Wallenda Parade Scheduled for July 5 in Sarasota

Hometown hero Nik Wallenda will be honored with a parade July 5 in Sarasota following his successful tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon.

The parade will kick off the Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix Festival Parade of Boats at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 5, Ticket Sarasota reports.

The parade is slated to start at Gulfstream Avenue and U.S. 301 and head down Main Street in Sarasota.

An average of 8.5 million viewers tuned in to "Skywire Live with Nik Wallenda" on Discovery on Sunday night to watch Wallenda's feat, according to Hollywood Reporter. Nearly 13 million people tuned in during the actual walk toward the end of the two-hour program.

Dressed in jeans and a blue Discovery channel shirt, Wallenda made the harrowing walk 1,500 feet above the ground. It took him 22 minutes and 54 seconds to get from one side to the other — even running the last few steps before greeting his family and crew waiting for him.

Last year, Wallenda became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a wire. The stunt was shown live on ABC.

Wallenda followed that up in January by walking over U.S. 41 in downtown Sarasota, crossing the highway 200 feet in the air.

"I truly love this city and anything I can do to shine an international spotlight and attract more visitors, I'm more than willing to do," he told Patch at the time

For his efforts to promote his hometown, Wallenda was honored last month with the "Voice of Sarasota" award by Visit Sarasota County.