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Bud Billiken Parade returns to South Side: ‘We are all here to have a good time’

Some groups along the Bronzeville parade route roped off their space out of an abundance of caution for COVID-19, which wiped out the annual back-to-school gathering last year.

The Bud Billiken Parade, a beloved end of summer and back-to-school tradition, returned to Bronzeville Saturday after a one-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Thousands of Black Chicagoans of all ages lined a shortened parade route through the South Side neighborhood to watch the city’s youth put their talents on display under a scorching sun.

Adults tried to beat the summer heat by lounging in lawn chairs under shady trees, umbrellas and tents, while children slurped their snow cones out of styrofoam cups as the sound of drums, music and the crowd’s cheers echoed down the streets.

“For me, it’s just the music, the bands, the groove,” Stephanie Hall said as she bounced to the beat. “… [Some people] might be from 79th [street], they might be from 87th, from 51st — we don’t know each other. We all are here to have a good time. That’s what I like.”

The Bud Billiken Parade, the oldest and largest African American parade in the nation which has been going on for more than 90 years, is a must-attend event for many Black Chicagoans, who have passed the tradition down from generation to generation.

“I’ve been coming here since I was a baby, and I just keep the family tradition going,” Tiny Reed said. “This means a lot to me.”

Similar to Reed, Darren Mayo said he’s been coming to the annual parade for as long as he can remember.

“I still try to come for my nephew to try to show them the tradition that my grandparents showed me,” Mayo said.

His favorite “Bud” memory took place in the 1980s as a kid living in the nearby Robert Taylor Homes, a former public housing project. He recalled seeing then-Mayor Harold Washington waving, smiling and pointing while sitting in a convertible.

Check out the full article here.

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