Whether celebrating ethnic heritages, sporting events, political candidates or controversial causes, parades reclaim urban thoroughfares as public spaces for expressions of group identity Often, these carry memorial/patriotic associations—the bands, flags, military troops and heroes of 4th of July reverberate through media and political imagery. Others—the spectacles inaugurating Christmas shopping or celebrating bowl games—convey commercial messages through elaborate floats and televisual coverage. Disney, as well, promotes nightly events to sanctify its imagery of small-town America. Yet parades challenge as well as affirm; the legacy of civil-rights marches underpins contemporary Gay Pride parades and new ethnic celebrations demanding space in the American landscape.