The 2007 parade begins at 11:00am on July 4Grand Marshal Wayne Norman
The parades are always led by Grand Marshal Wayne Norman--WILI's morning man since 1970. He started the 2004 parade wearing a white jump suit with a red, white, and blue sequined vest while riding an "adult tricycle" down Main Street. He led the 2003 parade decked out in red, white, and blue, while driving a decorated go-cart, and had a two-sided red sign which asked "Where's The Courant today?" and "Where's Dan Rather today," in response to recent Courant and 60 Minutes II portrayals of Willimantic (see photo top of this page).
Two months after he backpacked the Grand Canyon, Wayne led the 2002 Boom Box Parade in his hiking gear-- complete with backpack. His Canyon Hiking pals followed him with a stretcher-- just in case! He carryed cold water bottle in his pack and gave them to spectators on the 99 degree day.
He kicked off the 2001 parade as Uncle Sam riding a scooter. He wore a hard hat which played various sound effects and had two nylon propellers which lit up red and rotated. On his back was a drawing of Windham's new "Thread City Crossing" bridge, complete with actual photos of the bridge's frogs. And he carried a Sony Boom Box hanging from a strap around his neck.
Norman has developed a tradition of wacky outfits. In 2000, he led the "Cupid Corps"-nine individuals who had been honored for community service by being named Romantic Willimantic's "Cupid." Wayne was the first recipient in 1982. He headed the 2000 parade wearing big, white, safety-pinned diapers, carried a bow and arrow, and had a red sash saying "Cupid 1982." He wore his traditional drum major hat from Windham High, a "Stars and Stripes" shirt, had boom boxes for shoes, and carried a Boom Box. In 1999 he honored the National Champion UConn Men's Basketball team by wearing an actual game jersey of UConn center Jake Voskuhl, had the colorful Boom Box shoes, the drum major hat, carried a boom box, threw candy to the spectators, shot baskets at a hoop carried on the back back of WILI's afternoon man Shawn Higgins--all while pulling a dogsled which carried the UConn Husky mascot.
In 1998, he towed a bus-sized boom box while on rollerblades. In 1997, he was joined upfront by WILI News Director Mike Morrissette on motorcycles. In 1996, he was dressed as a giant snowman, in tribute to the record-setting winter of '95/'96. In previous years he wore a white tuxedo (1994), and the Frog of Windham (1993). In 1992 he attempted to ride a horse, and in 1991 rode ten feet above Main Street in a cherry-picker supplied by the Willimantic Fire Department.
Information obtained from Wili