Krewe of Head Start Recruitment Parade royalty Maurelya Spain and Melvin Robertson Jr. ride a float in the 2019 parade. This year’s parade is Saturday starting at 1 p.m. in Franklin.

The annual Krewe of Head Start Recruitment Parade for 2020 will roll through the streets of Franklin Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

Parade Chairman David Teno said he is expecting a positive turnout for the parade this weekend, with a healthy number of floats rolling through downtown Franklin.

“We’re expecting the weather to be cooperative. We have about 20 floats, pickup trucks and dance schools,” Teno said.

Teno said the parade has been a staple for the Franklin Mardi Gras season since 1993, when the first Head Start Recruitment Parade took place.

The Krewe of Head Start Parade has served as St. Mary CAA’s major recruitment tool for Head Start’s pre-school children aged 3 to 5 and allows the agency to market other services available to its Head Start families and Individuals.

The parade also highlights and markets the premiere early childhood programs in St. Mary Parish through the St. Mary Parish Early Childhood Network and Ready Start Network, which focuses on quality and school readiness for children up to age 5.

This year’s Krewe of Head Start Recruitment Parade’s theme is “Head Start Goes to Hawaii!” Line up begins at 11 a.m. along Cynthia Street and in Franklin Senior High School’s secured parking area, located off Louisiana 182.

The FSH student parking area will be available for parents and participants to park.

The parade route leaves Franklin High School, proceeds onto Main Street and travels through downtown Franklin.

There is still time to participate in the parade, and entry forms may be picked up at the St. Mary CAA Central Office, located at 1407 Barrow Street in Franklin.

Anyone completing the form must also provide a copy of their driver’s license and insurance. For more information, please contact Teno, Jeffery Beverly or Reginald Patterson at 828-5703.

Fees include $35 for floats and flatbeds, $25 for trucks and cars, $10 for dance and drill teams and $5 for walkers.

For the second year, the parade will feature “Trucks on Parade,” showcasing fathers and father figures.