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Memorial Day parade hottest event in town
Luke Ahern rushes to hand out lifesaver candies during the Memorial Day Parade in River Forest on Monday, May 28th. | Dan Luedert~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: July 6, 2012 8:50AM
Thousands braved record-breaking heat to celebrate Memorial Day this year in River Forest.
The town held its 87th Annual Memorial Day Parade on Monday, and it was as big a hit as ever, said Mike Sletten, executive director of the River Forest Park District.
The park district organized the parade in conjunction with the River Forest Service Club and the village.
“There were about 67 or 68 [parade] entries, four great bands, and the weather was great,” Sletten said. “Everybody seemed to have a great time.”
The high school bands from Oak Park-River Forest, and Proviso East and Proviso West delighted crowds, alongside a Dixieland band.
Memorial Day saw record-breaking temperatures in Chicagoland. The heat peaked at 95 degrees at O’Hare Airport, breaking the previous record of 93 degrees, which was set in 1942.
That didn’t stop droves of spectators from cheering on the parade until it reached Keystone Park, where some 2,000 hot dogs were served as part of a free lunch.
A brief memorial service at noon preceded the hotdog lunch.
