The Englewood Back To School Parade and The South Side Neighborhood Gospel Festival offers an entire day of celebration for the Englewood community on August 19th from 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM at Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine, Chicago IL 60636.
This year’s parade will celebrate 62 years of this free, family-friendly event with its rich history and traditions in the Englewood neighborhood. “The Englewood Back to School Parade (EBTSP) is something that generations of children and families have looked forward to with great anticipation for decades,” said Sandra Streeter, Chair of the Englewood Back to School Parade. “It’s an honor and a labor of living for myself and our hardworking committee to ensure this important tradition continues.”
The parade and the activities immediately following in Ogden Park will include a youth-directed performing stage with dancing, open mic opportunities, free food, nonprofit exhibitors, and raffle gifts. Hundreds of backpacks with school supplies will be given away at the event.
From 3:30 pm – 8:00 pm, the celebration will transition from the parade finale to the South Side Neighborhood Gospel Festival, where food and retail vendors from the community will be on hand to offer samples of their products and the inspirational sounds of gospel music. James Fortune will headline the music festival and feature national and local artists, including:
- Amethyst
- The 16th Ward Senior Gospel Choir
- Bishop Dan Willis and ANC
- Carsie Barnes IV and Favored
- Dexter Walker and Zion Movement
- J. Pyles
- Kim Stratton
- Leroy Thomas
- Lil & The Promise Keepers
- Minister Tim White
- Shekinah Glory Ministry
and more
For more information, visit wwwenglewoodparade.org and www.ssgospelfest.org.The Englewood Back To School Parade and Gospel Fest is brought to you by Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Door Neighborhood Center.
Sponsors include:
Go Greater Englewood, Aetna, Teamwork Englewood, Calahan Funeral Home, Marquette Bank, Save A Lot, Yellow Banana, White Castle, Walmart, Currie Motors, Bright Start, IL Treasurer Michael Frerichs, Kivvit, St. Bernard Hospital, NTruth, Bald Bold Free, American Family Insurance, Antioch Community Social Service, I & Wine and Spirits, Jenny Capp, Kennedy King College, WKKC, Marie|Wesley, E.G. Woode, Not Before My Parents, Ogden Park Advisory Council, OLashay Strategic Marketing Solutions, We R Englewood, Black Ink Group, LLC., Chicago Public Schools, Who Is Hussain, Voices of Englewood, ALW LLC, Howard Brown Health, Hope For Humanity Chicago, Chicago Alliance of Gospel Music Professionals, Mighty Dominion and the Englewood Five, Alderwoman Stephanie Coleman, Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor, Alderman David Moore, Alderman Raymond Lopez and Alderman William Hall.
The Englewood Back To School Parade is a not-for-profit organization that provides a platform for the Englewood community to celebrate and to highlight the importance of education by providing an avenue for individuals and organizations (profit & non-for-profit) to introduce their offered services to the residents and students of the Englewood community. There is a sponsor reception and a parade procession through the community, which concludes at Ogden Park, where residents enjoy a day where all activities are free. This event has been held for 62 successful years violence-free; this is the reasoning behind this event being labeled as a “gem” in the community.
