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WASLA Labor Day Parade permit approved contingent on police-delineated route
Summary
The Wausau Public Health and Safety Committee approved a class 1 special event permit for the 2025 WASLA Labor Day Parade on June 16, contingent on the event organizer and the Wausau Police Department agreeing on a delineated route that balances crowd safety and traffic impacts.
The Wausau Public Health and Safety Committee on June 16 approved a class 1 special event license for the 2025 WASLA Labor Day Parade on the condition that parade organizers and the Wausau Police Department agree on a specific parade route acceptable to both parties.
Committee discussion focused on crowd control and traffic safety and on limiting closures of main thoroughfares during the event. The committee endorsed approving the permit contingent on an “acceptable delineated route between the organizer and the police department,” a motion brought forward and seconded at the meeting.
Police staff told the committee they had been meeting with parade organizers several times and were developing a route intended to be easier to police and to provide safety for participants and spectators. The police chief said the department was “not in favor of shutting down First Avenue, Third Avenue, and Stewart Avenue all at the same time,” and outlined alternative routing and staging ideas that would allow an endpoint near the Labor Temple while avoiding simultaneous closure of multiple main arteries. One proposed option would start the parade in Marathon Park, use Stewart Avenue, briefly close Third Avenue north of the Labor Temple to allow floats to pass the temple, then move floats west to Fourth Avenue and return on Stewart Avenue—noting that floats could travel “against traffic on Third Avenue because it shut down” while still allowing a return path to Marathon Park.
Committee member Carol made the motion to approve the class 1 event contingent on an acceptable route delineated between the organizer and the police; Watson seconded the motion. Members voted by voice and the motion carried with no recorded opposition.
Staff told the committee organizers prefer to end the parade at the Labor Temple and that organizers and police will continue to finalize a route that minimizes traffic disruption while allowing parade participants to view the temple. Once the route is agreed, staff will issue the event permit and coordinate required traffic and safety resources.
