Ferndale has always enjoyed a celebration! In addition to the annual Memorial Day parade ( detail HERE ) there have been numerous parades and festivals. This page will be an evolving collection of history and images from such fun events!

SUBURBAN GOODFELLOWS PARADE - 1920s
The Suburban Goodfellows were a charitable organization in South Oakland county. They were very active in the teens and twenties raising funds and taking care of the needy. In some communities they still sell special newspapers to raise funds. The early Ferndale parade photos shown below are often confused with Memorial Day parades, but predate those by a few years.

MacARTHUR PARADE - 1952
General Douglas MacArthur's motorcade drove from Lansing, escorted by Michigan State Police, through Ferndale on Friday May 16, 1952. The Motorcade approached Ferndale from the South, up Woodward after events in Detroit. General MacArthur addressed the city at 4:45 that day from an area setup in the Woodward median just north of Nine Mile. Ferndale city and school dignitaries were on hand as well as the Lincoln High School band. General MacArthur’s visit was separate from the Memorial Day parade - which was held two weeks later on Friday May 30th.

GOLDEN JUBILEE - 1968
Ferndale Village's 50th Birthday was celebrated in October 1968. The newspapers (on file at the museum) are packed with area events and memories. The parade followed the same route as Memorial Day parades of that era, ending at the Memorial Mall.

OTHER AREA EVENTS
Shown below are some other area events...

If you have photos or memories to add please contact the museum at: info@ferndalehistoricalsociety.org