Welcome to the 2012 GeorgeFest Parade
Thank You for participating!

110th Annual George Washington’s Birthday Festival – GeorgeFest 2012
The longest running festival of its kind in Florida and 2nd longest in the U.S.!

Thank you for your application to the “Made In America” GeorgeFest Parade 2012. Check in frequently to the GeorgeFest Website: www.EustisGeorgeFest.org for news and updates on the parade. For those that have participated in the past, this may seem repetitious; however, please read to alleviate any confusion.

Application Due Date: Priority placement for applications received by February 1, 2012

Parade Theme: “Made In America”
Parade Date: Saturday, February 25, 2012
Parade Time: 10:00 AM

• The Lake Eustis Area Chamber of Commerce has added the “Chamber Choice” to the awards categories.
• U-Haul of Eustis has offered work spaces for float building and decorating for 2 weeks prior to the parade. They have two 10 X 30 units available. If you are interested, call Paula Quillen at 483-1577. U-Haul of Eustis is located at 15519 US Hwy 441 in Eustis.
• Based on previous year’s parade attendance, consider having 2000 or more pieces of candy or promotional items to toss if you choose to do so. Please do not throw any items until you begin the official parade route. We would like to keep the four staging areas and entry points clear and manageable. Please save some giveaways for the bandstands and judges review area located toward the end of the parade.
• We encourage you to play music from your floats and vehicles, keeping the sound level reasonable and either patriotic or thematic to your float.
• We will have pace cars to keep the parade pace at an appropriate pace. If you will be in a float or vehicle, please help the walkers out by distancing yourself at least 20-30 feet from the entrant in front of you and go as slow as possible.
• Be sure the contact person on the parade application can be reached easily.
• Instructions on how to build a float, obtain materials, handle the flag, and obtain a parade map are available.
  

The entire parade order & staging area assignments can be accessed at www.eustisgeorgefest.org as soon as they are available – usually the Tuesday before the parade.

All entrants will be issued a staging area along with a red or black position number,  Information will be mailed to the person that sent in the application.  It will be that person’s responsibility to inform others in the group of the position number.  Applications received after February 12th will be placed at the end of the parade lineup, however you will not be the last one – we will have something “bring up the rear”.

If you have received two numbers, vehicles with the black numbers will stage in one area, & walkers/marchers with the same number (only red)  will join up with their vehicle as it comes by.

PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY – THERE WILL BE SOMEONE AT THE STAGING AREA BY 7:15 AM

PARADE STAGING:

Staging Area A                     Lake County Veterans will stage inside the fence, along the fence
                                                along Atwater Street in the main field (Elementary school)

Staging Area B                     Antique Automobiles Anonymous will use West Mills Avenue with the
                                                Shriners – please assemble on West Mills Ave. – Stay west of Morin                                                           Street 

Staging Area C                     Eustis Marching Band – Habitat for Humanity Parking Lot

Staging Area D                     RED ENTRY NUMBERS  All marching & twirling groups (except noted)                                                    please stage in the field behind the Firehouse.  The field is at W. Herrick                                                   Ave. & Morin Street

Staging Area E                     All floats & organizations with BLACK ENTRY NUMBERS go to the
                                                Eustis Heights elementary School – Atwater & South Street entrance
                                                unless otherwise directed above.

Please display your position number to the right (passenger) side of your windshield.  Once you enter the school property, our volunteers will assist you in locating your position on the field.  Only vehicles actually in the parade should enter the field.  There is ample parking on the right side of the entrance area.  Please use this parking area if your vehicle is NOT in the parade, or if you are just dropping off a participant.  NOTE:  THE STAGING AREA & EUSTIS HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY WILL BE LOCKED AS THE PARADE STARTS AWAY.  IF YOU NEED PARKING, DO NOT STAY IN THE FIELD, BUT PARK OUTSIDE.   DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING INCLUDING VEHICLES & TRAILERS IN THE FIELD.  YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO THEM.  EXTRA FIELD SPACE IS AVAILABLE AT THE CORNER OF SOUTH & LAKEVIEW, WHERE THE SHRINERS LEAVE THEIR TRAILERS.
                                                           
The parade will begin leaving the staging area at 9:40 AM.  Please allow plenty of time for you and/or your group to find each other and get set up.  There will be a lot of traffic & a lot of people, so please give yourself & us enough time to get everyone situated.  If you have any final assembly to make on your float, please come as early as 7:30 -8:00 AM.

The parade will leave Eustis Heights Elementary School & go to the starting place, which is at the corner of W. Norton Ave & Bay Street.  The parade will travel North on Bay Street & end at Bates Ave. (the corner where the Community Center is located).  The judges will be situated at the corner of Citrus & Bay St.  If there is something special you wish to have the judges see, please be ready then.

The lead vehicles will stop & wait for a few minutes as they turn onto Bay Street to let everyone merging in on Morin Street to get in order without running to stay together.

The pace of the parade will be walking speed for everyone’s safety.  Drivers – take your time & stay slow enough for all walkers to walk & not have to run to keep up.

When returning to your cars, please come all the way to Atwater before turning off Bay Street.  The police will still have all other intersections on Morin Street closed.

Remember, the official route starts at Bay Street – do not begin throwing out candy until then.

SMILE……….. Our photographer will have the pictures on www.eustisgeorgefest.org

Feel free to call the Chamber at 357-3434 if you have any other questions.  It is our pleasure to make your parade experience successful, safe & fun!

Fernando Ramirez, Parade Chairman  

Individual & Non-Profit: $25.00
Business:  $25.00
Large groups of vehicles (i.e. motorcycles, etc.):
First 10 vehicles $25.00, additional vehicles $25.00 for every 10

• All entries must reflect our theme “Made In America” or a patriotic theme
• All motorized entries must be decorated
• Identification signs must be legible
• Animal entries must have a “clean-up crew” and will be positioned at the back of the parade
• All floats will be judged during the parade
• There will be no stopping during the parade except for emergencies
• To meet our insurance requirements, we must have proof of insurance for all vehicle drivers

(please provide a copy of the driver’s insurance card)

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION….please contact the Lake Eustis Area Chamber of Commerce M-F  8 AM to 4PM at 352-357-3434.  Your parade number will be sent about 2 weeks before the parade.

Click To Print Nomination Form

Click To Print Nomination Form