CINCINNATI -- Opening Day is just around the corner, and former Reds pitchers Danny Graves and Sam LeCure will be leading all the festivities as grand marshals of the 99th Annual Findlay Market Opening Day Parade on Monday, April 2.
Walter "Superbubz" Herbert, a Fairfield 6-year-old who lost his battle to cancer last fall, is serving posthumously as an honorary grand marshal on what would have been his seventh birthday. Parade Chairman Neil Luken announced that Walter's family will ride in the parade in his honor.
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Members of the Findlay Market Parade Association gathered with Reds officials and city leaders to make the announcement Friday morning at Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine.
This year's parade comes four days after the Reds first game of the season on Thursday, March 29 so that Findlay Market vendors don't have to close up shop before the busy Easter holiday.
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The Reds will host the Washington Nationals at 4:10 p.m. March 29, and the parade will kick off at noon on April 2.
It's the earliest Opening Day ever: The previous earliest Reds' Opening Day was March 31 in 1998, 2003, 2008, 2011 and 2014. Olympic silver medalist Nick Goepper, of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch this year.
Longtime WLW disc jockey Jim Scott kicked off and emceed the news conference, followed by a welcome from Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman. Reds COO Phil Castellini was also on hand to give details about a Toyota truck give-away.
New this year is the Findlay Market Ticket Package, which allows fans to combine two of their favorite things: baseball and Findlay Market. Packages include a ticket to the game on April 2 and a $10 Findlay Market gift certificate. Buy online at the website here.
For more information on the parade, you can visit the website here.
