Conover, NC – Thrills, chills and spills aplenty for young and old alike will come to downtown Conover Saturday afternoon, June 3, at 2:00 P.M. as the world famous units of Oasis Shriners stage a parade that has entertained countless thousands including President Dwight Eisenhower and many other notable leaders.

There will be a number of clowns with wild antics that will bring broad smiles and laughter to children and their seniors as well.

The Shriners love to entertain children and to provide superb medical treatment to children with orthopedic problems, spinal problems, burns, cleft lips, cleft palates, cerebral palsy and other conditions. This care is provided regardless of the family’s ability to pay. Shriners raise millions of dollars each year to help these children.

Along with the clowns there will be a host of unique motorized units including small NASCAR type cars, small tractor trailer trucks, go carts, vintage convertibles, mechanized alligators, dune buggies, a vintage fire truck, and a host of others.  Shriners are not afraid to look silly if it brings a smile to a child’s face, in fact they think it’s healthy to be a little silly every now and then. They invite you to come and join in the fun.

Oasis Shriners will also have crack marching units in colorful regalia in the parade including the award winning Oasis Patrol and Patrol Color Guard. A parade is not complete without great marching music. The Oasis Band, the Oasis Oriental Band, the Oasis Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Oasis Highlanders (bagpipe specialists in the Carolinas Scottish tradition) provide lots of fine parade music. Conover will be host to Oasis Shriners members from the fifty western counties of the Old North State.

Oasis, the largest chapter of Shriners International, has five thousand members. Oasis is also the biggest contributor to Shriners Hospitals for Children of the 196 international chapters. Last year Oasis contributed over $2,100,000 to the hospitals. The big parade will include some additional characters that you will find entertaining including the world’s largest walking Fez (that’s the unique red hat worn by all Shriners dating from their inception in the 1870’s) and the Oasis Hillbilly team who just roll out of “them hills” to show off in Shrine parades.

The Oasis ceremonial team will also be marching in brilliant costumes leading a large group of newly initiated Shriners. You will probably see some familiar faces in that group. Oasis Shriners will stage a fun filled parade that will have you chuckling for many days to come, the Oasis Shriners parade in downtown Conover, on Saturday, June 3.

The Oasis Shriners