Color guard members of the Colt Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps, of Dubuque, Iowa, march during the Freedom Festival Parade on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in downtown Cedar Rapids. The corps will perform Friday, Aug. 4, at Tournament of Drums at Prairie High School. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — This year’s Freedom Festival Parade escaped the rain that dampened festivities the past two years, even as severe thunderstorms threatened the area.

More than 50 entries entertained the crowd that lined downtown Cedar Rapids on Saturday, June 24, 2023, as temperatures quickly soared into the 90s.

Canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the Freedom Festival Parade made a comeback in 2021.

The crowd-pleasing Colt Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps, from Dubuque, joined festivities in Greene Square after the parade to offer a preview of their upcoming performance when they will be joined by other corps at the Tournament of Drums.

Tournament of Drums, featuring six drum & bugle corps from throughout the United States and Canada, will be held in a new location. The show is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, at Prairie High School.

See photos from the 2022 Freedom Festival Parade, and more photos from this year’s parade, below: