The Armed Forces Day Parade Is Back In 2022, And They Need Help

Of course the big news this spring is the return of the Armed Forces Day Parade in May, but that's not the rest of the story. One thing every event needs is a reason to attend, so the Chamber of Commerce is currently seeking out vendors to be part of the celebration in the park.

If you've never been to the Lawton Armed Forced Day Parade, it's a trip. It's a day where military might rolls down the city streets. The engines are super loud. The weight of these machines can be felt radiating up through your body. You'll likely spend most of that time thinking "Well, what does that do?"

It's awesome.

The parade used to roll from Cameron to Elmer Thomas Park, but the last few years it has kicked off like Lawton's Christmas parade... It starts at Central Mall and rolls down C Avenue, turns north up 11th Street, then back east down Ferris to the park. With the abundant parking, it's a much better parade route than it used to be, but the fun doesn't end with the parade...

After all that diesel-powered muscle wraps up the parade, there's an Armed Forces Day event that takes place into the afternoon down at the park. This is where Lawton's various vendors take the spotlight and try to provide entertainment for the families attending.

The last couple of years the attractions have been mostly food trucks, but people really love things that are either really affordable or free. On the backside of a pandemic and the current record surge of inflation, I'm sure the park will see a record crowd since every citizen is looking for stuff to do again.

If you have a fun business or idea to entertain the kiddos, give the chamber a shout. I'm sure they'd be glad to have you in the park that day.