After some discussion, the Select Board on Tuesday unanimously approved the permit for the July 4 Horribles Parade, weighing the participants’ right to free speech against the potential for satirical floats to inflame divisions in town.

Historically, before the pandemic halted the tradition, the Horribles Parade encouraged tongue-in-cheek floats that related to current events. This year, the Hopkinton Republican Town Committee is sponsoring the event for the first time in partnership with the town under its insurance policy.

Resident Beth Malloy encouraged board members to change the parade’s theme to honor Independence Day without stirring up recent town controversies that could “poke fun” at people.

“I would hate to see anybody’s family or people hurt by some of these floats,” she said, noting “the current tension in the town.”

LaFreniere agreed, adding that residents have contacted her with concerns.

Parade organizer Ken Weismantel described the parade as “a wonderful opportunity to express your First Amendment opportunities.”

There are rules against hate speech, profanity and using water balloons, he added.

HRTC chair Jim Mirabile said resuming the tradition of the parade would bring back “a little bit of normalcy” to the town.

“It’s also an opportunity for us to take ourselves not quite so seriously with some of our town politics,” he noted.

Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee chair Amy Groves questioned that assertion.

“If we want to have a fun parade for everybody, make everybody, keep having a parade, let’s have a July Fourth parade,” she said. “The idea that this is going to calm things down and make people happier seemed a little odd to me, because the Republican Town Committee is sponsoring it. I think the Parks Department asked them if they would also invite us if we wanted to sponsor it, and I didn’t get an invitation. So it just seemed like a partisan thing, which just seemed odd to me.”

Clark questioned the Select Board’s role in potentially “stepping on free speech” if it censored the content of floats.

Floats would be judged by a trio of representatives from the HRTC, HCAM and HopNews.

Ritterbusch asked if the HRTC could amend its guidelines to “attack issues and not people.” Weismantel noted that it would be “hard to enforce.”

Chair Brian Herr brought up Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, which became subjected to lawsuits because LGBT groups were prohibited from marching in it until 2025. He did not want to see the town embroiled in a legal battle over what is meant to be a fun event.

The parade, organized for decades by the McIntyre family, has been on hiatus since the pandemic in 2020. It had gotten progressively smaller leading up to that time.

The parade will start at the Town Common at noon on the Fourth, and the theme is American the Beautiful.

Parade participants are asked to assemble around the Town Common at 11:30 a.m., when judging of the floats will begin.

Awards include the Select Board Award-Most Horrible, Children’s Award, Family Award, Most Patriotic and first, second and third overall.

The parade will start on Park Street, turn left to head south on Hayden Rowe Street, turn right on Grove Street, take a left onto Pleasant Street, then take a right on Main Street and head back to the Town Common.

Weismantel explained the rules for the parade during a previous appearance before the Select Board.

“Any person, family, neighborhood or organization can be in the parade,” he said. “Two, no hate speech will be permitted. Three, no obscenities will be allowed. Four, no water balloons or water hoses will be allowed in the parade. Spectators are requested not to use water balloons or hoses, as people have been hurt and some equipment has been damaged in the past with some heavy water balloons.”

In an email, the HRTC stressed its desire to have a creative and family-friendly event.

“The Ancient and Horribles Parade is a New England tradition dating back to the 1800s,” the HRTC email explained. “Commonly referred to as the Horribles Parade in Hopkinton, it is a parade originated to have some fun with national and local ‘political satire.’ The objective is to take some tasteful political ‘potshots’ at national and local politics. Sort of like a floating political ‘roast.’ … Tasteful float messages please, no hate speech or obscene material, and remember, at the end of the day, we are all neighbors.”

Anyone with questions or an interested in being involved should email HopRTC-Chair@outlook.com.