Tiffin-Seneca Public Library Named 2026 Heritage Festival Parade Grand Marshal
America 250-themed parade will also feature Float Flashback Decorating Contest
Destination Seneca County, along with the Tiffin-Seneca Heritage Festival Committee, has announced the Tiffin-Seneca Public Library as the Grand Marshal of the 2026 Tiffin-Seneca Heritage Festival Parade, taking place Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 10 AM in downtown Tiffin. The Tiffin-Seneca Heritage Festival Parade is sponsored by Brian Bower – loanDepot.
The theme of the 2026 parade is America 250, recognizing the 250th anniversary of the United States and highlighting local connections to the anniversary.
The Tiffin-Seneca Public Library was selected as Grand Marshal in recognition of its involvement in local America 250 efforts. The library has provided events, programs, displays, research opportunities, and other resources related to America 250, giving community members opportunities to learn more about local and national history. The selection recognizes the library’s role in providing historical resources and educational programming to the community throughout the anniversary year.
The America 250 theme will also be incorporated into this year’s parade through the Float Flashback Decorating Contest, a special contest inspired by Tiffin’s 1976 Bicentennial celebration of America.
On June 13, 1976, Tiffin held the Tiffin Area Bicentennial Parade in recognition of America’s 200th birthday. The parade included 326 units and lasted nearly four hours. Fifty years later, businesses, organizations, families, clubs, churches, community groups, and other parade participants are invited to use that 1976 parade as inspiration for their entries in the 2026 Tiffin-Seneca Heritage Festival Parade.
For the Float Flashback Decorating Contest, participants may select from eight historic floats featured in photographs from Tiffin’s 1976 Bicentennial celebration and create a 2026 interpretation of the original design. Participants may also enter the America 250 Original category by creating a new America 250-themed float.
Participants recreating a historic float are not expected to build an exact replica. The 1976 photographs are intended to serve as inspiration, allowing each participating group to incorporate elements of the original float while creating its own interpretation. Multiple organizations may select the same historic float.
Groups interested in participating must first register for the Tiffin-Seneca Heritage Festival Parade, which can be done so at TiffinParades.com, and then complete the additional Float Flashback registration form. Contest entries must be fully decorated, parade-ready, and in their assigned staging locations no later than 9 AM on parade day. Judges will evaluate Float Flashback and America 250 Original entries in the line up area before the parade begins, with winners announced prior to parade step-off.
Complete parade information, Float Flashback inspiration photos, parade registration, and contest registration are available at DestinationSenecaCounty.org/float.
