Parade for Poppe Tuesday in Clarksville; free concert in Allison

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Maddie Poppe is coming home.

The 20-year-old from Clarksville made the final three on “American Idol,” and will be back in Clarksville Tuesday for a parade, followed by a free concert in Allison.

The parade begins at 5 p.m. in downtown Clarksville and will last 20-30 minutes.

The concert will be at the Butler County Fairground’s grandstand in nearby Allison to accommodate the expected crowd.

The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. Parking and grandstand will open at 3 p.m. Admission and parking are free, but heavy traffic is expected. The parade and the concert will happen rain or shine.

Poppe was among the top five contestants who performed live Sunday night on “American Idol.” The Mother’s Day show included a segment with Poppe’s mom, Tonya.

Poppe performed the Beach Boys’ song “God Only Knows” as a tribute to her mother. She also performed “I Told You So” – a Carrie Underwood song, originally released in 1987 by Randy Travis.

The top five contestants performed Sunday night, but only three moved on to the two-part finale — Gabby Barrett, Caleb Lee Hutchinson and Poppe.

The “American Idol” face-off performances begin at 7 p.m. Sunday on ABC. The winner will be announced in the season finale at 7 p.m. Monday, May 21.

The staging area for the parade Tuesday in Clarksville will be near the school on Prospect Street. The parade will head west toward Main Street, turn south on Main Street for about two blocks, then turn west on Superior Street for about another block.

Poppe will ride the parade route in a convertible, with her parents in a convertible directly behind. Her grandparents will follow that car in a limousine.

The concert will have bleacher seating and grandstand seating for 5,000 people, plus standing room near the stage and areas for lawn chairs. Seating is first-come, first-served. The concert will last approximately an hour. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

“American Idol” video crews are recording similar events in each of the final three contestants’ home towns, to be presented as part of Sunday’s show.