Parade & Crowd Safety

Having lived in New York City and Los Angeles, I’ve had the opportunity to see some of the best parades from the Tournament of Roses Parade to World Series celebration parades for the New York Yankees. They’re always a lot of fun whether they’re geared towards kids such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or adults such as the Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village. With St. Patrick’s Day almost here, now is a good time to think about some parade safety tips before taking your kids out to a very crowded and potentially drunken scene!

• Park your car in an open area and don’t leave valuables in the car that could make it an easy target for theft.

• Keep wallets, cell phones and keys in your front pockets to make it more difficult for pickpockets.

• Establish a meeting place with your older kids in case you get separated. For younger kids, instruct them to find a police officer and have your cell phone number pinned inside their shirts.

• Take along some snacks and a bottle of water as it can be a long day and once you’re settled in a spot you won’t want to leave to go to a corner store. But if it’s a warm sunny day, kids can get dehydrated

• Scan the area for the safest place to view the parade. Being right up against the barricade could make it dangerous if you need to evacuate quickly.

• Children love seeing floats with all of their favorite characters coming to life and clowns blowing up balloon animals along the side of the street. Keep a close eye on your kids so they don’t run out into the street.

• Bring along some basic first aid supplies in case of cuts, scrapes burns or bee stings.

• Crowds can quickly become rowdy, especially at heavy drinking parades such as on St. Patrick’s Day. If you feel at all uncomfortable near a certain person, trust your judgment and relocate.

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