Sydney Cromwell
The world-famous Clydesdales from Budweiser will visit Homewood on Saturday. The event is one of several they will attend in the area this month.
The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales are making an appearance in Homewood this weekend as part of a national tour celebrating Budweiser’s 14-year partnership with Folds of Honor.
A trademark of the Budweiser brand for over 80 years, the six-horse hitch will be walking the streets of Homewood on Saturday, highlighting several local businesses along the way.
The event is free and open to the public, and the Clydesdales will be available for viewing from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Budweiser specials will be available at all accounts along the route.
The special route will spotlight The Battery, the Grocery Brewpub, Momma Goldberg’s, Valley Hotel/Ironwood Kitchen, Social Taco/Soho Social/Soho Standard, Jinsei, Oak Hill Bar, Dave’s Pizza, and Freddy’s. The parade will commence at the parking lot of Homewood City Hall, and Soho Plaza will be filled with family-friendly games, live music, and a Folds of Honor fundraiser and check presentation.
Folds of Honor, a non-profit established in 2007, offers scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military personnel and first responders. They are hosting the Clydesdales’ first tour stop in the Birmingham area, a Flag Day ceremony, at Top Golf on Friday to celebrate the national holiday that falls on June 14, but the event is closed to the public.
Other stops include a full hitch parade through the Lakeview District on June 20 at 3 p.m. and a single horse appearance at Trussville Social on June 21 at 3 p.m.
The Budweiser Clydesdales came to life when August A. Busch, Jr. and Adolphus Busch III gifted their father August A. Busch Sr., with a six-horse Clydesdale hitch in April of 1933 to celebrate the repeal of the prohibition of beer. They quickly became a staple in the brand’s marketing efforts after a second six-horse Clydesdale hitch was sent to New York for a celebratory ceremony where former Gov. Alfred E. Smith was given a case of Budweiser in appreciation for his efforts in the fight against Prohibition.
Their marketing potential continued with a Super Bowl ad in 1975, and many more have since followed. The horses have become a national favorite and make hundreds of appearances across the country each year, with crowds of thousands gathering to catch a glimpse.
Expert groomers, handlers and dieticians travel with the Clydesdales to appearances and events at least 10 months out of the year, and a Dalmatian, Budweiser’s official mascot, accompanies them on each trip.
When they’re not traveling, the Budweiser Clydesdales reside at the Anheuser-Busch breweries in St. Louis. Visitors can also see them up close at Warm Springs Ranch in Boonville, Mo.
