Hidden Stories Among Us: 147 Years of Tradition - This Parade is the Biggest Yet!

If you’re looking for a place to mark the Fourth of July in a big way this year, Mandan has you covered. One of BEK’s newest service territories is gearing up for an Independence Day celebration that’s part deep-rooted tradition, part once-in-a-generation spectacle, and all are welcome!

147 Years… and History… in the Making

This year’s America 250 Mandan Independence Day Parade is widely considered the oldest in North Dakota, dating back to 1879. This year marks the 147th running of a tradition that has brought communities together across generations, and 2026 promises to be the most memorable year yet.

Organizers with the Mandan Progress Organization (MPO), the nonprofit behind the parade for the past several years, are expecting up to 45,000 attendees. That’s a larger crowd than usual, and for good reason: it’s America’s 250th birthday, and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is opening to the public in nearby Medora on July 4th. As in year’s past, people are expected to come from across North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and South Dakota, many returning to the community where they grew up or where family still lives.

This year’s parade features exactly 100 floats and approximately 1,300 participants, and organizers say the nation’s 250th has inspired everyone involved to bring their best.

“I think it’s a testament to Mandan’s longevity and tradition,” said Triston Kosek, Assistant Executive Director of the Mandan Progress Organization. “Spectators will witness a unique experience that ties in all generations, past and present, while paying honor to where America came from and where the community is going.”

New This Year: A Flyover, Bigger Flags, and a Parade Competition

Several additions are making this year’s parade unlike any before it.

The parade will open with the official presentation of colors, followed by the 188th Army Band of the North Dakota National Guard. Then, in what may be the most talked-about moment of the morning, the North Dakota Army National Guard will conduct a flyover above Main Street, following the same route as the parade. The flyover will be led by the 1st Battalion, 112th Aviation Regiment and will include two helicopters: a UH-60 Black Hawk with flight crew Colonel Mike Green, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brent Freese, Specialist Timothy Rice, and Specialist Tyler Knopp, and a UH-72 Lakota with Lieutenant Colonel Josh Yri and Captain Chris Roach at the helm.

Following the flyover, two massive flags will make their way down Main Street: a newly introduced American flag so large it requires 60 people to carry and the North Dakota state flag. Athletes from Mandan High School’s football team will carry the American flag, and Bismarck High School’s football team will carry the state flag.

This year also marks the introduction of a parade competition. The parade planning committee will vote on winners of five categories and will announce them during the parade.

Presenting sponsor Eide Automotive Group leads the parade proper, followed by service members, the Mandan Marching Band, and this year’s Grand Marshal: the Dakota Leathernecks Detachment #1419, a chapter of the Marine Corps League representing active duty, reserve, and honorably discharged Marines and FMF Corpsmen.

A Fireworks Show Built to Honor Everyone

On the evening of July 3rd, Mandan will light up the sky with a pyro-musical fireworks show that’s being designed with a clear and meaningful purpose. After the Mandan Progress Organization helped set a world record with a pyro-musical display on New Year’s Eve 2025, they’re bringing that same energy… and a bigger message… to Independence Day.

“We want to honor those who have served and protected our country but also honor those who were worth protecting - the common people who make our country so great,” Kosek shared. “America is great because of the common men and women who pour their hearts out to do it better than anyone else in the world.”

The show runs 24 minutes, features 5,000 shells fired from a 700-foot shoot site, and introduces a firework wheel mounted 135 feet above the ground that fires in every direction. The musical mix spans American culture from the 1920s through today’s pop hits, something for every generation.

“Not everyone will love all pieces,” Kosek said, “but everyone will leave loving at least one piece.”

Mandan and the surrounding Morton County area represent exactly the kind of community BEK was built to serve: the people who care deeply about where they live, who show up for each other, and who celebrate their roots with genuine pride.

For a full list of Independence Day events in Mandan, including Art in the Park, Mandan Rodeo Days, and the 5K Road Race, and for parking and event details, visit visitmandan.com.