Grand Detour to host Golf Cart Parade on July 3; all-village sales July 16-17

Grand Detour will host its third annual “Fourth of July Golf Cart Parade” on Saturday, July 3.

Line up is at 7:30 p.m. at the John Deere Historic Site. The parade will kick-off at 8 p.m.

This year’s Grand Marshals are Roger and Joanie Kelly.

Golf Carts, ATV’s, 4-wheelers and bicycles welcome.

“Decorate your cart with lots of red, white and blue,” said organizer Jim Ross. “Please spread the word to your family and friends. Bring on the red, white and blue and see you the 3rd!”

Last year, 50 decorated vehicles, decorated with various themes, took part in the event.

Kate Johnson and Joe Roth rode in their cart with Johnson wearing a cut wedding gown complete with Nike tennis shoes and Roth wearing tuxedo shorts, along with a wedding cake made with five rolls of toilet paper. “In Sickness and in Health..A Covid Style Wedding”, was the name of the entry.

“We were supposed to be married this August, but our wedding is now next August,” said Johnson, a Grand Detour native, said in 2020. “We’re trying to make some fun out of it today as we plan to enjoy another year of being engaged.”

The cart, driven by Roth’s best man, Evan Schmidt, with Elizabeth Wheeler riding shotgun, was one of just over 50 golf carts and all-terrain vehicles that took part in the village’s second golf cart parade.

Grand Detour’s Village Garage Sales will be Friday, July 16 and Saturday, July 17 with maps available at the Shell station in Grand Detour.

The sales will start at 7:30 a.m.

As of June 29 there are 20+ sales. Anyone is interested in having a sale can contact Connie Ross at 815-973-0988.

“There is a fee of $5 to be put on the map, this helps with the cost of advertising and the cost of printing maps,” Ross said.