This Parade Took Over the Streets of KC for 90 Years. Why Did It End?
The final American Royal parade in Kansas City met its quiet end at Arrowhead Stadium. Once a beloved local tradition, the event’s last appearance failed to draw the crowds that had celebrated it for generations.
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The Final Parade
On a cool and clear October day in 2015, participants gathered with horses, balloons, floats, and marching bands, keeping alive a familiar spectacle. Yet that year’s march, themed “A Star-Spangled Salute,” did not roll through downtown or the Crossroads district. Instead, it followed a short three-quarter-mile route between Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums.
Despite the enthusiasm of those involved, the change in location proved fateful. As the parade began, the participants noticed something unusual—only a sparse number of spectators lined the route.
Few realized at that moment that this would be the final American Royal parade.
Tracing Its Origins
To understand how the tradition came to end, it helps to look back to its beginnings. The origins of the parade are linked to the founding of the American Royal stock show.
In October 1899, members of the American Hereford Breeder’s Association convened for what they called the first “National Hereford Show,” setting up a massive tent that spanned Genesee Street from 17th to 18th.
Author’s Summary
The American Royal parade, a Kansas City tradition for nearly a century, ended quietly in 2015 after dwindling attendance marked its last route between Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums.