Afton Minnesota 4th of July Parade and Celebration!

A huge THANK YOU to our 2026 Afton Parade Sponsors!

Gold Sponsors

Use the whole fow for this sponsor

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Community Sponsors

Events

Grand Marshals - Jeff Brower and Donna Dalton

Grand Marshals

The Afton Parade Committee is very pleased to announce this year’s Grand Marshalls are Jeff Brower and Donna Dalton.

Jeff Brower

Jeff Brower's family's roots run deep in Afton. His family arrived in Valley Creek (then its own village/now part of Afton) shortly after the Civil War. As the 5th generation of the family to reside in Afton, he knows a lot of community history connected to the city. He remembers casting his first vote at Afton Town Hall (now the Afton Historical Museum) and being served ice cream by Selma herself.

Jeff's commitment to Afton and the St. Croix Valley connected him with the opportunity to work for the Valley Branch Watershed District, which covers most of Afton, for almost a decade. He ensured that the iconic and protected creeks and river remained clean and protected. He is especially pleased to have worked on the Afton Village Project for the watershed district and with constituents during the flooding of the 2020 season in the City of Grant. He has also worked for Afton and Bayport to provide counsel and guidance on methods of erosion control to ensure sediment does not impact surface waters.

Donna Dalton

Donna Dalton's family moved to Afton in 1975 so she had the joy of growing up in Afton. She remembers every road in Afton being gravel and has many fond memories of summers spent on the St. Croix River. She attended Afton Lakeland Elementary, where later Donna and Jeff's daughter, Amelia, would attend and Donna would be an active PTA volunteer. Donna is a current member of the Valley Creek Women's Club, of which Jeff's great grandmother, Amanda, was a charter member. Donna is also co-founder of the Afton Sauna Society, a community dedicated to sauna and cold plunge enthusiasts.

Jeff and Donna work on land stewardship at their Afton home by managing a prairie, utilizing rain gardens, keeping bees, and holding their small acreage farm fields in perennial crops. Together, Donna and Jeff share a deep dedication to this community which includes both the land and its people. They are known to express their dedication by delivering meals for neighbors, plowing driveways during major snowstorms, and caring for and mentoring Afton youngsters.

Food - Drinks - Music - Trolley Rides!

The Parade

Don’t miss the River City Rhythm Drum and Bugle Corps performing in the parade.

Getting Around

TROLLEYS— FREE trolley rides within the Village of Afton. Runs the length of Afton’s Main street from 11:00 until 3:00
FREE Remote Parking/Shuttle rides from Lakeland Plaza
The shuttle bus will take a break during the parade

Things to do

Food Vendors
Beer Tent
Vendor Tents

After the Parade

Afton’s Town Square Park

Music in the park
Food, crafts and beer tent

For the Kids

Bounce House and kids obstacle course
Food and crafts

For Everyone

Meet the St. Paul Winter Carnival Royalty and Vulcans in the Park after the Parade
Music, fun, food and friends in the park from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Parade Application

Parade Participant Application

Participant Fee - $50

Due to the cost associated with organizing, insuring and keeping all participants, viewer and vendors safe, a $50 fee per participant has been assessed.

All Fields are Required!

Unit/Organization:

Your Name:

Vehicle/Float Description:

Vehicle Licence Plate Number:

(Be prepared to present a state or federal issued ID like a driver's license)

Handouts/Giveaways:

Describe Entry/Purpose:

Street Address:

City/State/Zip:

Email:

Phone #:

Insurance Company Name:

Insurance Policy #:

Signature:

**By typing your name in the Signiture field above and clicking "Next" Button, you acknowledge that you have thoroughtly read all the information about the parade and the rules listed. Filling out this Signiture field has the same impact as signing a hard copy document.**

YOU MUST PAY THE $50 PARTICIPANT FEE TO BE IN THE PARADE!

If you do not finish the registration by paying after clicking the NEXT button, you will not be allowed to participate in the parade!

Vendor Application

Please fill out the "4th of July Vendor Booth" form below to begin your application to be a vendor at the Afton Parade.

4th of July Vendor Booth

All fields are required

Vendors need to be ready by 10 AM and are required to stay until 3:00 pm.

Vendor Setup Location:

Town Square Park
3418 St. Croix Trail South
Afton, Mn 55001

Business:

Contact Person:

Street Address:

City/State/Zip:

Cell Number:

Email:

1) Food/Beverage Served:

2) Amount Paid via Paypal:

$150 (Up to 100 sq feet)
$200 (101-150 sq feet)
$275 (151-200 sq feet)
$325 (Above 200 sq feet)

On part 2 of this application you will be directed to pay via Paypal, if you do not complete part 2 (PayPal Payment) you will NOT be registered and your application will not be honored. Begin the process here. You will be directed to this paypal payment page after you have completed and submitted this form.

3) Electrical Power Needed:

120-20
240-30
240-50

4) Fees are paid via PayPal, once your application and fees are submitted you are considered approved. ALL FEES ARE NON‐REFUNDABLE – no exceptions.

5) Application must be filled out on line at least 30 days prior to the 4th.

6) Washington County Health Department Permit must be displayed in booth on the day of the event.

7) Vendors must not leave behind any organic waste, cooking grease or oils. No dumping of any materials in the park grounds, public restroom or porta‐potties is allowed.

8) All trash must be placed in dumpster located on the south end of the park.

9) The Afton Parade Committee is not responsible for any items left by vendors including banners, posters or signs. All items left in the park will be discarded without notice.

10) Any damage to the park by a vendor, vendor’s vehicle or booth will result in a minimum $200 fee to repair the damage.

Liability Waiver

I (the Vendor) hereby discharge, release and hold harmless, the Afton Parade Committee (APC) and the City Of Afton, all property owners, business owners and other associations related to this event, including co‐sponsors, from any and all manner of action, suits, damages or claims whatsoever arising from any loss or damages or claims, to myself or my property, while in possession or under the supervision of the sponsor of this event. There are no rain dates. There are no refunds for vendor cancellations. If accepted to participate in the 4th of July Parade and Celebration, the committee has my permission to publish photographs or video taken of me, my booth and my work, past or future. Any vendor causing problems or failing to comply with these rules, the parade rules and regulations may be disqualified from participation or ask to leave.

In addition I agree that I have a current liability insurance and I will provide proof of liability insurance upon request. I also agree to pay all fees prior to the event.

Signature:

**By typing your name in the Signature field above and Submitting the form I hereby give consent and acknowledge I have thoroughtly read all the information about the event and the rules related to the event. Filling out this Signiture field has the same impact as signing a hard copy document.**

Parking

Parking / Shuttle / Trolleys

Free Off-site Parking and a free shuttle bus will run from the Lakeland Plaza parking lot to Afton City Hall starting at 11:00AM and ending at 3:00PM. The shuttle bus will take a break during the parade.
TROLLEYS— FREE trolley rides within the Village of Afton. Runs the length of Afton’s Main street (Afton City Hall to River road) from 11:00 til 3:00
NO PARKING —Afton’s Main Street is NO PARKING during the parade
PARKING — along roads leading into and out of Afton only
ROAD CLOSURES — all roads into and out of Afton close at 12:45 PM and remain closed until the parade has completed its route (approximately 2:00 PM).
SHUTTLE BUS RIDES - from 11:00 til 3:00. See offsite map link on Contact page

Contact Us / Maps

Contact Us

Afton Parade Committee
A Non-Profit Corp.
14616 Afton Blvd. South
Afton, Mn 55001
612-720-6478
info@aftonparade.com

Volunteers Needed

We need volunteers
to help direct traffic.
If you can help please
call or email us.
612-720-6478
info@aftonparade.com

Sponsors/Donations

Use Paypal to donate to the
parade or to complete your
sponsorship responsibility.