As a young girl, Valerie Cadenhead remembers walking with her family to the Bud Billiken Parade.
Now, the iconic parade passes just steps from her home in Grand Boulevard, and Cadenhead’s family has continued the tradition with the next generation, marking the start of the new school year.
“It’s a tradition that we can pass down and it gives us stories to pass down,” said Cadenhead, 67, who’s now a teacher herself.
Cadenhead and her family were among hundreds who gathered along Martin Luther King Drive on the South Side to watch the parade step off Saturday morning.
In its 97th year, the Bud Billiken is one of the largest and longest-running parades in the country. Founded in 1929 by Robert Sengstacke Abbott, publisher and founder of the African American newspaper the Chicago Defender, the parade was created to celebrate Black children and their achievements.
The parade features marching bands, floats, dance teams, community organizations and youth groups. The route, roughly two miles long, starts at Pershing Road and heads south down King Drive toward Washington Park, ending at Garfield Boulevard.
Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson both were in this year’s parade. The star-studded lineup also included this year’s Grand Marshal, actress LisaRaye McCoy, as well as actor Cortez Smith and comedians Cedric the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson.
This year’s parade was especially meaningful for Cadenhead, as her brother-in-law and niece took part in the festivities. Her niece was selected to join the parade’s Royal Court, an annual tradition that honors children who have demonstrated academic excellence. Meanwhile, her brother-in-law marched with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
Cadenhead said she’s never been in the parade and was happy seeing others enjoy themselves.
“It’s nice that families can get together,” she said. “People from different places who don’t often come to this part of the city get to see this community.”
The parade also gives students, parents and teachers an opportunity to celebrate the end of summer break and look ahead to the year to come.
Cadenhead has been a teacher for more than 20 years, and is now a special education teacher at Willa Cather Elementary School. She’s excited to meet her students.
Kendria Averhart said she couldn’t wait to start fifth grade on Monday.
“Yeah, I’m excited,” said the 9-year-old, who attended the parade with her two sisters, mother and grandmother.
For the Averhart family, watching the Bud Billiken Parade has also become a family tradition.
Kendell Averhart said her family has attended the parade nearly every year since moving to Chicago from Kankakee in 1995. Now living in Englewood, the family looks forward to the annual event.
For Kendria and her sisters, the highlight of the parade was watching the dance teams.
“We’re going to have a ball,” said Kendell Averhard, 48.
While some families have attended the parade for generations, others were looking forward to starting the tradition with their own families.
Jasmine and Devon Hughes, both 33, said they attended the parade as children and always had a good time. Saturday marked the first time they brought their two young children, continuing the tradition with the next generation.
Devon Hughes said the parade is an important celebration for Chicago’s Black community.
“It’s a blessing that it’s gone on for so long, and hopefully it can go another 97 years without the tradition being broken,” he said.
