The 4th of July Parade is one of the largest events of the summer and a community favorite! Don your red, white, and blue, and help us celebrate Independence Day at this family-friendly event! What a great connection between Main Street and the City of Ames! The parade will begin at 11:00am.

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New for 2025!

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For the first time, our parade will have a theme! The 2025 theme is “Stars, Stripes, and Summertime” and all entries will be encouraged to join in the spirit of the theme!

Parade judges will be stationed at Tom Evans Park. Each parade entry will be judged on their Patriotic Spirit, Creativity, Community Involvement, Entertainment Value and Overall Presentation. The top entry will win a trophy and a complimentary entry in the 2026 Downtown Ames 4th of July Parade at the FRONT of the parade (following the Grand Marshall).  You do not need to participate in the judging to be a part of the parade. To view the judging criteria, please follow this link.

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Parade Rules

A priority for Ames Main Street it to safely provide a celebration of our patriotic spirit. All parade entries will be held to the standards in the rules and waivers they commit to when signing up for the parade. Groups who do not follow the rules will not be invited to participate in future parades. Thank you for your understanding. To view the rules, please follow this link.

Interested in joining the parade?

Registration IS LIVE! Follow the link to sign up!

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Interested in volunteering during the parade?

Volunteers will receive Community Cash for their time! Please follow this link to see volunteer opportunities. Do you have a group who wants to volunteer? Email Sarah for more information.

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Parade Route

*Downtown Ames often takes photographs & video during our events for use on social media or our website. By attending, you agree that Downtown Ames may use any image of you that might appear in photographs or video taken at a Downtown Ames event.*