Chicago’s 94th annual Bud Billiken Parade was held on August 12 – marking the first full parade following the onset of COVID-19 restrictions in 2021. Begun in 1929 by the Chicago Defender newspaper as a celebration of the city’s “unity in diversity,” the parade has now grown into the largest African American parade (and second largest parade of any kind) in the country. It’s held on the South Side every second Saturday of August and is known as a sign of summer’s ending and the beginning of the school year. Saturday’s parade took place on a beautiful sunny summer day, filled with kids, families, music and dancers, plus cheering crowds along the whole route. Vocalo’s community and audio storytelling producer Ari Mejia was in attendance, and brings listeners a sound-rich dispatch from this year's parade.

This segment was produced by Ari Mejia. For more from Vocalo, visit Vocalo.org.