The Polish Constitution Day Parade in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

is the largest Polish parade outside of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, and celebrates the anniversary of the ratification of the Polish

Constitution of May 3, 1791 The Constitution of 3 May 1791, titled the Government Act, was a written constitution for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that was adopted by the Great Sejm that met between 1788 and 1792. The Commonwealth was a dual monarchy comprising ...

, which historian

Norman Davies Ivor Norman Richard Davies (born 8 June 1939) is a British and Polish historian, known for his publications on the history of Europe, Poland and the United Kingdom. He has a special interest in Central and Eastern Europe and is UNESCO Profes ...

calls "the first constitution of its kind in Europe". It is the second in the world only to the United States Constitution. Since 1892, Polonia's various community organizations have come together to organise this traditional Chicago salute to pride and tradition. Every year the parade is held on the Saturday closest to the third day of May. The main organizer of the Parade is the Association of Polish Clubs, under whose leadership the Grand Marshal and Queen of the Parade are elected. Organizers allocate than places in the marching column to all participants (like organizations, schools, bands, folk dancing groups). The parade has also been an occasion that both local and national politicians have used to curry favor with

Chicago Polonia Both immigrant Poles and Americans of Polish heritage live in Chicago, Illinois. They are a part of worldwide '' Polonia'', the Polish term for the Polish Diaspora outside of Poland. Poles in Chicago have contributed to the economic, social an ...

, or Polish community. Most notably Robert F. Kennedy attended the festivities on May 7 of 1961 along with attending mass at

Holy Trinity Polish Mission Holy Trinity Church () is a historic Catholic Church, Catholic church of the Archdiocese of Chicago located at 1118 North Noble Street. It is a prime example of the so-called Polish cathedral style of churches, in both its opulence and grand sc ...

before the parade. The Polish constitution established a constitutional monarchy with three definite branches of government and extended rights to social classes. The parade takes place by expressing the Polish values, traditions, and history all outside, being one of the biggest parades. The very first Parade took place in 1892 in Humboldt Park, which - at the time - was located in the heart of

Polish Downtown Polish Downtown was Chicago's oldest and most prominent Polish settlement. Polish Downtown was the political, cultural and social capital of Poles in Chicago and of other Polish Americans throughout North America. Centered on Polonia Triangle ...

. After World War II the parade was moved to downtown, first to State Street, then to Dearborn Street, and finally - from 2003 - to Grant Park. Every year the Parade starts from the location of

Buckingham Fountain Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago Landmark in the center of Grant Park, between Queen's Landing and the end of Ida B. Wells Drive. Dedicated in 1927 and donated to the city by philanthropist Kate S. Buckingham, it is one of the largest fount ...

and ends by the bridge over the

Chicago River The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). The river is one of the reasons for Chicago's geographic importance: the related Chic ...

. Today, the river of Dearborn South is a stream of red and white as everyone comes out to show their polish pride. The parade is filled with floats that are decorated and have emblems and logos of the Polonian organizations. There is a mix of marchers representing their organization, dancers, and marching bands all added to the event. Chicago's Polonia, the largest Polish community outside

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

proudly participate in the Parade in Downtown Chicago. During the Parade in 2006, 144 marching groups participated with an audience of - according to various sources - between 60 and 140 thousand people. Each year, the parade collects a crowd of thousands of people dedicated to Poland. As the parade is taking place, music is playing, dancers are dancing, and people are marching. The Polish Constitution Day Parade is also available on-demand a
Parade filmed by local TV channel
Television stations that provide the Polish parade are expected to draw thousands of more views through television coverage.

Controversies

In 1975, serial killer

John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994) was an American serial killer and sex offender who raped, tortured and murdered at least thirty-three young men and boys in Norwood Park Township, Cook County, Illinois, Norwood Park Tow ...

was appointed director of the parade, which he supervised from 1975 until 1978. Through his work with the parade, Gacy met and was photographed with then First Lady

Rosalynn Carter Eleanor Rosalynn Carter ( ; ; August 18, 1927 – November 19, 2023) was an American activist and humanitarian who served as the first lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981, as the wife of President Jimmy Carter. Throughout her decades of ...

on May 6, 1978. Rosalynn Carter signed one photo: "To John Gacy. Best wishes. Rosalynn Carter". The event later became an embarrassment to the

United States Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security tasked with conducting criminal investigations and providing protection to American political leaders, thei ...

, as Gacy was wearing an "S" pin, indicating a person who has received special clearance by the Secret Service.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Parade of 2010
Polish Constitution Day Parade, The Constitution Day Parade, The Polish John Wayne Gacy