The Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce announced that it will be honoring Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar, a retired five-time NASA astronaut, as the Grand Marshal of the 61st annual Greenwood Seafair Parade.

Celebrating this year's theme of "Greenwood Takes Flight, the Greenwood Seafair Parade will take place from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Bonnie Dunbar as our Grand Marshal this year,” said Parade Director Ann Woodward in a press release. “She is a real American hero and can inspire our community to let their imaginations take off and see that you can aim for the sky and go as far as you want.”

A native of Washington State and an engineering alumna from the University of Washington, Dunbar said it's "an honor to be a part of this great community event.”

"I am thrilled to be a part of this historic parade and to help Greenwood take flight. I am also proud to help inspire the education of our youth and the exploration of both air and space,” said Dunbar, who is currently the Executive Director of Wings Over Washington, an affiliate organization of The Museum of Flight.

The annual parade, which is the oldest neighborhood Seafair sanctioned parade in the region, runs south along Greenwood Avenue from North 95th Street to North 85th Street, and then heads west to 6th Avenue Northwest. Thousands of people typically line the route. The parade features over 100 entrants including bands, drill teams, horses, dogs, floats, pirates and more.

For more information about the parade, visit the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce website at www.greenwood-phinney.com/events/greenwood-seafair-parade.