The Findlay Market Opening Day Parade:

We can remember a time when going to the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade was an excused absence from school.  Every year, if our parents were able to get off of work, we would drive down early to Findlay Market and get a good spot along the route to watch the parade.  So why not call in sick, call the kids in sick (if you've got them), and play Opening Day hooky like a good Cincinnatian.

Here's the Details (directly from the good folks at Findlay Market):

Monday, March 31st 11:00am

The 89^th annual Findlay Market Opening Day Parade.

The streets close about 8:30am in order to begin the Marshalling process of staging all the floats, marching bands and entries in this beloved Parade.  A few of the highlights of this year's parade include:

:. Grand Marshall Cesar Geronimo

:. Team Lachey Performance 

:. Lakota West Marching Band; the only high school marching band in the 2008 Rose Bowl Parade 

:. Tribute to Joe Nuxhall

Where to See the Parade:

 
The Parade route starts at Findlay Market and heads down Race St to Fifth, and then travels east on Fifth ending at Broadway.  The best spots to watch the parade are: 

Findlay Market: Nothing beats the excitement of watching the hustle and bustle of getting the parade together, and when the parade is finished, you can pick up some great food! 

Race and Central Parkway the Gateway Quarter:  Come and see all the progress and development in the Gateway Quarter just north of Central Parkway.  The new School for Performing Arts building is being constructed, and the new location for the Art Academy is just a block away.  After the parade is finished you can pop over for some shopping on Vine St, at Park and Vine, MiCA, or Metronation.  Then you can get a little something to eat at Jean Robert's new restaraunt, Lavomatic.

Fountain Square:  Sure to be packed with Reds fans.  A full day of events is planned for Opening Day.  Beginning at 9 a.m.  Local 12's Jen Dalton and Council member Jeff Berding will be leading a pep rally, and local, Latin band Tropicoso will be performing.

If you cannot make it to the Parade, you can see it live on WLWT 5.  For the first time, CitiCable and the City of Cincinnati partner with the Enquirer to provide live coverage.  Also, this is the first year the Parade will be streamed live on the Enquirer's website Cincinnati.com (so you can watch it at work).

As in previous years, the parade will be carried live on the City's government access Channel 23 and Time Warner Cable's Metro Channel 24.  Color commentary will be provided by WVXU reporter Ann Thompson and Enquirer reporter Jessica Brown.  The Parade will also be broadcast live on the Jumbotron at Fountain Square.

For more information on the parade visit www.findlaymarket.org/news&events

Also in BuyCincy's Opening Day Guide:

Opening Day Weekend at the Market:

Make Opening Day a weekend by hitting the activities at Findlay Market this weekend.  Here is what they are up to.

The BuyCincy guide to the Opening Day Game:

Click here to find out the best places to watch the game, or if you are watching at home, the best places to find all the fixin's you will need to make you Opening Day party special.