Despite the rain, parade watchers and River Days fans gathered in masses for the annual River Days Parade. This is year 59 of one of the longest running parades in Ohio.

“It poured down the rain and we had a lot of muddy feet, but, other than that I think it went really well,” says Stan Tackett, parade organizer. “There’s probably about 175 floats in the parade today. It’s the largest grand parade in the state of Ohio and it’s the largest daytime single parade for any event.”

The parade has marched on every year since 1962, excluding the year 2020 due to COVID.

The parade is made possible by local business sponsors such as Ricer Equipment and the Tri-State Building Trades Unions. Other noteworthy participants include all local school districts, the Ohio Shrine Association, as well as first responders with the local police, fire and EMS departments.

The Children’s Museum brought a colorful surprise, the schools brought massive spirit, EMS brought sirens, Cirque d’art brought dance, and more.

Of all the school floats, South Webster won overall; Valley won First; Glenwood won second; Burg won judge’s choice.

“It brings the community together as far as schools and nonprofits in Scioto County go,” continued Tackett.

As children collected candy and parents snapped photos, many individuals sought refuge in local businesses. Between fighting the rain and enjoying quality time spent with family and friends, a sense of closeness was held all throughout the city. Local business owner Reece Brown explains what this parade means for him and his newly purchased business, Stadium Lunch, located in Portsmouth’s East End.

“It was awesome. A lot of people came through,” says Brown. “I love the East End, I love Portsmouth in general. It feels good to be here,” he continued. “It’s likely gonna be our biggest day of the year.”

Despite the rain, day two of River Days and the parade were a success. With people from all over the state, local food vendors, and an amazing parade, River Days 2022 will certainly be one for the books.

The River Days festival started the morning of Friday, September 2 and will ran through the evening of Sunday, September 4.

The parade and River Days festival are managed by the Friends of Portsmouth, a 501(C)3 non-profit organization serving the downtown area of Portsmouth. For more information, visit www.friendsofportsmouth.com