Gateway student designs winning July 4 logo for Monroeville

The Monroeville Independence Day Parade Committee has selected Gateway student Briana Harper as its 2023 logo contest winner.

This year’s Fourth of July parade theme is “Celebrate America.” The contest was open to Gateway students in grades K-12. Students submitted designs for a simple logo to represent the theme “Celebrate America” for the parade. Members of the Monroeville Arts Council judged the entries and selected a winning design.

Harper’s design will be used as the logo on flyers, signage, banners and ads for the 2023 parade. She will receive a special prize awarded at the grandstand. Plans are being made to create an art display of all the entries, at a location to be determined.

Nearly 70 groups will participate in the parade this year, including the Gateway High School Band, Golden Triangle Performance Ensemble, Joyful Twirlers baton troupe, Rainbow Girls, Gateway football and cheerleaders, midget football players and cheerleaders, Monroeville soccer and softball, Syria Shriners, Scouting organizations, Monroeville council members and municipal officials, and various churches, dancers and gymnastics programs.

Miss Independence, Jayla Chase, and her court will be presented at the reviewing stand.

The parade will begin at the Miracle Mile Shopping Center at 9 a.m. and travel west on Business Route 22 to the Monroeville Convention Center.

There are a number of new additions to the parade this year.

Refreshments will be available for purchase at the grandstand area. Parade spectators can enjoy coffee and pastries from The Vault coffee shop in Pitcairn, along with Dosa Cupcakes, Nothing Bundt Cakes and more.

The parade features new acts including stilt walkers and jugglers. Jackie Hooper and her company, Sound Advice Entertainment, will provide extra fun for 2023.

Cash prizes will be awarded to encourage organizations to go all-out in decorating their floats and cars. The first-place winner will receive $200; second place, $150; and third place, $100. Judging will occur between 8 and 9 a.m. at the staging area in the Miracle Mile Shopping Center parking lot.

For the first time, the entire parade will be livestreamed and available on the Monroeville government channel and YouTube channel. On Monroeville TV, the parade will be on Verizon channel 45 and Comcast channel 21.

There will be a Zambelli fireworks show at the Monroeville Mall rear annex at 9:30 p.m. to close the festivities. Spectators can set up chairs in the parking lots and bring blankets and coolers.