Rocky on Parade 2023 will kick off with its first public event, the Rocky Rally, from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 25, at the Macomb Arts Center in downtown Macomb.

Sponsors can sign up, and the public is invited to vote for their favorite design from among the 205 entries in the children's Rocky coloring contest.

Sponsors will also be able to sign up for a dog at the Rocky Rally event, and sponsors will choose their artist on Draft Day, Thursday, April 20. Any business or individual interested in sponsoring a dog should plan to attend the Rocky Rally or send a representative on their behalf. Attendees need to bring the completed sponsor form, which can be found online, on the last page of the sponsor packet, at bit.ly/rop-sponsor23.

Each sponsor will receive a number, and sponsors will be put into a lottery at the artist draft. Sponsors can purchase multiple submissions to increase their chances of being called to select their Rocky design at the April 20 draft.

McDonough County kindergarten - sixth-grade students were given the opportunity to participate in a Rocky on Parade coloring contest. The 10 finalists from the children's Rocky coloring contest will be available for a public vote at the Rocky Rally. The coloring page that receives the most votes will be replicated by an artist and presented as one of the options from which the sponsors can choose at the Rocky Draft in April.

While 10 finalists were selected, all the submissions will be displayed at the Arts Center during the Rocky Rally.

Families are encouraged to attend the Rocky Rally to vote on their favorite finalist in the coloring contest. The event is open free to the public.

Questions about the Rocky Rally, or Rocky on Parade, can be emailed to rockyonparade@wiu.edu.