EDITORIAL: If you love a parade, volunteer

Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Coeur d’Alene notwithstanding, parade season in our local communities begins in earnest at least three months from now. The city of Post Falls is striking up the band early with an updated ordinance to cover future processions in the city. 

The need for updating was first discussed with the council in May of last year and at the March 4, 2025 council meeting a draft ordinance was brought forward. The proposed revisions were reviewed and discussed.  

The crux of the updating is as simple as the realization that “we’ve always done it this way,” isn’t a solid reason to continue the city’s responsibilities, which according to the city administrator is unsustainable. For the Post Falls Festival Parade, the city was providing to the organizers traffic management, security, assistance with planning, golf carts, traffic cones, clipboards, promotional sandwich boards and approximately $11,000 in staffing costs, primarily from the police department. 

Post Falls is no longer a small town of several thousand, it’s a thriving city of nearly 50,000 people. It makes sense that public safety and the allocation of resources, both human and financial, are a priority for the city. The mayor and council are entrusted with being good stewards of public money and by clearly outlining organizers’ responsibilities for community events they’re doing just that. 

The parade-going public might not realize just how much time, energy and money go into producing an hour or so of entertainment on sunny summer days. In every case, from the granddaddy of them all, Coeur d’Alene’s Fourth of July Parade, to Hayden Days and the three-block-long Rathdrum Days Parade, generous sponsors and entry fees cover the expenses and dedicated volunteers do the heavy lifting. 

Somewhere along the way the city of Post Falls stepped into the Post Falls Festival Parade breach, filling roles traditionally held by volunteers. This reset via ordinance simply clarifies roles and responsibilities moving forward for this and other events. It’s also a reminder to the community just how vital volunteers are to special events and activities that enhance our quality of life here in beautiful North Idaho. 

If you love a parade, volunteer!