Hudson Flag Day 2012- Lance Wheeler Video

You're watching Hudson Flag Day 2012 highlights- Lance Wheeler Video
HUDSON — The 2012 Flag Day Parade will take place June 9 in Hudson. The lineup begins at 12:30 p.m. at Columbia and Green streets, and the parade steps off at 2 p.m.

"We're excited this year," said Steve Mortefolio, executive member of the Elks Club Parade Committee. "Everything is falling in place — it's going to be a big, huge parade."

One of the things he's most excited about is a new addition, a flyover of U.S. Air Force C-130 planes, about 2:15 p.m., just as the parade is finding its marching legs.

The parade route goes from Seventh Street Park down Warren Street to Front Street.

There will be vendors in Seventh Street Park at the start of the parade, along with music from the band Dawn to Dusk.

Spruce the Moose, Oakley the Bear and Sheldon the Turtle will be marching in the parade, all for the first time, along with 69 fire companies, bands, organizations, businesses, radio stations, publications and agencies.

Following the parade, there will be hours of rides, food and music at Waterfront Park.

The events at Waterfront Park include Saratoga Skydiving Adventurers, the Olde News Band and Donny Elvis.

Saratoga Skydiving Adventurers will execute parachute jumps into the Waterfront Park area, weather permitting, around 7:45 or 8 p.m.

The Olde News Band, out of Claverack, has an early Beatles sound and is comprised of Bob Vining and Jim Krisniski, who have been playing and writing songs together for 30 years, Joe Vining on drums and Chad Witko on bass.

Donny Elvis, from Schenectady, has been doing Elvis impersonations for the past 20 years.

Most of the grand marshals this year are drawn from the world of local television, including Matt Baker from Channel 10, Jennifer Lewke from Channel 6, Steve Teeling from Fox 23, and Subrina Dhammi from Channel 13. Also serving as grand marshals are Bob and Sheri, from 98.5 the Cat, and Tom Keeler, past exulted ruler of the Hudson Elks.

The Elks began celebrating Flag Day June 14, 1908. In 1949, President Harry S. Truman, an Elks member, signed an act of Congress designating June 14 as National Flag Day.

For many years, the Hudson High School Band and Elks Lodge #787 members held the parade. In 1996, the Elks partnered with the city of Hudson on a countywide celebration of Flag Day that has become Hudson's largest parade.
This story was written by John Mason and was published in the Register Star.