The first Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic was held August 11, 1929. The parade route ran from 31st and Michigan Boulevard to Washington Park.
The first Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic was held August 11, 1929. The parade route ran from 31st and Michigan Boulevard to Washington Park. In the mid-30s, the city rerouted the parade to South Parkway because its Michigan Avenue route tied up traffic as it went east into Washington Park.
Around 1947, it was rerouted back to Michigan Avenue due to street repairs on South Parkway. After the street repairs, the Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic returned to South Parkway and has remained there ever since. South Parkway is now named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
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