Fraser prepares for annual parade and carnival

FRASER — The annual Fraser parade and carnival is fast approaching, and the community is invited to come down for four days of fun.

A long-running tradition in Fraser, the carnival begins on Thursday, July 20, at Steffens Park, located at 33000 Garfield Road. It runs through Sunday, which will include the parade down Garfield and fireworks at dusk.

“The carnival goes from (July 20-23), which is run by the Lions Club,” said Fraser Parks and Recreation Commission Board Member Christina Koch. “The parade is July 23 at noon on Garfield. It runs from the high school and goes to City Hall. The theme is a fiesta. The Lions Club also is having a cornhole tournament on Saturday at 2 p.m., with check-in at 1 p.m. It’s $20 per person to enter. There will be music (all four days) in the beer tent. ... Fireworks will go off at about 10 p.m. on Sunday.”

A raffle also will take place at the carnival with prizes including a summer prize pack, for first place; $200 Meijer gift card, for second place; and other local goods as additional prizes. The drawing will take place at 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 23. Raffle tickets are $10.

The Fraser First Booster Club organizes the parade while the Fraser Lions Club organizes the carnival.

“Fraser First Booster Club loves the chance to show up for the Fraser Parade. What a wonderful way to thank our community for all their support,” said Fraser First Executive Board Member Vania Apps. “The Fraser Lions Carnival is always an opportunity for fun, food and great music under the beer tent, and a way to catch up with friends you haven’t seen in years.”

She added that the parade will be loads of fun and is a great way to bring local people together.

“(On) July 23, the Fraser Parade kicks off a day of family fun. Starting at noon, it runs from Fraser High School and goes south on Garfield to Steffens Park,” said Apps. “Businesses and organizations will line up at the Fraser High School to walk with pride, showing off their banners, decorated floats and vehicles.”

“The parade is important because it really brings the community and families together. The Fraser First Booster Club is always so happy to be involved with the parade each year,” Apps said.

Derek Demiko, the Lions Club’s carnival chair, said that the event is a team effort that benefits the local community.

“The Fraser Lions is an entire volunteer organization, so everyone who is working at the carnival is doing it as a volunteer. All the money we raise goes back to the community,” said Demiko. “We do everything except the parade. The city manages the fireworks, but we pay for them. We do the vendors and the carnival. … It’s a good time for everyone.”

Demiko added that, while there haven’t been any new additions to the carnival this year, they still have all of the great attractions that have made the event a summer tradition for Fraser residents.

“We do have the cornhole tournament, some great vendors and food trucks, and a lot of great rides,” he said. “We did it in both 2021 and 2022, so we only missed the one year for COVID.”

Koch said that this is an event by local community members and for local community members and hopes everyone in the Fraser area will come and check it out.

“It’s a small-town parade for a small town. Most of the people in the parade are local people,” said Koch. “It’s a community event that brings the community together. I hope people support their community and enjoy a parade during the day and fireworks at night.”