Grand Prix Night Parade to Light up Central Avenue

Come out to Central Avenue Thursday night to watch floats, crews, marching bands, special apperances by IndyCar drives and more. Mayor Bill Foster and Pete, St. Petersburg's First Puppy will also be in the parade.

The parade begins at 7 p.m. at Central Ave and Fifth St. N.

This year's parade Grand Marshal is U.S. Army Specialist and St. Petersburg resident Charlie Lemon. Lemon, a double amputee, represents Wish for Our Heroes, a national charity which assists military members facing hardships. Lemon will also give the command to start Sunday's 12:30 p.m. Honda Grand Prix.

Parade Route

Parade units step off from Central Ave. and Fifth St. N. around 7 p.m.,
proceeding east on Central Ave., to Second St. N. Units follow Second St. N.
to First Ave. N, where they travel east to Beach Dr. On Beach, the parade
marches north until it ends at Fifth Ave. NE. Units will continue along Fifth
Ave NE to Seventh Ave. NE and the North Shore Pool parking lot, where they
disperse. Some surrounding streets will also see congestion as parade units
assemble prior to the 7 p.m. start. Streets affected include Eighth St. S.
from First Ave. N., Third Ave. S. from Eighth St. S. to Fourth St. N.

Limited crossing during the parade will be available at Third St. Fourth St.
and Second Ave. NE, while access to The Pier and Demen's Landing will be via
Second Ave. NE. Delays should be anticipated as vehicles will be allowed to
cross only during gaps in the parade and when it is safe to do so.

Parking

Parking restrictions will be in place along both the race and parade route by
midday tomorrow to accommodate event organizers. Affected areas will have No
Parking signs posted and meters bagged to warn motorists of Thursday night's
events. Residential parking permit holders are advised to plan ahead for
alternate vehicle parking locations to avoid a citation or be subject to
towing. Residential parking permits do not exempt vehicles from either
citations or towing during downtown special events.

For more information, including ticket reservations and prices, visit GPStPete.com.

The City of St. Petersburg has put together everything you need to know about parking and transportation for the event on their website.

Related Coverage:

Race Week Includes 5K, Parade, Dan Wheldon Memorial Unveiling

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