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Crestview to host Okaloosa County America 250 grand parade and celebration on May 9

The countywide event in downtown Crestview will feature a grand parade, live entertainment, food trucks and Olympic bronze medalist Mia Manganello as a grand marshal.
Photos courtesy of the City of Crestview, AP Photo/Lee Jin-man

The City of Crestview will host the Okaloosa County America 250 Grand Parade & Celebration on Saturday, May 9, in downtown Crestview, a countywide event marking 250 years of American independence.

  • The event will run from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Crestview, at 114 N. Main St.

Crestview native and Olympic speedskater Mia Manganello, who won a bronze medal for the United States at the Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, in February, will serve as one of the event’s grand marshals.

The grand parade will feature floats, marching bands, tributes to veterans and participation from community organizations and cultural groups. Attendees are encouraged to line Main Street wearing red, white and blue or colonial and continental-period clothing.

Beyond the parade, the celebration will include live entertainment, food trucks and patriotic vendors.

The event is organized by a coalition that includes the America 250, the Okaloosa County America 250 Commission, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Sons of the American Revolution, the City of Crestview, the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners, the Okaloosa County League of Cities and Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

The Okaloosa County America 250 Commission was established by resolution of the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 20, 2026, to coordinate activities for citizens and visitors throughout the 2026 calendar year in celebration of the nation’s founding.

The commission is composed of 18 members representing organizations including the Sons of the American Revolution, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Tourist Development Department, the Okaloosa County School District, local chambers of commerce, the U.S. military, the Krewe of Billy Bowlegs, the NAACP and Scouting America, among others. The commission will operate through Jan. 31, 2027.

For more information on countywide America 250 events, visit GetTheCoast.com/America250.

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Ken commented on WordroW: June 4, 2026
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