Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce this week announced Albert Lea Mayor Rich Murray has been named grand marshal for the upcoming Third of July Parade.

Murray was elected to serve as mayor in November 2022 and before that served as 1st Ward Albert Lea City councilor and District 27A representative.

He is a familiar face around the community, whether that be fundraisers, youth sporting events, concerts, or business openings.

“We chose Rich Murray as the grand marshal of this year’s parade because of his generous spirit and unwavering dedication to our community,” said Chamber Executive Director Shari Sprague. “While it’s one thing to be the mayor, we believe Rich goes above and beyond in every way. There’s rarely an event where you don’t see him showing support or connecting with residents. His commitment to Albert Lea runs deep, and we’re proud to honor someone who gives so much of his time, energy and heart to the place we all call home.”

This year’s parade theme will be “Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, Marching into the Future.”

The parade draws in thousands of people from the area and begins at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds before traveling south on Bridge Avenue and then turning west onto Fountain Street and ending at Central Park.

The day after the parade, the chamber also organizes the annual fireworks display.

Chamber Ambassadors and volunteers will be out fundraising for the display on Friday during the annual Buckets on Broadway fundraiser, this year at the intersection of Broadway and Clark Street.

Volunteers hope to raise $20,000.