon Street, N. Main Street, Bond Street, Rock Spring Road and/or other streets in the area, as well as in parking lots and designated spaces; specific instructions will be mailed to participants, following acceptance by the Committee of the entrant. These instructions also include dispersal information.

The Parade Committee will assign each entrant to a staging area and confirm or change (if necessary) the category of the entrant. This is to help in the organization and management of the parade, and also reflects the width of the streets, turning radius, and space requirements of each entrant.

F. Formation Times: Staging is from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm. Specific locations for various units, how the parade is organized, and other important information will be mailed under separate cover following acceptance by the Committee of the entrant.

G. Entry Fees:

1. Business or commercial entrants (including LARGE non-profit associations) are required to pay a non-refundable Entry Fee of $175.00, payable with the application; this applies whether the unit is a float, mobile unit, marching unit, etc. If you have any question as to whether your group falls within this category, please call Michael Blum at 410-893-1700.
   
   
2. Units sponsored by small non-profit associations, civic organizations, churches or clubs (including scout packs, car clubs, etc.), or personal entries, are required to pay a non-refundable Entry Fee of $10.00, payable with the application. If you have any question as to whether your group falls within this category, please call Michael Blum at 410-893-1700.
   
   
3. Municipal entrants such as Police and Fire Departments, Elected Officials of Harford County municipalities, and official representatives of Harford Governmental Agencies or Departments, pay no entry fee.
   
   
4. Elected Officials of non-Harford County municipalities MUST submit an application and are required to pay a non-refundable Entry Fee of $175.00, payable with the application. See below for more information on this category. Again, if you have any question as to whether you fall within this category, please call Michael Blum at 410-893-1700.

H. ENTRY RULES FOR APPLICATION AND ACCEPTANCE INTO THE PARADE:

1. ENTRY APPLICATION FORMS MAY ONLY BE TRAFFICKED THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
   
   
   • BY US MAIL to the official address of the Committee:
         P.O. Box 724
         Bel Air, MD 21014
     
     
   • BY E-MAIL from the official Committee web site, using the Entry Application Form available by selecting this link.
     
     
   • BY FAX to 410-893-2598.
     
     
   • Note: APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE DROPPED OFF AT THE TOWN OF BEL AIR TOWN HALL.
     
     
2. ALL ENTRY APPLICATION FORMS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY JUNE 15, 2010, in the case of those sent via US Mail; or RECEIVED by JUNE 15, 2010, in the case of those faxed or sent via E-mail. The Committee reserves the right to CHANGE this deadline if, in the sole opinion of the Committee, such a CHANGE is warranted.
   
   
3. Incomplete or late Entry Application Forms are subject to rejection and/or non-inclusion in judging.
   
   
4. Only the Entry Form as printed by the Committee and included on its web site may be used; however, this form may be photocopied or otherwise reproduced at will.
   
   
5. Since the Entry Fee is a necessary part of the application, failure to include the Entry Fee will result in the Entry Form being rejected without notice.
   
   
6. THE ENTRY FEE MAY NOT BE SENT VIA FAX OR E-MAIL. It is the responsibility of the entrant to make sure the fee is received by the deadline, or the entry application form will be deemed INCOMPLETE. For questions, please call 410-879-4245. All checks should be made payable to THE BEL AIR INDEPENDENCE DAY COMMITTEE, INC.
   
   
7. Entries to the parade will be accepted on a FIRST COME BASIS. The Bel Air Independence Day Committee, Inc., reserves the right to reject or accept any parade unit for any reason whatsoever, and to determine participation based on diversity, suitability for the occasion and prior participation. The Committee's and the Judges' decisions as to classification of parade units are final.
   
   
8. Parade officials may deny any entrant entry to the parade on the day of the parade if, in the sole opinion of the parade officials or parade marshals, the entrant has misrepresented any information on its Entry Application Form, or if the entrant is deemed obscene, dangerous, provocative or in any way unsuitable for the parade.
   
   

I. RULES FOR PARADE PARTICIPATION

1. PARADE MARSHALS MUST BE OBEYED. The parade marshals control the units, enforce parade rules and will arrange entrants to pace the parade in a manner deemed most suitable; their instructions MUST be obeyed at all times. Failure to obey a parade marshal's order will result in immediate ejection from the parade and may possibly subject the offender to arrest.
   
   
2. NO ENTRANT IS PERMITTED TO THROW OR HAND OUT ANY ITEM TO SPECTATORS. THIS RULE WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.
   
   
3. THE PARADE IS A NON-SECTARIAN, NON-PARTISAN EVENT.

   a.    Elected officials of Harford County municipalities are invited to participate in the parade free of charge out of respect for their offices; this includes the Town of Bel Air Commissioners; Elected Administrative and Court Officers of Harford County; Elected Officials of the Harford County Government; Maryland State Senators and Delegates with Harford County constituents; Maryland State Government elected officials with Harford County constituents; and United States elected officials with Harford County constituents. These officials will participate in the parade in a unified division, staged separately from the rest of the parade.
   
   b.    Political clubs or organizations may NOT participate, since they are by definition partisan. Candidates for elected office may not participate for the same reason.
   
   c.    Elected officials of municipalities outside Harford County are welcome to participate, but must formally apply to enter and pay a $175 non-refundable Entry Fee. These officials will NOT be staged together with the Elected Officials, but will be placed in the parade according to their unit descriptive category (personal entry; mobile unit; marching unit; etc.)
   
   d.    No participant will be permitted to display material advertising any candidacy for public office, nor shall there be any campaigning along the parade route. THIS RULE WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.
   
   

4. SIGNAGE RULES; HEIGHT AND WIDTH RULES

   a.    Signs or banners are NOT required for entrants in the parade but are encouraged in that they help spectators identify the entrant.
   
   b.    Signs or banners may carry the name of the unit, sponsor, patriotic statement or title, preferably in keeping with the theme of the parade.
   
   c.    Units and marchers may not display signs or banners which promote a cause or could be considered by the average person to be picket signs or banners.
   
   d.    Height Restriction: no unit may be higher than 12 feet from the pavement.
   
   e.    Width Restriction: All units must be able to fit inside one standard traffic lane (since at the end of the S-curve on Kenmore Street, that's the width of the route!).

J. PRIZES TO BE AWARDED.

1.    Floats*

1st Prize: $400
2nd Prize: $300
3rd Prize: $200
4th Prize: $100
5th Prize: $75
6th Prize: $50
7th - 10th Prizes (if any): Awards at the discretion of the Judges

2.    Equestrian Units

1st Prize: $100
2nd Prize: $90
3rd Prize: $80
4th Prize: $70
5th Prize: $60

3.    Bands and Drum Corps

New for 2009:
THE HARFORD COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL BEL AIR JULY 4TH PARADE TROPHY
This trophy is awarded to the Harford County high school marching band that, in the eyes and ears of our judges, performs the best. It comes with a $500 cash award and a trophy.

    Also to be awarded:

GUEST BANDS and DRUM CORPS (1st through 3rd place)

4.    Antique Cars (1st through 3rd place)

5.    Color Guards (1st through 3rd place)

6.    Mobile Units (1st through 5th place)

7.    Marching Units (1st through 5th place) ("rolling" units count as marching)

8.    Emergency Services (1st through 3rd place)

9.    Comic/Novelty Acts (1st through 3rd place)

10.    "Most Unique" Entry (plaque)

11.    "Notable Persons" (plaques)

12.    Other Awards:

Judges' Awards, honorable mentions, other awards of cash, trophies and/or plaques will be awarded if, in the opinion of the judges, they are merited.

K. The Judges' decisions as to prize or award winners are final.

L. VERY IMPORTANT:

Now that you have read the Parade Rules, please choose from the following options to execute the Parade Application Form: