Oconomowoc Fourth of July parade organizers reverse decision on political participation

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. — Organizers of the Oconomowoc Fourth of July parade have reversed their decision to not include political parties and representatives from participating in this year's event.

The Oconomowoc Rotary Club issued an apology and clarification, saying "all political parties and representatives" can take part in next month's parade.

"We have listened intently to your feedback, and we fully recognize the importance of traditional parade participation to many of our local politicians and constituents alike."

This comes after initial plans to host a non-political parade sparked pushback from local officials and organizations.

This year's parade through downtown Oconomowoc marks 150 years for the city. The local Rotary Club was hoping to celebrate the milestone with a non-political parade "free from partisan messaging." While some in the community supported this approach, others voiced strong opposition.

State Rep. Barbara Dittrich said she felt "excluded" from her hometown parade.

The Waukesha County GOP Party expressed concern they were being banned from celebrating the nation's birthday with their float and volunteers handing out American flags.

But in Wednesday's clarification statement the Rotary club said: We want to clearly state that all political parties and representatives are welcome and encouraged to participate fully in the parade, as has been our longstanding tradition."

The Rotary Club hopes marking the city's 150th year is a "chance to celebrate this historic milestone together."

This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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