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Parade
The 2023 Maple Leaf Festival Parade will take place on October 21st, beginning at 9 a.m.!! Old traditions are new again. The parade is going to go back around the Square!! The parade will start on the corner of 4th and Main, Go Main down to 3rd, 3rd to Grant. It will then follow Grant down to Grand, Grand to Centennial, and over to River. We encourage visitors, both local and traveling, to line the parade route and join in the spirit of Maple Leaf as festive floats travel down the 1.7-mile route.
Festival History
The Maple Leaf Festival TM began in 1966 as a marching band competition. Since then, volunteers have come together to organize an event to celebrate the beauty of the fall foliage of the maple-leaf trees. The City of Carthage, known as America’s Maple Leaf City, hosts one of the region’s biggest festivals, drawing over 65,000 visitors in October to pay homage to this historic festival.
Held the 3rd week in October annually, this festival hosts daily events for an entire week. Starting with Oktoberfest the week before and ending with the biggest parade in Southwest Missouri. This nearly 2-mile parade begins at 9 am and encompasses the beautiful Historic Carthage Square, traveling down Grand Ave. and finally ending at the Carthage Jr. High School.
The square is filled with arts & crafts, food vendors, live entertainment all day, a quilt show, activities for kids, a petting zoo, and so much more. A carnival full of rides & entertainment for all ages, a Night of Praise, walking tours, and other activities fills the week with activities for all ages. Celebrating our 57th year in 2023, the Maple Leaf Festival TM, the Carthage Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Carthage Welcome you to America’s Maple Leaf City this October. For more information, call the Carthage Chamber at 417-358-2373.