Aquidneck Island Police Parade is May 3

The annual Aquidneck Island Police Parade is around the corner.

The parade, which draws thousands of spectators every year, is one of a small number of similar parades around the country and attracts police departments from across the country along with representatives of the Canadian Royal Mounted Police and elite U.S. Marine Corps marching units.

A full lineup can be found here.

The parade begins with a memorial ceremony at 11:30 a.m. at the Hampton Inn and Suites at 317 West Main Road in Middletown. It continues through to downtown Newport and completes at Washington Square.

The parade steps off on May 3, but it’s not the only event planned for the weekend. There’s a comedy show at Dockside Restaurant on May 1, a golf outing at Newport National Golf Course on May 2, and a police “Rodeo Round-Up” at the Dockside on May 2 that will feature area police bands, bag pipe bands and drum lines.

The parade itself begins at around 11:50 a.m. on May 3 at 317 West Main Road, Middletown. It ventures from there to Broadway towards Washington Square in Newport.

For more information about the parade, visit www.policeparade.com