Applications will start being accepted for the 44th annual North Dakota State Parade at 8 a.m. on Friday, April 3.

Entry forms must be completed online at the parade’s website at ndsparade.com. Information is available at the website, or you can email committee@ndsparade.com or call 838-0104 and leave a voice mail. Calls will be returned. Or mail the N.D. State Parade Committee for more information at P.O. Box 2157; Minot, North Dakota 58702-2157.

Non-commercial entries will be assessed a $10 application fee. There is a $75 fee for commercial entries, with a $60 fee for each additional unit in the entry. There is also a $5 fee for all entries wishing to be judged.

Entries are lined up according to the date received. Entry number notifications will be e-mailed out after June 21. The deadline to guarantee being announced, judged or listed in The Minot Daily News is June 21. Payment will be credit card only.

Submitted Photo North Dakota veterans visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Twyla Scott is NDSP Committee chairman. The NDSP Committee is made up of volunteers who meet throughout the year and plan for the following year’s parade, pick a theme and select a grand marshal. New volunteers are always welcome.

Grand marshal nominees do not need to be N.D. natives but must have strong ties with N.D. Honorees have included media celebrities, sports figures, veterans, politicians and Miss America. Seated politicians are no longer nominated.

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The North Dakota State Parade Committee has selected the Western North Dakota Honor Flight as the grand marshal of the 2026 North Dakota State Parade.

The 44th parade, with the theme, “Honoring 250 years of Heroes,” will be held on Saturday, July 18, in Minot.

The parade starts at 9:15 a.m. and follows Burdick Expressway East from Broadway and through the N.D. State Fairgrounds. Since North Dakota’s inaugural state parade in 1981, it has been canceled only twice due to the 2011 flood and the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, making this year’s parade the 44th.

The selection of the Western N.D. Honor Flight as the parade’s grand marshal recognizes the military veterans living in western N.D. and the volunteers, sponsors, donors and communities who support the Honor Flight mission.

“Being selected as the 2026 North Dakota State Parade grand marshal is an incredible honor for our organization and, most importantly, for the veterans we serve,” said Patience Mosbrucker, president of the Western North Dakota Honor Flight Board of Directors. “Every Honor Flight pays tribute to their courage and sacrifice. We are grateful for the support of communities across North Dakota and remain committed to ensuring every veteran receives the recognition they deserve.”

Western N.D. Honor Flight is based in Bismarck. To date, the Western N.D. Honor Flight has flown more than 1,000 veterans from western N.D. to Washington, D.C. Currently, more than 400 veterans remain on the waiting list for their flight of honor with this number growing daily. The organization provides each trip at no cost to the veteran.

According to Western N.D. Honor Flight information, community members formed the Western N.D. Honor Flight in 2021 after recognizing that many veterans in the western half of the state faced long travel distances and logistical barriers to join other Honor Flight hubs. Volunteers, veterans advocates and local leaders organized the program to ensure that every eligible veteran in western N.D. has the chance to visit the memorials in Washington, D.C., built in their honor.

The organization operates entirely through volunteers and community donations. Its rapid growth reflects the strong support of residents across western N.D.