Pro Football Hall of Fame Grand Parade celebrates enjoyable, followers in Canton

CANTON − About 100 items, together with floats, marching bands and soccer royalty, traveled alongside Cleveland Avenue on Aug. 8 within the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Grand Parade introduced by Certified Angus Beef.

The Grand Parade is the biggest free occasion of the competition. Year after 12 months, the morning attracts 1000’s to the parade route in downtown Canton.

Advertisement

Here’s what we noticed alongside the parade route:

Father, son make 370-mile journey to Canton to rejoice Drew Brees’ enshrinement

Stephen Burch, 63, and his son, Noah, 21, are big New Orleans Saints soccer followers who made their first journey to Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The two drove greater than 5 hours from house in Syracuse, New York, for an in-person view of the festivities and to see their favourite participant, Drew Brees, be enshrined.

Stephen Burch, a enterprise proprietor, is a former New Orleans resident and has been a Saints fan for at the least 4 many years.

“Drew Brees won me a championship, so that’s why I’m here,” he stated.

Advertisement

The Saints have been victors in Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31–17. Brees performed quarterback for the Saints on the time and had a 20-year NFL profession, retiring in 2020.

The father-son journey had been within the works for some time, in accordance with Stephen Burch, including that that they had plans to tour the Hall on Aug. 9 previous to driving again to Syracuse.

“The Hall of Fame has always been on my bucket list,” he stated.

‘Spin it! Spin it!’

Maria Vaughn and coworkers from Aultman Hospital carried a pink octopus balloon down the parade route.

This is her sixth 12 months as a balloon handler within the parade.

Advertisement

“It’s fun going down the route and seeing the kids all happy,” stated Vaughn, 50, of Canton Township. “We get a lot of miles in.”

It’s a Grand Parade custom for the balloon handlers to run in a circle to spin the large balloons whereas the group chants, “Spin it! Spin it!”

Vaughn, who works in medical training, estimated they spin the balloon about 50 occasions over the course of the parade.

60 years of Grand Parade recollections

Donna Mertes thinks she’s been at nearly each Grand Parade because the occasion started in 1963.

“My husband, who’s passed away, he used to get up at like three o’clock in the morning and come down and sit in the chairs to save them all for us,” she stated. “We would be right in the front.”

Advertisement

Mertes, who’s now 85 years previous and a great-grandmother, loved the parade this 12 months with 4 generations of her household.

Being from Canton, Mertes stated she all the time desires to “come and be a part” of the annual occasion.

Doughnuts are a traditional parade morning deal with

Eating doughnuts on Grand Parade morning is a yearslong custom in Canton. Tammi Toth, 66, of Canton, introduced a dozen to share along with her household whereas watching the festivities.

“We think that today is the biggest doughnut day in this area,” she stated. “I used to work at Dunkin’ by the Hall of Fame, and it was crazy on that day.”

Advertisement

She stated the road for a Dunkin’ close to the place she lives in Canton was “around the block” within the morning.

Toth, who’s retired, stated she thinks doughnuts are a well-liked deal with as a result of everybody loves them, and they’re simple to seize and go for a parade snack.

“And it keeps the kids happy,” she stated.

Stark residents rejoice Grand Parade with household

Erin Hodgson stated she routinely attended Grand Parades a few many years in the past when her siblings participated within the occasion as Jackson High School band members.

She and her husband, Greg, have been proud parade watchers when their son, Blake, a Jackson freshman, who performs the mellophone, made his parade debut.

Advertisement

“We’re definitely excited for him. Hopefully this is the first of a few,” stated Greg, who additionally was obsessed with seeing parade floats and Hall of Fame gamers roll by.

Erin, 43, is a 2001 graduate of Jackson, whereas Greg, 42, a first-time parade attendee, is a 2002 Perry High School grad.

The couple introduced their canine, Rudy, to the parade as they sat on the grass at Canton Fire Station No. 4 alongside Cleveland Avenue NW and 25th Street.

Gary Walker, a Canton South High graduate, grew to become a Pittsburgh Steelers’ fan within the mid-Nineteen Seventies because the workforce began to win a number of Super Bowls.

“The Steelers were a hot team in the ’70s, so that’s who I started liking,” he stated.

Advertisement

Walker, 57, a programmer at R.G. Smith Co. in Canton, got here to the parade together with his spouse Paula and daughter, Alyssa.

He stated the parade has grow to be extra of a household outing lately. Overall, Walker stated he is been to the previous 15 occasions.

“It’s not so much about sports anymore than it is being with family,” he stated.

Lifelong Canton resident marks 51 years coming to HOF Grand Parade

Dirk Blood can not recall a 12 months he did not enterprise out the Hall of Fame’s Grand Parade in Canton. He stated his first parade was at age 6.

Blood, a lifelong Canton resident and stay-at-home dad, was considered one of dozens of parade attendees tossing a soccer back-and-forth on Cleveland Avenue NW close to Woodward Place NW ready for the parade to step off.

Advertisement

“I just love being out and seeing the kids’ faces when the floats and players go by,” stated Blood, 57, who was donning the jersey of his favourite Cleveland Browns’ participant, Clay Matthews. “You never know who you’ll run into out here.”

Matthews performed for the Browns from 1978 by way of 1993.

Blood stated one other private spotlight of the parade is seeing his cousin, Dr. Brandon Blood, who’s a driver every year for a Hall of Fame participant within the occasion.

World War II jeep from East Canton makes inaugural parade run

A 1945 Willys MB Jeep operated by Larry Powell of East Canton made its debut on the parade.

Advertisement

The navy car was owned by Powell’s father, William, a World War II veteran, who later bought the Willys MB earlier than breaking floor on Clearview Golf Club in Osnaburg Township.

The golf course is celebrating 80 years of operation in 2026.

The jeep, which is a part of the Clearview Legacy Foundation, was restored in 2014 by Specialty Jeeps of Coshocton and has made its share of rounds to Veterans Day parades across the nation.

Willys produced greater than 360,000 of the autos for the Army, whereas Ford constructed greater than 270,000.

The car’s everlasting house is at Clearview, the place Larry is a lifelong member. His daughter, Renee, is the LPGA/PGA head skilled on the course.

Hundreds from Panthers fan group journey to Canton

Kevin and Jennifer Lee traveled from North Carolina to Canton for the Enshrinement Festival.

Advertisement

The couple are followers of the Panthers and linebacker Luke Kuechly who was enshrined within the Hall of Fame this 12 months.

The Lees have been a part of a large group of Panthers followers known as the Roaring Riot that journey with the workforce to away video games and different occasions.

The group was recognizable across the metropolis due to matching shirts with “Luuuuke” and “#59” written within the define of a goat.

Kevin, 50, who works in greater training, stated coming to the Hall of Fame was a “bucket list item” for him. It’s his first time in Ohio.

“It’s pretty cool. This is an awesome experience,” he stated. “The people are great, and getting to see all the Hall of Famers is really special.”

Drew Brees superfan

Brier Shuve, 29, of Bowling Green was stoked to see Drew Brees on a float within the parade. It was “mind-boggling,” she stated.

Advertisement

Shuve stated Brees is deserving of recognition within the Hall of Fame not only for his profession as a quarterback, but additionally for his conduct off the sphere.

“He cares about his family, his team, his city, and he helps others in need all the time,” she stated.

Shuve grew to become a Saints fan greater than 10 years in the past. Watching Brees made her a lifelong fan.

Reach Grace at 330-580-8364 or gspringer@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X @GraceSpringer16.

Reach Steven Grazier at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On X (previously Twitter): @sgrazierINDE

This article initially appeared on The Repository: Pro Football Hall of Fame Grand Parade celebrates fun, fans in Canton