North Aurora parade to focus on whole town

North Aurora's popular youth baseball season-starting parade is growing into something for everyone in town.

Instead of just focusing on the North Aurora Baseball Association, the parade is now called the North Aurora Community Parade. Joining NABA and the North Aurora Mothers Club in planning it are the village, the North Aurora Lions Club and the North Aurora Fire Protection District.

"We're enhancing what we already have," said village Trustee Mark Gaffino, who sits on the committee. He said it is something village officials have talked about informally for several years.

"It should be fun."

The village board Monday approved the parade route. It will start at the Clock Tower Plaza at Randall Road and Oak Street, head east on Oak to Lincolnway (Route 31), south on Lincolnway to State Street (Route 56), and east on State to Island Park.

The village needs the state's permission to close Route 31 from Oak to State, and Route 56 from Route 25 to Route 31. Trustees discussed different routes in December, but agreed with the committee, which felt taking the parade down side streets was not as good.

The North Aurora River District Alliance is talking about having some sort of social event in the park after the parade, Gaffino said.

The parade is at 2 p.m. May 16.

"We've got to plan now, because time flies," Gaffino said. The committee has been discussing this since October, and has asked the organizers of Batavia's Loyalty Day parade for advice. He hopes school groups, including bands, will participate.

People interested in volunteering to help the committee, enter a float, help pay for the event or have their group march in the parade can e-mail Gaffino at mgaffer4@comcast.net. The committee plans to put up information on the village's Web site this spring.