Protecting Your Property During a Parade: Save Your Lawn in 5 Easy Steps

Parades are popular family events for many major holidays, including Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Veteran's Day and other celebrations, but individuals who live on a parade route may find little to celebrate when their lawns get tramped down, their flowers get picked, and their shrubbery gets squashed by hundreds of parade spectators. Fortunately, a few easy steps can help homeowners protect their property from the unintentional damage inflicted by parade patrons.

Parades Damage Lawns

The foot traffic from a popular parade be up to hundreds of spectators an hour, and every step onto a delicate lawn can damage grass, often during hot summer months when lawns are more vulnerable. Because many spectators stake out positions along the parade route hours or even days in advance, chairs, blankets, and even tents can deprive the lawn of sun and water, leading to dead, dull grass. During the parade itself, spectators standing or walking across a lawn crush new grass growth and may drop litter along the way, further damaging a lawn's beauty. While any single individual's trespass may seem insignificant, that traffic added up for the several hours before and during a parade can have a strong negative impact on even the most well-tended lawn.

Protecting Your Lawn During a Parade

Savvy homeowners can protect their lawns and still enjoy local parades.

1. Have a Healthy Lawn

The first step in protecting your lawn is to be sure it's as strong and healthy as possible in the weeks leading up to the parade. Adequate watering, fertilization, aeration, and pesticide control will ensure the grass is thick and lush, making it much more resistant to foot traffic and parade populations. If the lawn is mowed one or two days prior to the parade, it will look its best yet still be strong enough to withstand heavy use.

2. Ask About Access

Before taking steps to control individuals standing, walking, or sitting on the lawn, homeowners should consult local law enforcement and city officials about appropriate boundaries. In many cities, the strip of grass between the sidewalk and street is actually city property, and homeowners cannot restrict anyone from using it during a parade. Local laws may vary about community use during single events, however, and homeowners should check what their legal rights are when protecting their property.

3: Build a Barrier

The easiest way to protect property during a parade is to create a temporary fence. Decorative wire fencing that is sold in folded sections or rolls is the perfect solution and can easily be added to a lawn as a physical reminder for passersby to keep off the grass. Ideally, the fence should be 2-3 feet tall so it is not easily stepped over without notice. Wooden stakes and brightly colored string can also be used to create a temporary barrier. Homeowners should be aware, however, that some cities may require a temporary building permit for even a decorative fence, and it is wise to check for any such restrictions before putting up a barrier.

4: Say It on Signs

Polite signs asking parade watchers to keep off the grass can be another way to make it clear that you do not want anyone on your lawn. Signs should be politely worded, and if possible use signs to direct spectators to more suitable locations, such as welcoming them to use a walkway or driveway instead of the lawn. False signs, such as those that indicate a recent chemical lawn treatment, should not be used, however, as misleading information can be legally suspect.

5. Add a Trash Can

To encourage spectators and passersby to properly dispose of their trash instead of littering, place a large trash can at the edge of your lawn, ideally on a walkway or driveway. Some cities will provide such cans for sponsored celebrations, or homeowners can position their own trash cans accordingly. This will also make cleaning up after the parade much simpler.

By taking these five simple steps, homeowners can easily protect their property from damage and trespassing during even the most popular parades.

Be a Polite Parade Route Homeowner

Putting up barriers and not allowing anyone to use your lawn may at first seem impolite, but homeowners can help save their lawn without sacrificing their neighborly reputation.

*Minimize the length of time barriers are in place around your lawn.

*Keep an eye on your lawn during the parade by being a spectator yourself, and smile and greet passersby.

*Be lenient during the parade if someone accidentally steps on the lawn or uses it as a brief shortcut - a few individuals walking across the lawn will not create the damage that a large crowd could.

*Offer your lawn as viewing space to friends and family members so it is still used by people you trust who will respect your efforts to keep it looking nice.

Parades can be a fun tradition, but they can also be a pain for lawns, By taking appropriate steps to protect your lawn, homeowners can ensure their grass, flowerbeds, and shrubbery look just as fantastic after the parade as it did before.