Preparations Underway As Parade Draws Near

Final preparations for the upcoming week's festivities are underway all around Upper Southampton.

With less than 72-hours remaining public works crews swept the street, placed barricades to block traffic at strategic locations, and volunteers hung posters along Second Street Pike.

The parade is set to kick off at 9:30 a.m. and travel 1.7 miles from Second Street Pike and Jaymor Road to Klinger Middle School, where the parade will end.

According to the Southampton Days website everyone that will be participating in the parade must meet on Jaymor Road and be in place at 9:30 a.m. when the parade starts or they will be placed at the end of the parade.

The parade is expected to feature State Senator Stewart Greenleaf and Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick, Southampton Days Committee Chairman Patrick Miller said in an interview Thursday.

This year going forth the parade will be named the Sam Constantini Annual Southampton Day's Parade. after a battle with cancer and dedicated more than 40 years to Southampton Days.

Every year Constantini rode a cart up the end of the July 4 parade route thanking everyone for coming out; this year the empty cart will towed at the end of the parade route to honor Constantini, Miller said.

Right after the parade at 11:30 a flag raising ceremony that will honor a local service member, the presentation to and parade prize ceremony will take place at the Lion’s Grove pavilion, at the fairgrounds, Miller said.

The fair will open after the parade and close at 4:00 p.m. before reopening at 6:00 p.m. One change that visitors will notice on July 4th is that there will be a . The admission fee to the fair will only be charged on July 4th from 6 p.m. until the fireworks, Miller noted.

At 9:30 p.m. the fireworks show begins behind Klinger Middle School. The show typically last about 30 minutes.

As in years past the all volunteer . After the fireworks the buses will take fair-goers back the pick-up locations where they can pick-up their vehicles.

Bus Pick-up locations: Southampton Shopping Plaza – Hampton Square - Davisville Shopping Ctr. –Redwood Shopping Center – Davisville Church

Police Chief Ron MacPherson noted last week that visitors and residents should plan ahead for the various road closures.

Second Street Pike will be closed between Jaymor Road in Bristol in the morning and between Street Road and Bristol in the evening.

Southampton Days doesn't end after the fireworks on the fourth of July, the fair continues until Saturday, July 9.

Come out and enjoy Southampton!