Retired Fort Myers Coach Named Grand Marshal for Edison Festival Parade
Sam Sirianni Jr. will lead the 88th Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade as grand marshal on Feb. 21, 2026, in downtown Fort Myers. The retired Fort Myers High School football…
Sam Sirianni Jr. will lead the 88th Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade as grand marshal on Feb. 21, 2026, in downtown Fort Myers. The retired Fort Myers High School football coach earned this honor through his coaching wins and his tireless work gathering scholarship money for students.
Parade organizers made their announcement on Dec. 16, 2025. The event draws thousands to downtown streets. It's one of the biggest night parades in the Southeast United States.
The Sirianni family has deep roots at Fort Myers High School football. Sam Sirianni Jr. and his father, Sam Sr., stand as the only father-son coaching pair in Florida where both surpassed 150 career wins.
Sam Sirianni Jr. ended his head coaching tenure with 175 wins and 81 losses. He joined his father's coaching staff as an assistant back in 1986. When Sam Sr. stepped down in 2002, the younger Sirianni took over. His father passed away that same year from bladder cancer.
In 2015, the younger coach notched his 100th career win against Cypress Lake, making history. He and Sam Sr. became the only father-son duo in Florida to each win 100 games at the same school.
"The Edison Festival of Light is a staple that we can't take for granted," said Sam Sirianni Jr. in a news release. "We must pass it from generation to generation. It encapsulates the traditions and history that give Fort Myers its identity."
The coach announced his retirement in November. He had stepped away from the team in September because of health reasons.
The Feb. 21 parade will close out about two weeks of events celebrating inventor Thomas Edison. The festival includes a children's parade, a garden festival, foot races, a sing-along concert, and a pet parade.
The parade features high school marching bands, emergency vehicles, dancers, and more than 50 floats. Some crowd estimates reach as high as 200,000 people.
More details on the parade and other events are available on the Edison Festival of Light website.
