Aurora names Juanita Wells as grand marshal for Fourth of July Parade
Juanita Wells, a 44-year Aurora Township resident and community leader who served on the East Aurora Unit District 131 board and as a township trustee, will serve as grand marshal for Aurora’s Fourth of July Parade starting at 10 a.m. at Benton Street and Broadway Avenue.
A native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, Wells moved to Aurora in 1972 and has been an Aurora Township resident for 44 years. Wells is a charter member of Bionic Temple 1296 Improved Benevolent Protected Order of Elks of the World, serving on local, state, and national levels. She is a former president of Fox Valley American Legion 798 Women’s Auxiliary, a former board member of the Marie Wilkinson Child Development Center and the Friends of the Marie Wilkinson Child Development Center. She also is a member of Blacks in Politics and the African American Black Business Expo Committee and the secretary for Friends of LaSalle Street Historic Auto Row.
For 18 years, Wells served on the East Aurora Unit District 131 board and on the Aurora Township Board for 12 years. She serves in the Women’s Ministry and the Children’s Church of Progressive Baptist Church and is a charter member of their trustee board. Juanita is the mother of two: Everett “Tracy” Robinson and Alicia Wells.
The parade will step-off at the intersection of Benton Street and Broadway Avenue at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 4. The reviewing stand will be in front of the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place. Free parking is available throughout downtown, including the Stolp Island Parking Garage for parade day. Arrive before 9:30 a.m. to provide enough time for parking and viewing preparation on the parade route.
Immediately following the parade, the Grand Army of the Republic Military Museum will open its latest exhibit, “America’s 250th: How the G.A.R. Shaped Our Nation,” to further commemorate America’s 250th Anniversary, as well as the 149th anniversary of the laying of the museum’s cornerstone.
This exhibit explores the political, cultural, and economic influence of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Civil War veteran society formed in Decatur, Illinois, in 1866. The exhibit’s narrative is accompanied by historic photographs and artifacts from the G.A.R. Military Museum’s collection.
Aurora’s Independence Day firework show is set for Friday, July 3. Two viewing locations will be available: RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway Ave. and McCullough Park, 150 W. Illinois Ave.
Visit aurora.il.us.