PEORIA, Ill. – Central Illinois’ labor movement was celebrated in a different location on Monday.
The annual Peoria Labor Day parade was held on Farmington Road in West Peoria. It’s a shift away from its traditional location in downtown Peoria.
Parade organizer Nancy Gardner says the decision came down to either West Peoria or Bartonville.
“Both of them very good, but West Peoria really had some experience,” Gardner said. “And so we decided that maybe for us, because this is going to be all new for us, that we’d better go that way.”
Gardner says another factor in the decision to move to West Peoria was the availability of an after-parade party. The party was hosted at Raber’s this year. She says it’s a sharp difference from the year prior when there was no after party, due to rising vendor costs.
There were 33 entries in this year’s parade that included labor unions from across central Illinois, as well as local school marching bands. The grand marshals were West Peoria Mayor James Dillon, letter carrier Scott Haney, and firefighter Scott Howard Junior.
Dillon says his family’s history with labor made hosting the parade in West Peoria extra special.
“The family’s always been in the plumbing business. My grandfather started it over 100 years ago, it was started in 1921, so it’s a big thing to celebrate Labor Day,” Dillon said.
Dillon believes more people will come to West Peoria and its businesses because of the parade, and give the city an economic boost.
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