WUSA 2025 Opening Day Parade & Carnival

WUSA will officially kick off the 2025 season with our Opening Day Parade and Carnival on February 8, 2025.  The Parade will begin at 9:00am at the corner of Edloe and Rice.  Teams will walk South on Edloe to the Gilbert and Aherns softball fields where they will gather for the Opening Day Ceremony and Carnival.  

Teams are encouraged to come to the Parade full of team spirit, dressed in team jerseys and any other costumes or accessories organized by your Team Spirit parents!  Teams should all also carry their Team Banner (see Banner Hacks below for more info).  Each team may be accompanied in the Parade by the Manager, assistant coaches, and Team Spirit parents.  All other family and friends should line up along Edloe to support the teams. 

 This year, we are asking teams to meet and assemble before coming into the Parade Staging Area.  We suggest meeting between 8:30am and 8:40am on one of the surrounding blocks, then have only the Manager, Coaches, and Team Spirit Parents take the teams into the Staging Area at 8:45am.  Teams will line up alphabetically within each Division.  We will have markers in the Staging Area to identify where each division should start lining up.  The approximate lineup locations for each Division are shown in the map. 

 Our goal is to reduce the overall number of people in the Staging Area.  This will allow our teams to have a little more space and also allow those arriving at the Staging Area to easily locate their team.  We understand this may not work for all families, especially those with multiple children participating in the parade, but we appreciate everyone’s best effort to make the Staging Area a little less chaotic. 

 Local business will be open for coffee and breakfast.  Visit Milk & Cookies, El Topo or Little Matts!  B1 Bank will also be offering free coffee and donuts in front of the bank before the parade starts! 

Banner Hacks!

If you are the Parade & Spirit Chair looking for some tips on how to make a banner, here you go! 

  • A good banner size is 3’x5’, especially for the youngest girls, but any size your team can manage is fine
  • You can make a banner by hand on heavy fabric or order a professionally printed banner
  • Professionally printed banners can be ordered from BannersOnTheCheap.com, VistaPrint.com, Signs.com, Staples.com, and many other websites
  • Adding grommets to your banner will be helpful for the Parade and also to hang your banner at games.  Banners can be hung on PVC at the Parade to make them easier for the girls to carry
  • The Banner should include the names of each player, manager, assistant coach, and team sponsor 

Once the Parade concludes with all teams having arrived on Gilbert and Ahrens Fields, Opening Ceremonies will begin around 10:00am. We ask that only the teams be on the fields and that all parents and family members stand and enjoy the ceremonies behind the fences. This includes strollers which we ask be kept off the fields. Please note dogs or other pets are not allowed.   After the Ceremonies end, the Carnival starts!  

For the Carnival, all players, siblings, and friends are welcome!  Children will need wristbands ($30) to access all the carnival games, inflatables, etc.  Wristbands also include a lunch for kids. Adults do not need wristbands for admission (unless they want to play in the bouncy houses!). Individual meal tickets for parents and guests are available for purchase ($8).  Additional items like confetti eggs, sandy candy, cotton candy, and more like face painting and hair spray painting are available with the purchase of general tickets ($5 each).   

 In addition to the fun the Carnival will feature a market showcasing local vendors for your perusal. These booths will be offering their unique merchandise and services. Make sure to check out the market!     

$30 wristband for each child provides access to all carnival booths and games, plus includes a meal for each kid.   Adults do not need wristbands for admission (unless you want to play on the inflatables!) 

 $8 additional meal ticket only (can be used by anyone; adults, kiddos, additional guests) 

 $5 tickets to buy each item; confetti eggs, sandy candy and cotton candy.

The Carnival will run until 12:00pm, after which the WUSA spring season officially begins!

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