Putnam County Fair parade route is set

Strike up the band.

Three months of work to determine the best possible Putnam County Fair Parade route has paid off as the fair parade committee has an established plan. 

"This has been a work in progress. Needless to say, this has not been an easy one," parade committee chair Nancy Michael told The Putnam County Post. 

Construction along US 231 has created issues when it comes to planning for a parade this year, something Michael acknowledged has created some issues. 

"There's not a lot of options for a parade this size. We have to take into consideration -- where we will stage our entries, where spectators will be able to sit and a route that will accommodate the length of our parade. We believe this is the best option. It is straight and it will accommodate seating, particularly, in the DePauw area," Michael said.  

The route will be located on Seminary and Locust streets with entries starting at the intersection of Wood Street and Seminary Street, traveling west to Locust St. The route will then proceed south on Locust to the intersection of Locust and Hanna Street, which will be the conclusion of the parade. Entries will exit the parade via Hanna St. 

"DePauw University has been very helpful, supportive and helped us handle some important details. We've been working closely with  Mayor Dunbar and her departments who help us execute this event. We can never do it without the support of the City of Greencastle," Michael said. 

The new route is the result of INDOT not being able to guarantee that Washington Street would be open in time for the parade. 

"That is a critical point for us. As we all know, anytime there's renovation or construction things come up, weather gets in the way, and, sometimes, there's delays," Michael said. 

With the fair still two months away, Michael said it was "important" to get the information out to the public. 

"People have been asking lots of questions to committee members. Some people believe there's not going to be a parade. Some people are questioning what that route will be. We believe people have hesitated to register, so we felt it was important to get this information out once we were able to get our request to reroute 231 approved by INDOT," Michael said. 

While the new route is planned, there are still several hurdles to clear before the fair. Street closure requests need to be approved by the City of Greencastle. 

"We plan to walk certain neighborhoods that are most affected  to remind them of the parade. With all the logistics and attention to detail that has to be worked out before the day, it was critical to make a decision. We think it's going to be a wonderful alternative and encourage people to embrace our decision," Michael said.