Familiar Face to Lead NBFF Parade

NBFF Grand Parade 2024 welcomes George Lessens as Grand Marshall!

The 33rd Annual National Baby Food Festival announces this year’s Grand Marshall for the Grand Parade will be Meteorologist George Lessens.   Help us welcome George to the National Baby Food Festival!  The grand parade will step off Saturday, July 20 at 10:30 am from the Fremont Middle School.

George Lessens began his career at 13 ON YOUR SIDE in 1980 as weekend meteorologist and became Chief Meteorologist in July 2001. In October 2007, he became the longest-tenured meteorologist at any single West Michigan TV station: 26-years, 11-months.

George has been passionate about weather ever since the 1965 Palm Sunday tornadoes hit West Michigan. He grew up in Lowell, Mich. and formed a weather club as a youth to scan the skies for storms and tornadoes. Although he has never seen a tornado, he has been inside the damage paths of many of these storms.

Over the years, George has provided weather forecasts for many West Michigan radio stations, agricultural weather forecasts for West Michigan farmers and numerous ski resort forecasts George edited a weekly weather column for the Advance Newspapers, enlightening readers with his vast knowledge of West Michigan weather trivia, facts and folklore.

George is a member of the American Meteorology Society (AMS) and holds its highest seal of approval as a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM.) In his spare time, George loves working with computers, gardening and landscaping around his home. He lives in East Grand Rapids with his wife, Sherry.

Watch George Lessens weekdays at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.  You can email George at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Thank you to our parade sponsors – Gerber Life Insurance Co and Gerber Products Company.   The parade route begins at the corner of Pine Street and Gerber Avenue at the Fremont Middle School, then heads north on Gerber Avenue to Sheridan Street, and continues east on Sheridan Street to Division, then heads south on Division, ending at Cedar Street.

For more information on the National Baby Food Festival, visit www.fremontcommerce.com or stop at your local Fremont businesses for a schedule of events.