The Kenosha Civic Veterans Parade presented by Snap-on will step off at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 3 with the theme “America the Beautiful.” The parade is organized by the City of Kenosha. Continuing its community generosity, Snap-on is again the lead sponsor for the parade. Kenosha County joins the City of Kenosha in supporting the parade, along with division sponsors Kenosha Kingfish, Jockey International, First American Bank, AECOM and Festival Foods.
Tom Visintainer will be honored as the “2021 Hometown Hero of the Year.” The Hometown Hero Commission takes nominations of veterans to honor through quarterly awards, and also chooses one veteran as the “Hometown Hero of the Year,” who is recognized at the Kenosha Civic Veterans Parade presented by Snap-on.
Visintainer was nominated for his 33 years of service with the Army/U.S. Army Reserves, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. He was trained as an engineer of heavy equipment operations and an electrician. He is the Commander of Kenosha County American Legion Council, works with Sons of the Legion Post 21, VFW Sturtevant Post 9948, Eagles Nest Association of Sturtevant, and was the first non Vietnam Veteran to become a member of the Kenosha Area Veterans Honor Guard. He is employed at Zablocki VA Center in Milwaukee as Project Management Building Inspector for all new construction.
Other highlights of the parade include the Navy Band Great Lakes and the crowd favorite Jesse White Tumbling Team from Chicago. There are also several local bands participating in this year’s parade including Band of the Blackwatch, Kenosha Rambler Band, Mad Plaid Brass, and The Greasers as well as Appleton’s Lutheran Vanguard of Wisconsin.
There will be 11 floats in this year’s parade. Floats will compete for the honor of Best in Show, and also first-, second- and third-place ribbons in categories including Artistic Excellence, Patriotism, Hometown Pride, Spirit/Energy and Best Use of Theme. Floats will be judged prior to the parade in the staging area. This year’s float judges are Laura Gregorski, Marketing Director of Visit Kenosha, and Dana Nelson, owner of Kaiser’s Pizza and Pub Kenosha. Winners will be announced during the parade at the announcer’s booth in Navy Memorial Park, across from the reviewing stand area in Veterans Memorial Park outside City Hall, 625 52nd St.
The parade route will be identical to last year beginning on Seventh Avenue at Washington Road, then heading south through Sixth Avenue downtown and ending on the west side of Library Park. The parade will travel only in the southbound lane on Seventh Avenue, and people are welcome to sit on the boulevard once the parade route is closed to traffic at noon. The best areas for viewing the parade are along Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue before
the parade reaches Library Park and prepares for disbanding.
How sweet it is: Following a change in city ordinance adopted by the Common Council last year, participants in the Kenosha Civic Veterans Parade are allowed to hand out (not throw) candy to spectators.
All ages are welcome to participate in a community bike ride as part of the parade — but bicyclists must be able to ride two miles without stopping and keep up with the group. All participants in the bike parade must ride a bike; no walking or jogging with the group. Bike parade participants do not need to submit a parade application, but should plan to gather at Seventh Avenue and Washington Road between noon-12:30 p.m., prior to the 1 p.m. start time.
For more parade information, please visit kenosha.org.
Parade schedule
PRE-PARADE
- 1. VFW Riders Post 1865
- 2. Veterans Motorcycle Group
- 3. Community Bike Parade
- 4. American Legion Post 21 Color Guard
- 5. Kenosha Police Department
- 6. Kenosha Fire Department
- 7. Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department
- 8. Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth
- 9. Somers Fire & Rescue
- 10. Multi-jurisdictional Motor Corps
- 11. Kenosha County Scout Leaders Rescue Squad, Inc.
- 12. McDevitt’s Towing and Automotive Repair
- 13. Kenosha History Center presents: Kenosha Made Automobiles
- 14. Jensen Towing and Recovery
DIVISION 1
(Sponsored by Kenosha Kingfish)
- 1. BAND: Navy Band Great Lakes
- 2. FLOAT: Kenosha Navy Club Ship 40
- 3. Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman
- 4. Raphael Entertainment Stilt Walker: Arik Mendelevitz
- 5. Zumba with Lili
- 6. U.S. Representative Bryan Steil
- 7. Salvation Army
- 8. Parade Float Judges Laura Gregorski and Dana Nelson
- 9. Step By Step Dance Academy
- 10. Municipal Court Judge: Michael Easton
- 11. Kenosha Kingfish
- 12. State Senator Bob Wirch
- 13. FLOAT: Snap-On
- 14. Sleep in Heavenly Peace
- 15. State Representative Tod Ohnstad
- 16. State Representative Tip McGuire
- 17. BAND: Band of the Blackwatch
DIVISION 2
(Sponsored by Jockey International)
- 1. Cirques Experience Wheel Jam
- 2. Kenosha Area Vietnam Veterans
- 3. Kenosha Hometown Hero: Thomas Visintainer
- 4. BAND/FLOAT: The Greasers
- 5. Abundance of Youth
- 6. Kenosha County Clerk of Circuit Court Rebecca Matoska-Mentink & Kenosha County Clerk Regi Bachochin
- 7. Kenosha County Treasurer Teri Jacobson
- 8. BAND: Kenosha Rambler Band
- 9. FLOAT: Cub Scouts Pack 567
- 10. Wisconsin Youth of the Year Kayla Mitchell
- 11. Knights of Columbus
- 12. Kenosha Academy of Performing Arts
- 13. St. Joseph Catholic Academy
- 14. Candidate for Kenosha County Sheriff Tyler Cochran
- 15. FLOAT: Southport Kidz Adventure Camp
- 16. Bullen Middle School Cheerleading
- 17. Jesse White Tumbling Team
DIVISION 3
(Sponsored by First American Bank)
- 1. TJ Howell Rocket Cycle
- 2. Band: Kenosha Pops
- 3. FLOAT: Kenosha County Democratic Party
- 4. Kenosha’s Distinguished Young Women: Morgan Kelsey
- 5. Urban League of Racine and Kenosha
- 6. Kenosha Community Media
- 7. FLOAT: Indian Trail Cheerleading
- 8. Angels of Hope
- 9. Carthage College Firebirds
- 10. Miss Kenosha Jenna Zeihen
- 11. Miss Southport’s Outstanding Teen: Etta Tidd
- 12. BAND: Mad Plaid Brass
- 13. 52nd Street Cricket Wireless
- 14. Candidate for Kenosha County Sheriff Albert Gonzalez
- 15. US Taekwando Academy
- 16. FLOAT: Kenosha Blue Line/Kenosha Komets Hockey
- 17. TJ Howell World’s Smallest Radio Flyer
DIVISION 4
(Sponsored by AECOM)
- 1. BAND: Lutheran Vanguard of Wisconsin
- 2. Southeastern Wisconsin Building & Construction Trades Council
- 3. Kenosha County Fairest of the Fair Royalty: Katelyn Hannah & Shannon Diedrich
- 4. FLOAT: Republican Party of Kenosha County
- 5. AECOM: Lanette Altenbach
- 6. Candidate for Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner
- 7. State Bank of the Lakes
- 8. Dr. Destruction
- 9. FLOAT: Kenosha Moose Lodge #286
- 10. Jesters, Jokers & Joey’s
- 11. Candidate for Governor Rebecca Kleefisch
- 12. Kenosha Beauty Supply/ Emmie L. Spears Foundation
- 13. Kenosha Christian Life School Cheer Team & Alumni
- 14. Those Funny Little People
- 15. Kenosha.com
- 16. Slingshots of Kenosha
DIVISION 5
(Sponsored by Festival Foods)
- 1. Festival Food Big Cart
- 2. Kenosha Public Library
- 3. BAND: Route 66 Belle City Band
- 4. Kenosha City Tavern League SafeRide Program
- 5. Candidate for Kenosha County Sheriff Ray Rowe
- 6. Star of America Pageants National Ultimate Junior Queen Evangeline Azure & National Noble Queen Brandy Pearson
- 7. FLOAT: Kenosha Community Sailing Center
- 8. Kenosha Yacht Club
- 9. Candidate for Kenosha County Clerk of Court: Zach Rodriguez
- 10. UW-Parkside
- 11. Kenosha Toyota
- 12. Fairytale Birthday Company LLC
- 13. Midwest Bin Cleaners
- 14. BAND: River City Rhythm
- 15. Miss Wisconsin Volunteer Angelica Niemann
- 16. Kenosha HOG #5559
- 17. City Bus
