Bud Billiken Parade | Chicago, IL
Billed as the oldest and largest African American parade in the U.S.,
Chicago’s Bud Billiken Parade has been held on every second Saturday
since 1929. Attracting thousands of spectators along its route, the
parade marks for many the unofficial beginning of the end of summer.
It features politicians, beauty queens, celebrities, musical
performers, and dozens of high-school drill teams, floats, and
marching bands. High-profile celebrities and dignitaries have attended
the parade over the years, including Presidents Truman and Kennedy,
Michael Jordan, Joe Louis, Ali, Duke Ellington, Oprah, Lena Horne,
Ethel Waters, Cab Calloway, Paul Robeson and Billie Holiday.
Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama, served as grand marshal
in 2007. Visit the Bud Billiken Parade Official Website for additional information.
Other interesting facts:
- The parade is named after the Billiken, a Chinese mythical character
who is the guardian angel of little children. - Its not only the largest African-American parade in the country, Bud
Billiken is the largest parade in Chicago and the nation’s second
largest parade after the Rose Bowl Parade.
Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Designed to showcase and honor the work of established and emerging independent African American filmmakers, the Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival was launched in 2002 by Run and Shoot Filmworks (RSF), the husband-and-wife team Stephanie Tavares-Rance and Floyd Rance III. Today, the festival runs over 3 days and 45 film screenings at various locations in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven on Martha’s Vineyard, Massaschuettes. The festival regulary draws 100’s of particpants from afar away as Europe, New York, Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles among other cities.
Headlining this year’s festival are two episodes from “The Backyardigans,” a popular children’s TV show by Nickelodeon, and a screening of the Universal Pictures film, “The Express,” starring Rob Brown and Dennis Quaid.
For more information, be sure to check out the official website.
