CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) —The annual Bud Billiken back-to-school parade returned to the South Side Saturday after taking last year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A large crowd gathered along King Drive to watch floats, marching bands, drill teams, dancers and politicians that were a part of the event. The Bud Billiken Parade has been a Chicago tradition since 1929.
Most of the children WBBM Newsradio spoke with seemed ready to be back in the classroom after a year of remote learning.
"I didn't really get all the computer stuff. It was hard to operate the computer sometimes. And I didn't really understand everything," one young parade attendee told WBBM Newsradio.
When asked whether he preferred have class in-person or remotely, the young man said he preferred to work in the classroom.
"I like to do my work on paper because it's easier and it's easier to understand," he said, adding that he was looking forward to "having good grades" when school begins in two weeks.
There also was a push to get people vaccinated with an onsite vaccination station.
Representatives from Vax Chi Nation were at the parade to an answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We want to just spread that information to let people make a more informed choice on their life and their health. Not necessarily trying to coerce anybody but, you know, we do want to persuade people into getting a vaccine,” Joe Hall of Vax Chi Nation told WBBM Newsradio.
The 10-block long parade route began at 45th Street and King Drive and continued south through Washington Park and ended at 55th Street.
Organizers said the Bud Billiken Parade is the largest African American parade in the country.
Related
