Weissport to celebrate Armed Forces Day with parade Saturday

A parade to honor veterans and active service personnel is set to step off in Weissport.

Sponsored by Jacob’s Weissport Historical Society and Weissport School Alumni, the parade will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday. The rain date is Sunday.

The purpose of the parade is twofold, according to Jake Boyer, a member of Jacob’s Weissport Historical Society.

“The parade will be held to celebrate Armed Forces Day, and to welcome state Rep. Doyle Heffley to Weissport,” Boyer said. “It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a parade in Weissport.”

Boyer said James Wentz and Lamont “Mike” Ebbert have been chosen as grand marshals of the parade. Major General Jay Barry will be a special guest.

The parade will be led by the Lehighton High School Marching Band, under the direction of Bryan Buffington and high school Principal Sue Howland.

It will start at Franklin Street, go to White Street and then to Forge Street, and proceed back up Franklin Street.

Other parade participants will include Girl Scout Troop 3176 of Lehighton, led by Megan Sanders; the Vietnam Vets Motorcycles, L.V. Harley Group; KME Fire Truck, Stan Ptaszkowski; Weissport police officer Matthew Williams and Mayor Paulette Watson; Lehighton Legion Honor Guard; Carbon County Director of Veterans Affairs Henry Desrosiers; Weissport Borough Council; Jeff Elder’s truck; Mylee Hauser, who will perform the national anthem; Weissport School Reunion Scholarship winner Brenna Long; Heffley; Carbon County Commissioners Wayne Nothstein and Tom Gerhard; Miss Carbon County; Palmerton Honor Guard; Army Reserve Float; Lehighton Middle School Student Council president Nick Smith; Weissport veterans; Chris Lukasevich; Brodheadsville Homeless Vets truck; the Alzheimer’s Association; and a couple of antique Thunderbirds by Dale Nansteel and Drew Yenser.

Parking is available at the factory across from the playground behind the church, as well as The Hofford Mill.

After the parade, Gary Schoenberger and Ebbert will provide a brief history of the borough, as well as a tour of significant buildings.