Arrows to Aerospace 2024 Parade Set for Saturday

The 53rd Annual Arrows to Aerospace Celebration begins this week and culminates with a parade and various family events at Washington Park on Saturday. Once again, the Bellevue-Offutt Kiwanis Club is organizing all of the events. They have coordinated the Arrows to Aerospace parade and celebration for the past 36 years.

The parade starts this Saturday, August 17th, at 10am. The route starts near St. Mary’s Catholic Grade School at the ‘top’ of Mission Avenue and runs down all the way to Washington Park, taking a left at the intersection of Franklin and Mission.

The weather forecast calls for sunny skies and a beautiful 75 degrees when the parade begins.

There are currently around 90 entries for the 2024 parade, and Bellevue-Offutt Kiwanis Club President and Parade Chair Karen Mier indicated they are still working on confirmation from a few other possible participants. A complete listing of the confirmed entries can be found at the end of the article.

A couple of new entries this year promise to be fun including the Santa Lucia Festival and the Bellevue Alumni Band. It will mark the first public performance by the Bellevue Alumni Band – who hope to become a regular sight at future Arrows to Aerospace parades.

Arrows to Aerospace has traditionally been one of the best-attended events in the Bellevue community. Mier says the parade averages around 8,000 people, with some years having a little more and others a little less.

Parade entrants will compete in various categories, including Best in Community, Best Overall, Best in Business, Best in Church, and Best Performance. Last year’s winners in each category included: First Presbyterian Church (Best in Church), Scottish Society of Nebraska (Best in Community), Hillcrest Health Services (Best in Business), Bellevue West Marching Band (Best Performance), and Jazzercise Bellevue Fitness Center (Best Overall).

The 2024 Judges panel includes Rebecca Zurcher, owner of Erwin’s Jewelers Co; Colonel Aaron Gray, Vice Commander of the 55th Wing, Offutt Air Force Base; and a representative from Bellevue Public Schools.

The Bellevue, Nebraska Police Department was selected to be the 2024 parade Grand Marshal. Officer David Bafaro, the BPD 2023 Officer of the Year, and Detective Troy Boyle, the BPD 2023 Detective of the Year, will represent the department in the parade.

Officer Bafaro has been a Bellevue Police Officer for over four years. While assigned as a road patrol officer, he also serves as a negotiator on the department’s Crisis Negotiation Team. On multiple occasions, he gained compliance from individuals armed with weapons and assisted as a negotiator for SWAT callouts. He constantly uses his skills to de-escalate dangerous and potentially deadly circumstances.

Detective Boyle has been a Bellevue Police Officer for over 14 years. He serves as a detective in the Special Victims Unit and primarily investigates crimes against children. Detective Boyle maintained a nearly 100% case clearance rate for the cases he was assigned throughout the year. He also received three department commendations for going above and beyond what is expected of a detective. Detective Boyle demonstrates incredible patience and work ethic and maintains a can-do attitude throughout.

Other events offered throughout the day include a downhill mile race, a free Petting Zoo by Scatter Joy Acres, bounce houses, boys and girls bike raffle, craft vendors, Music in the Park, cornhole and other games, and the Pancake Man and other food vendors. A complete listing of all of the events, along with their scheduled times can be found on the Arrows to Aerospace Parade Event Page: https://bokiwanis.org/arrows-to-aerospace.

The overall celebration kicks off on Thursday, August 15th at 6:30pm with an event at the Bellevue Public Library called The Queen’s Road: Nebraska’s Bumpy Ride to Statehood by Jeff Barnes. On Friday, August 16th the celebration continues at the Bellevue Senior Center with music, lunch, and bingo from Noon-3pm, while the Sarpy County Museum will be hosting the Great Sarpy County Quilt Exhibit from 10am-4pm.

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Alphabetical List of Confirmed Parade Entries

• All Seasons Church and Foundation
• American National Bank
• Announcers – Brian Walther and John Desjardins
• Apollo Heating & Air
• Bellevue Alumni Band
• Bellevue Bicycle Club
• Bellevue CHI Health Clinic
• Bellevue Eagles #3912
• Bellevue East AFJROTC
• Bellevue East Chieftain Marching Band
• Bellevue East Spirit Squad
• Bellevue Fire Dept.
• Bellevue Food Pantry
• Bellevue Junior Sports Cheerleaders
• Bellevue Lions Club
• Bellevue Little Theatre
• Bellevue Masonic Lodge
• Bellevue Pet Adventures
• Bellevue Police Dept.
• Bellevue Swim Club
• Bellevue West AFJROTC
• Bellevue West Cheerleading
• Bellevue West Color Guard
• Bellevue West Marching Band
• Bellevue West Thunderettes
• Bellevue Woman’s Club
• Bellevue-Offutt Kiwanis Club
• Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, NE Chapter 2
• Centris Federal Credit Union
• Christ the King Lutheran Church
• Church of the Holy Spirit
• Cobalt Credit Union
• Cub Scout Pack 483 / Scouts BSA
• Dino’s Storage
• Disabled American Veterans – William V. Brooks Chapter 47
• Eagle Hollow Scream Park
• Elect Maggie Douglas
• Evers for City Council Ward 1
• Felix Ungerman for Legislator
• First Interstate Bank
• First Presbyterian Church
• Friends of Christine Clerc for BPS School Board
• Gifford Farm ESU #3
• Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska
• Goodwill Industries
• Grand Marshal – Bellevue Police Department
• Green Bellevue
• Heritage Ridge
• Hike Real Estate
• Hillcrest Health Services
• Home Instead Senior Care
• Honor and Remember – Nebraska Chapter
• Innovate Physical Therapy
• Jazzercise Bellevue Fitness Center
• Kathy Welch for Bellevue City Council
• Knights of Columbus, Council 6192
• Lemm’s Quality Construction
• LIFE Runners
• Linda for Nebraska
• Little Sunflowers Daycare
• Longo Dietz Orthodontics
• Madness Haunted House
• Marine Corps League – Miguel Keith Detachment 609
• Mayor Rusty Hike
• Mike Flood for Congress
• My Ol’ Friend Transportation
• Omaha Area Escape Room Community
• Omaha Marine Corps League
• Richmont Terrace
• Santa Lucia Festival
• Sarah Centineo for Legislature
• Sarpy County Democrats
• Scottish Society of Nebraska
• Senator Rita Sanders
• Sinister Sidney
• Skate City Bellevue
• Spring Lake Boys and Girls Club
• St. James United Methodist Church
• St. Mary’s School
• Star Realty, Inc.
• Teamwork Sports
• The Foster Kitten Project
• The Ricchini Agency
• Troop 483 B&G / Scouts BSA
• Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 279 of Omaha
• Visiting Angels

Photos courtesy of Phil Davidson, City of Bellevue