Grafton may have a Fourth of July parade this year

When the Fourth of July rolls around in Grafton, the celebration is on the low-key side. 

Justin Stone snd Bob DeToma, members of the town’s new Veterans Advisory Committee, are hoping to change that. They hope to have the whole town celebrating Independence Day the old-fashioned way: with a parade.

The last time Grafton held a major parade was back in October 2010, when the town celebrated its 275th anniversary. The 4th of July parade will be a bit less extravagant but more celebratory than the veterans’ solemn Memorial Day parade (also called off during Covid).

“We’re hoping to start with something small,” Stone told the Select Board Tuesday. “Bicycles you can decorate, locals with classic cars. We have some interest from the Boy Scouts.”

Marching bands and veteran groups could also be invited and local vendors could sell their wares on Grafton Common.

The Grafton Lions Club usually hosts a large concert on the Common on a weekend around the holiday, but COVID-19 and other issues have prevented it in recent years. 

The parade would also be a town-wide event that can bring people together for the first time since Covid began.

The potential route would travel:

• Upton Road to Grafton Common;
• Down Millbury Street to Providence Road;
• Providence Road to the Grafton High School parking lot.

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