Filer to serve as grand marshal of Flying Pig Parade

Dec 26, 2024 3:15 pm
Vivian Filer receives City of Gainesville Historic Preservation Award
Community leader Vivian Filer will serve as grand marshal of the Flying Pig Parade on Saturday.
Photo by Suzette Cook

Organizers of the Flying Pig Parade have announced that community leader Vivian Filer will serve as grand marshal of the 2024 event.

The Flying Pig Parade, which is a playful twist on Gainesville’s original name of “Hogtown,” debuted last year and will take place again at 2 p.m. Saturday along SE 1st Street. More than 60 groups are expected to participate, including Sgt. Pepper’s Heart Throb Band, Pigs in a Blanket, and The Florida State Park Whistle Blowers Brigade.

Filer, 86, grew up in Gainesville during the Jim Crow era and has been a prominent figure in the community for decades. She is the founder and CEO of the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, which in September was designated as a Florida historic site.

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Filer’s career includes work at UF Health Shands Hospital, Santa Fe College, and numerous boards and committees, including the Springhill Neighborhood Association and the Greater Gainesville Black Nurses Association.

“Vivian Filer’s journey of service began at an early age,” parade organizers said in a press release. “Her remarkable achievements and indomitable spirit inspire all who have had the privilege of crossing paths with this remarkable Gainesville luminary.”

In June, Community Hospice presented Filer with the Servant’s Heart Award for her life of service and dedication.

“The award celebrates individuals whose unwavering commitment to community service, education, and transformative initiatives embody the essence of selfless dedication,” the press release said.

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  • J.C. Derrick

    J.C. Derrick is publisher for Mainstreet Daily News. He spent 18 years covering sports, education, and politics in Texas and Washington, D.C., before joining Mainstreet in 2020. J.C. is a member of the Florida Press Association Board of Directors.

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BillS

An absolutely silly expenditure of time and community resources. Why couldn’t this organizer focus on doing something special for residents of a group home, a shelter or the hospital-bound? These organizers have way too much time on their hands to pursue such trivia (but on the bright side – we have GPD patrols to monitor it and that new $3,000,000 cleanup crew with the yellow vests to cleanup the mess, right?).

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