Clydesdales trot into Northwest suburbs July 4

The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales will trot into the Northwest suburbs over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

On July 4, they'll lead off the annual Rolling Meadows parade, and the next day they will be outside a Jewel-Osco in Palatine.

Rolling Meadows Community Events Foundation volunteer Kathleen Bakos has been working for a year to secure the horses as part of the parade.

Before the parade, eight Clydesdales will unload from their semitrailers and get saddled up starting at 10 a.m. on Barker Avenue, just south of Central Road, near Rolling Meadows High School. An announcer from Budweiser will provide fun facts throughout the process, during which spectators will be asked to stand on the sidewalk and grass near the tennis courts, city officials said.

The Clydesdale team will kick off the parade at 11:30 a.m., going west on Central Road, north on Owl Drive, east on Kirchoff Road, and north on Meadow Drive, ending at Kimball Hill School.

About 12:30 p.m., the horses will be staged to load back into their trailers in front of the Northwest Community Healthcare Outpatient Center at 3300 Kirchoff Road.

New this year, a post-parade party sponsored by Rep's Place will take place in the shopping center parking lot from 1 to 8 p.m. featuring music, food and drink. The city's fireworks display at dusk is at the park district's community center.

Then, on July 5, the Clydesdales will greet shoppers from 1 to 3 p.m. outside Jewel-Osco, 423 E. Dundee Road in Palatine.