Bring a folding chair and catch the July 4th parade in Uptown!

State Street through Uptown will close to vehicular traffic — but open as prime spectator viewing space — during Westerville’s annual Independence Day parade Tuesday, July 4.

Staged by the Rotary Club of Westerville, the State Street parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. from St. Paul’s Church, 313 N. State St., proceeds south on State through the length of the Uptown Historic District, and concludes in the 400 block of South State Street as the procession turns onto Electric Avenue to conclude at Westerville South High School.

More than 160 entries are scheduled to march in the 2023 Westerville Independence Day Parade, including the marching bands from Westerville Central, Westerville North and Westerville South high schools.

The brick-lined sidewalks in front of Uptown’s beautiful historic buildings of between Home Street and Walnut Street provide many great places to catch the awesome celebration.

Bring a folding chair and find a viewing spot Uptown to celebrate your July 4th at the Rotary Club of Westerville Independence Day Parade!

The theme for the 2023 Rotary Club of Westerville Independence Parade is “Red White & Blue & Liberty, too,” submitted this spring by Camden Kuhlman, a kindergarten student at Fouse Elementary School. Camden and his family get to ride on the Rotary’s float in the parade for winning the club’s annual parade theme contest.

The grand marshal of the 2023 parade will be Christopher Hoch, a Westerville North High School graduate who is in his fourth year as director of The Ohio State University Marching and Athletic Bands.

More info available at WestervilleRotary.com.

Fireworks at 10 p.m.

The Westerville Fourth of July Fireworks Display will go off at 10 p.m. Tuesday. The display again will be let off from the northern side of Heritage Park, near Cleveland Ave., north of West Main Street.

Due to safety concerns, the city will close Heritage Park to vehicular traffic and parking at 7 a.m. on the 4th. The Community Center also will be closed July 4 due to holiday activity.

The city and Rotary Club suggest the fields of the Westerville Athletic Complex, 325 N. Cleveland Ave., as the best viewing spot. But the fireworks should be visible across the north side of town.

More info is available at WestervilleRotary.com and Westerville.org.