2022 Bell Tower parade registration opens

The annual Bell Tower Festival parade is accepting registrations, which are now online. The online form is accessible on the website: jeffersonmatters.org under the Events tab. The parade is hosted by the Rotary Club of Jefferson and is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, June 11. The route begins at the Greene County Middle School (101 Ram Drive, Jefferson), with registration at the Highway 4 entrance. Stop at the registration table and get your parade entry number. A parade committee member will direct you to your placement in the parade line-up. Cooperation during the line-up is much appreciated.

Participants must complete the Parade Entry Form and be sure to fill out the “length of entry” and the number of vehicles. Participants will be asked to sign an insurance release on the day of the parade. There will be no charge for parade entry fees through Friday, June 10. Entries the day-of the parade will be charged $20.

Judging - Parade participants may choose to have their entry judged in one of five categories:
•    Commercial-Business Enterprises
•    Non-Commercial, Non-Profit Groups, Class Reunions, Service Organizations, & Other Non-Business Enterprises
•    BTF Thematic - Entries that depict this year’s theme of the festival: “150 Years of Jefferson”
•    Rotary Club Thematic - Entries that depict the theme for this year’s parade honoring the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Jefferson:

“Towering in Service for 100 Years” (see additional information about this category below)

•    Best Float - Entries that include a float as the main focus of the entry (see additional information about this category below)
Additional Information Related to Judging
 
Rotary Club Thematic Category
•    Entries will be competing for cash prizes furnished by the Rotary Club of Jefferson. First Prize will be $100, Second Prize will be $60, and Third Prize will be $40.
•    The Rotary Emblem may be used on the entry in compliance with rules regarding display of the emblem from Rotary International. Improper display will be removed from the entry prior to entering the parade route. Questions regarding the rules can be relayed to Sam Harding, Parade Chair at 515-370-0301 or sam@iowaschoolconstruction.com .
 
Best Float Category
•    Winner of this category will be the first winner of the new BTF Parade Best Float Traveling Trophy, which will be engraved with the winner’s name and year. The trophy can be proudly displayed in the winner’s location until next year’s Bell Tower Festival.
•    Entries may have additional vehicles and walkers, but the float must be the main focus of the entry.
•    A float is defined as a trailer which is pulled by a vehicle. The trailer shall be fully decorated and can include people riding the float. The pulling vehicle and additional walkers or vehicles can be decorated to complement the float. The float can depict the entity that is entering it, or the BTF Theme, or Rotary Club Theme.
•    Floats can be entered for judging in this category and also one other category.

Due to the expected increase in the number of entries for judging, any entry that has not been properly staged into the parade by 10 a.m. will not be eligible for judging. It is recommended to arrive at the parade registration area no later than 9:30 a.m. to assure sufficient time to be properly staged by 10. Judging will begin promptly at that time. The determination of the judges chosen by the Rotary Club will be final.

As in all public events, safety is of the utmost importance to the festival and parade committees. The Bell Tower Festival Committee and the Rotary Club of Jefferson reserve the right to immediately remove anyone deemed as acting in an unsafe manner during the parade. Entries with significant height must be able to safely navigate the parade route without touching power or telephone wires and trees. Large trucks and floats with obstructed views must provide walking parade participants to help with safe navigation. Horse entries are allowed only if they come with their own clean-up crew that follows throughout the parade.