March with the Commission for Persons with Disabilities in the River Festival Parade on June 21!


6/17/2025 • 5 months ago

Mermaid Promenade at 2024 Cambridge Arts River Festival. (Greg Cook photo)

Showcase your disability pride this Saturday, June 21 by joining the Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) to march in Cambridge Arts’ River Festival Parade!

The parade will feature the mermaid promenade and a “Celebration of 250 Years of Milestones, Innovations and Firsts.” We welcome you to join CCPD in honoring this theme by celebrating the upcoming 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal law that provides civil rights protections to people with disabilities.  

Parade details: 

  • Meet outside the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park at JFK Street and Memorial Drive by 11:10 a.m. Look for ADA35 signs to join the CCPD marching group!  
  • The closest drop-off point for the start of the parade is the corner of Memorial Drive and JFK Street. 
  • The parade begins at 11:30 a.m. from this meeting point. 
  • The half-mile parade route (about 20 minutes) proceeds east along Memorial Drive, traveling through the River Festival, to end at Corporal Burns Park at Memorial Drive and Flagg Street. 
  • There are a limited number of golf cart seats available on a first come, first served basis for individuals who would like mobility support in order to participate in the parade. To request a golf cart seat, contact Greg Cook at gcook@cambridgema.gov before Friday, June 20. 
  • You do not need to march for the entire route in order to participate.  
  • Contact Rachel Tanenhaus, Cambridge ADA Coordinator, at ccpd@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4692 (Voice) by Friday, June 20 at 12 p.m. with any disability-related questions.  

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the disability community at the River Festival!  

For more information about the River Festival, visit Cambridge Arts’ website.