Hartford, WI – For the first time in as long as anyone can remember, Hartford will not be having a 4th of July Parade. For the past many years, the Hartford Jaycees put on this parade under the guidance of Aaron and Rachel Smiley. In 2021, the Jaycees disbanded and the Smiley’s asked The Mill group to allow them to run the event under their umbrella as a not-for-profit organization.
After the recent passing of Aaron Smiley, it was determined by The Mill that they did not have the bandwidth to put on such a large event and they let the city know of this development.
Other local organizations including the Downtown Business Improvement District and Chamber of Commerce were made aware of the change.
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The Chamber already puts on several events including the heavily attended Christmas Parade in November while the local veteran’s organizations host the Memorial Day Parade.
The cancelation of the 4th of July Parade does not change the 4th of July Fireworks at dusk on the July 4, 2023, at Independence Park; this will still be the site for a bigger and better show.
