Sure, everybody loves a parade. But would you still love it if you were the one responsible for organizing it, for spending several waking hours each day of several months making sure it goes off without a hitch? If you’re Duane Vernon and Calvin Jones, that answer is a resounding “yes!” Spend five minutes with them, and it’s clear that the dynamic duo (aka Batman and Robin) have nothing on them. With the all of the BOW! WHAM! SOCK! enthusiasm of a climatic fight on the `60s TV show, the pair make a convincing argument that putting on, and attending, a parade is the greatest thing on Earth. Barnum & Bailey, beware!

Vernon, who works for Credit Bureau Collection Services, and hosts the pre-game radio shows for Spartan football and basketball, explained that he got his start in parade planning in 1987. “Five of us were having lunch downtown deciding how we were going to celebrate the turn of the century… and we came up with the idea of having a parade.” Out of this was born Michigan Parades in the 21st Century, an annual parade that was held until the year 2000. Due to popular demand, they started up again in 2002. In 2006, Jones, the director of government and public relations at the Lansing Board of Water & Light, took over. Jones has also worked on the African-American parade for the past ten years, and Vernon was involved in both Michigan State University basketball national championship parades, as well as the parade commemorating Oldsmobile’s 100th anniversary.
However, “This is the first time that we’ve both chaired a big-time major event,” Jones says, and “being Lansing guys, this means a lot to us.” Their credentials and passion thus established, let’s move on to what Vernon called the five essential      elements of any successful parade.
In no particular order, they are:
Music. “Without the music,” Jones says, “people would see it as a long funeral procession.” That’s why, even though the Michigan State University marching band is unable to perform due to end-of-school commitments, high school bands from the Lansing School District (Sexton, Eastern, Everett, Waverly) have been invited, and are expected to perform. In addition, the Capital Area Alumni Band and the Glen Erin Pipe Band will be performing, along with the Scott-Hill Clown Band.  
Speaking of which, number two is clowns. “Clowns are wonderful,” Vernon says. “A lot of people don’t realize that, but they are.” Then, the military, for the patriotism theme of a parade. The Parade of the Decades will feature the flyover of an undisclosed aircraft. Fourth, animals. “People love to see animals,” Vernon says. “People walk their dogs, horses, llamas.” Yes, llamas! Last, but not least, “which you might not imagine,” said Vernon, are fire trucks. “People go nuts over fire trucks.” Those five elements have worked for all the parades in which they’ve been involved.
While neither is sure exactly who came up with the idea for the Parade of the Decades, a spectacular event that is a big part of the Lansing 150 celebration going on this year, both agree that it’s an excellent theme for the parade. Coincidentally, they said they’re expecting upwards of 150 entries. Many companies in the Greater Lansing area will be represented, as will Michigan State University, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Lansing Community College, Davenport University, Lansing’s public schools, the utilities in town, you get the idea. This is not your father’s Oldsmobile of parades, although the men assure us that the Olds name, so large a part of Lansing’s heritage, will be very much in evidence in the parade––from vintage vehicles to Big Lug himself.
The parade, which takes place on May 16, gets started at approximately 11:30 a.m. following the completion of the Capitol Bancorp 5K run, which over the years has raised more than $285,000 for education in our area. The parade begins at the corner of Michigan and Pennsylvania avenues, heads west to the Capitol, takes a left on Capitol Avenue just before running into the statue, then hangs a right on Allegan Avenue and concludes near the state buildings. Jones said that while they have no idea how many spectators will view the parade, they wouldn’t be surprised to see upwards of 10,000. This, after all, should be the biggest and best parade this city’s had in 150 years. It also takes place during the East Lansing Art Festival, which they hope will mean drawing some art-weary people.
Vernon said that individuals, organizations, clubs, businesses and anyone who loves to parade are welcome to join in the fun. The $10 entry fee offsets a small portion of the expenses, with corporate sponsorships covering a larger portion. Participants from local businesses will be showcasing elements from their past that tie into the sesquicentennial celebration, although neither men could point to any specifics, as the entries are not required to provide any.
The committee charged with organizing and pulling off the parade numbers 40-plus, and Vernon said that in each of the planning meetings through January and February, over 25 people have shown up, proving that the members of the committee are not taking their responsibilities lightly. Like the parade participants, the committee is a widely diverse one and this is something both men stress—the desire for the parade to be all-inclusive, to represent the broadest cross-section of Lansing possible. Vernon and Jones, along with their fellow committee members, invite participation from the African-American, Latino, Hispanic, Hmong, Asian and other communities.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for this community to be as inclusive as possible, and to come forth and showcase its talents and treasures,” Jones says. “We want all cultures and businesses to come together so that we can showcase what we’ve accomplished over the decades.”
And like this magazine, it’s not just about Lansing per se, it’s about the Greater Lansing area. The committee is hoping to find people who’ve worked for famous but now defunct stores such as Knapp’s, corporations such as Oldsmobile, and schools such as the Walter French Academy to represent their past employers in the parade with signs stating the years they were in business.
One of the few things the parade won’t include is politics. “No campaigning,” Vernon says. “Smiles on people’s face, that’s what it’s all about. We want people to enjoy it and have fun with it.” However, they expect the present mayor and four past mayors of Lansing to participate, along with all past and current city council members. They’ve also invited the governor and all state and federal legislators.
Along the parade route, radio and TV personalities will be staffing announcing stations to tell spectators details about the various floats. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets, as bleachers will be somewhere between scarce and nonexistent.
When parade day comes, Vernon and Jones know their roles. “We’re there early and we leave late,” Jones says. “Everybody knows what needs to be done. DeWayne and I are there to keep people motivated, to make sure that everything moves along smoothly. We do everything from provide some donuts in the morning to      putting a Band-Aid® on someone who might have a cut. We really do what’s necessary. Our goal is to make sure that this community is represented as professionally as possible. We’re there to be the cheerleaders, to make sure it goes off smoothly.”
With help from many civic organizations, most notably the area’s Rotary clubs, Jones and Vernon are confident that the Parade of the Decades will be one that’s remembered long after the current one has gone.