Every September, Carterville community starts the fall season with a Free Fair that is filled with fun rides, good food, and a parade. The parade includes but is not limited to pageant queens, the Carterville band, and junior varsity football. 

The parade was short but enjoyable. Some of the floats that grabbed the people’s attention were the cheerleaders’ float and the arabesque, the dancers performed well and captured the audience with their skill, leaving them with a wonderful memory. An anonymous person at Carterville High School described the parade as “Bringing people together, fun and entertaining,” overall confirming the light hearted and fun environment.

Everyone who watched the parade gladly said it met their expectations and that the people in the marching band had performed well. However, the heat was the only complaint, Izzie Bailey, a junior color guard member of the marching band, said, “People in the crowd cheered us on as we passed, and it was nice to see people were enjoying the hard work we put into the parade!”

This year’s Free Fair Parade captured the audience so much that they said they would gladly attend the following year, and the students involved also said they would be more than happy to return  and perform again.