American Idol Angie Performs Free Concert Today After Parade

Come to the Angie Parade

Saturday afternoon will be all-Angie, all the time in Beverly for her hometown visit.

American Idol Top 3 contestant Angie Miller will be welcomed home to Beverly with a parade through the downtown that will end at Beverly High School - where she graduated last year - with a free concert.

The parade and concert have been in the planning stages all week, but were made official after this week's voting results were finalized during Thursday night's show, sending Miller to the Top 3 for season 12 of the hit Fox show.

It will be the first American Idol hometown visit to New England.

Judge Nicki Minaj said the four finalists are "all superheroes" moments before it was announced that Miller advanced to the Top 3.

Any of them could enter the music industry today "and rival any artist in the game."

"All four of the judges, we clearly love you," Minaj told the four finalists before the results were announced.

Mayor Bill Scanlon said Thursday that the parade will step off from City Hall at 3 p.m. and head north on Cabot Street for about a mile, where it will turn right on Herrick Street and into Beverly High School.

The parade will include Miller in one convertible and her family in another convertible. The parade will be led by a Beverly Fire Department truck and also include the Beverly High School band and color guard, Scanlon said.

Other parade participants wil be riding in a trolley, Scanlon said.

"That's most of the parade, it won't be a long parade," Scanlon said.

Miller's concert will be held in the fields to the south of the high school starting at 4 p.m. The concert is expected to be over by 5:30 p.m., he said.

A significant number of people are expected to converge on Beverly for the parade and concert. In an interview, Scanlon said he expects "thousands" of people to attend.

Scanlon said that he spent about half of his time this week working on the logistics for the event, involving high school administrators, the Police Department, Fire Department, Department of Public Services, Chamber of Commerce, Beverly Main Streets and about a half dozen staff members from City Hall.

Scanlon, who is wrapping up his 18th year as mayor, said he expects the "largest crowd we've ever assembled" during his tenure.

"We're looking forward to good weather and a great day," he said.

Earlier in the week, city and school officials had considered using Hurd Stadium for the concert. But there's more room at the high school, he said.

And while there is a large parking lot at the school, Scanlon said those attending the concert should expect to find it full and not expect to park there.

For all of our coverage of Angie Miller's dream journey, visit our Angie Miller topic page.