SUFFRAGE COALITION REENACTMENT PARADE INFORMATION CELEBRATING 102 YEARS OF WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE
Parade Date: Saturday, May 7, 2022, Knoxville, Tennessee
Check In Time: 3:30 for walkers, 3:00 for cars and other motorized vehicles
Check in Location: Please report to your designated lineup location. Your group leader will be notified of your position number.
Line Up Time: 3:45
Step off Time: 5:00 (Be ready at 4:55)
Step off Location: To be announced
Ending Location: Market Square. If you cannot walk back to your car please make arrangements.
All who are eligible to be vaccinated MUST be vaccinated and follow all city Covid 19 rules which may include a mask. If you cannot be vaccinated because of age you must wear a mask.
PARTICIPANTS
Participants (Women of all ages, children, and men) may organize groups to walk in the parade or come and join in any group in the parade. Men will walk with a group of women or under the banner “Men’s Ratification Committee”. Banners are available for purchase for $15.00. Banners with the name of the group and a standard to carry the banner are $50.00. Contact us to order a banner with your group name and a standard by April 15th. A group could be girl scouts, attorneys, teachers, nurses, doctors, office groups, social groups, schools, sports teams, neighborhood, political—any group that believes it is everyone’s right to vote.
You may carry posters for voting rights, vintage posters, and picture of a relative who was a suffragist. Current political messages or candidates posters are not allowed. Cutouts of past suffragists are allowed and the Suffrage Coalition will provide new local Suffragists cutouts.
This is a WALKING PARADE. There will be a list posted of the groups in the parade so if you are not walking with a group you may choose from the list and walk with them. If you CANNOT WALK and must ride you must let the committee know by Saturday, April 30th. We want you but need to know before the parade. Email Janice Spoone at spoojh@comcast.net . You also must dress for the event if you ride and with a hat if possible. You will be assigned a unit to ride in before the parade by email or check in with a volunteer at the information table.
*Group leaders will receive a lineup number via email before the parade.
Parking for walkers will be at the underpass in a designated area. Follow the signs and directions of volunteers.
You will need to report to the group you plan to walk with or find a space to walk. There will be a list of groups in the parade of which you may join anyone of them. Look for a volunteer table with sign “PARADE GROUPS” if you need to find a group. You do NOT need to report to a volunteer unless you have an issue or question. Check in will be at your designated lineup location.
DRESS CODE FOR REENACTMENT PARADE
Be creative with your clothes. Please keep in mind what people would have worn in 1920 and prior during the fight to win our right to vote. SO consider dressing in vintage clothing or white. You do not have to wear vintage to participate but you could wear white or another color and consider the look of the 1900’s. For example you would have worn woven fabrics—not knits. Pants are acceptable even though women were not allowed to wear pants but we are suggesting that you not wear jeans or tight clothing in order to have the 1900’s look, loose trousers would give you the look. You may also wear comfortable walking shoes even though that would not have been the look in the 1900’s. A white shirt with a skirt or pants will look good. Try to find a small purse to use rather than a backpack or huge bag. A hat will be a great addition and will help you blend into the look. VOTES FOR WOMEN sashes will be available to purchase if you do not already have one. Also remember to bring your mask.
FOOD AND DRINK for REENACTMENT
We ask that you also remember the 1920’s when there were not plastic water bottles. Bring your water in a container and leave in your car after you have finished working such as decorating. There will not be food or water available for you. The 1920’s did not have plastic wrappers with food so get into the spirit—more fun that way. We want to have a litter free event so please help and take everything with you when you leave the staging area and Market Square.
SUFFRAGE MEMORABILIA FOR DONATIONS at STAGING AREA and MARKET SQUARE (so bring your money)
VOTES FOR WOMEN sashes $36.00
Suffrage banners $15.00
Yellow rose pin $25.00
Suffrage buttons $5.00
Cow bells $15.00 (the women used cow bells for noise and attention, you could bring a bell or a decorated tin can to make noise). We do not want to be too loud if we are near the band.
MEMBERSHIP forms will be available
ASSEMBLY AREA/CHECK- IN
The assembly area will be announced later. Lineup is between 3:00PM and 3:30PM. The parade will step off from the staging area at 4:55. There may be no admittance into the parade after 4:00 for groups check-in, 4:30PM for walkers and 3:30 for cars. Please allow for extra time due to heavy traffic, street closures, and rerouted lanes. Each unit/organization will receive an email prior to the parade date including its unit number and lineup location. You lineup location is where you should report to check in on the day of the parade. It is possible that your unit number may change the day of. If this happens, a volunteer will be available at your original lineup location to tell you your new location.
*You DO NOT need to report to a volunteer to check in unless you have an issue or question. Your entire group may report directly to your lineup location to check in. A Suffrage Coalition volunteer will be available near your location to check you in and receive your release form. In the event that your location changes, a Suffrage Coalition Parade Volunteer will direct you to your new location or check with the information table. Buses, cars, vans, etc. dropping off participants or equipment must quickly unload and clear the area. ONLY VEHICLES IN THE PARADE ARE ALLOWED IN THE PARADE STAGING AREA. ALL TRANSPORT VEHICLES AND PERSONAL PARTICIPANT VEHICLES MUST PARK IN THE DESIGNATED PARKING AREAS.
PARADE ROUTE
The beginning and staging place will be announced later. The parade will go south on Gay Street, and turn right onto Clinch Avenue, turn right on Market Square. The parade route will pass the Burn Memorial and the Tennessee Woman Suffrage Memorial ending in Market Square for a program. The program will begin fifteen minutes after the last parade participant has arrived at Market Square. Cars and other vehicles will not enter Market Square space but will turn on Union and proceed to the parking garages. If you have a passenger they may exit your car near Market Square. Please bring or give to someone the suffrage cutouts in your car to take to the stage in Market Square.
. TOILETS/DRESSING FACILITIES
There will not be portable toilets and no dressing facilities along the parade route. Limited portable toilets will be available near the staging area. There are public restrooms at the parking garages near Market Square.
PARTICIPANT LIABILITY WAIVER FORMS
All Liability Release forms must be filled out and returned to the Parade Committee prior to or the day of the Parade. These forms may be mailed to Janice Spoone @ 1816 Chestnut Grove Road, Knoxville, 37932 or emailed to spoojh@comcast.net. *** Please present to your designated Parade volunteer prior to the Parade start. Groups should have enough forms printed for your group and individuals should also bring a form. If you cannot print a form your volunteer coordinator will have one for you to use. If a group cannot furnish forms you must notify the committee THREE days before the parade date of the number of forms needed in order to have the forms available for you to use. EVERYONE MUST COMPLETE A RELEASE FORM TO WALK OR RIDE OR DRIVE IN THE PARADE.
VECHILES and DECORATIONS
The best vehicles for this reenactment parade would be vintage, convertibles, golf carts. All parade units must be decorated in a Suffrage theme. Use yellow fabric or netting, yellow roses, mix in white, purple, green and use your skills. The Suffrage committee will have decorations to use and Suffrage signs. If each of you bring some decorations and ideas and use some of our items it will make decorating go faster and will make sure each unit is fully decorated. Line up friends and volunteers to assist you in decorating. You cannot have too many decorations so keep adding until we run out of time and decorations. Please return the borrowed decorations to volunteers at Market Square. Someone will be available to take your decorations or just leave on the stage area after the program.
Political messages will not be permitted in the parade. Posters, signs, etc. are to relate to Suffrage. The Suffrage committee will have some signs and posters available to carry.
Parade units should be decorated so that viewing from either side is appealing
Pyrotechnics will not be allowed on parade unites. Sirens, bullhorns, and air horns are prohibited in the parade. Horns on cars are not to be used.
Suffrage cutouts will either ride in parade units or be carried. We request that vehicle drivers leave spaces for persons we will assign to you to ride in your car who cannot walk. If you have a friend who cannot walk and you want them to ride with you please notify us. We will assume we can place persons in your unit so help us with that issue. Each person riding in the unit must be dressed in vintage or white and hopefully with a hat as they will viewed from a sitting position.
THE PARADE WILL NOT BE CANCELED FOR BAD WEATHER so keep in mind the decorations and your clothing.
DISTRIBUTION of MATERIALS
The throwing of anything is not allowed along the parade route. Any Suffrage handout must be handed to the person.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Participating in the parade in no way releases anyone form observing all laws and regulations. Individuals and organizations are expected to be courteous to parade officials, attendees and other participants. This is a family friendly event. SMOKING is NOT permitted in the parade lineup or at any time before or during the parade. ALCHOHOL is NOT PERMITTED in the parade lineup or at any time during the parade. You must be fully vaccinated if eligible and free of Covid. Masks will be required of underage children not eligible and may be required of all participants. We believe that a parade is one activity we can safely participate if we all follow rules.
CELL phones should not be used once the parade begins and until the end. Cell phones were not available in the 1900’s so keep this in mind. If you are talking on the phone or to another parade walker the persons attending the parade believe that you are rude and not interested in them. Look at the persons who are attending the parade and interact with them. This is the fun part.
DRIVER OF PARADE VEHICLES
Drivers of all vehicles in the parade must have a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance, must be 18 years of age or older and dressed for the Suffrage parade as described above.
LIVE ANIMALS including pets WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE PARADE
Contact Janice Spoone with a Yes to participate.
Email is spoojh@comcast.net
Home 865-560-0202, cell 865-771-5920 (Do not text) Keep in mind that the parade lineup area will be noisy so you may not be able to call during this time.
Contact Linda Haney to order a banner or other merchandise.
Home 865-922-4547, cell 865-719-0597
