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October is a special month for the U.S. Navy. Both the Navy’s Birthday (Oct. 13) and Navy Day (Oct. 27) are both celebrated in October and are also recognized as U.S. flag flying days. It is tradition for Americans to fly their U.S. flags at full staff on these two special days. Are you wondering why there are two Navy-themed celebrations during the same month? Read on and allow history to reveal the answers.

1980. Mount St. Helen erupted, CNN broadcast for the first time, the Rubik’s Cube was introduced and the U.S. defeated the Soviet Union in ice hockey, better known as the“Miracle on Ice.” While these 1980 memorable events took place, our founder Dwight Morris had other plans as he began making his biggest dream a reality. He created Carrot-Top Industries out of his Illinois home. Dwight stepped confidently into the flag industry with a passion to build a company dedicated to providing customers with expert customer service and high-quality patriotic and custom products. 40 years later and Carrot-Top Industries is still growing and thriving with the leadership of Liz Morris, Dwight's daughter.

Heroes are important. Their acts inspire us and teach us about selflessness.

Election Day will be challenging with new social distancing and sanitary requirements to keep voters and poll workers healthy. Even though more voters than ever will choose to use mail-in voting, poll sites will still need to be prepared for in-person voting. We offer a variety of products to encourage safety, cleanliness and crowd control in busy polling locations. We are here to help Election Day run smoothly in your community on November 3. Here are a few solutions we can offer you:

The Fall 2020 Beacon® Scholarship for Rural America had the largest number of scholarship applicants since Carrot-Top Industries introduced the scholarship in 2018. We received applications from 25 out of the 50 U.S. states including first-time states such as: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia.

Article updated July 13, 2020

On July 4th, a federal holiday in America, many of us look forward to a day off from work to enjoy time with family and friends. While we often associate the day with barbecues, picnics, parades and fireworks, it is important to remember the historical meaning behind the Fourth of July as we celebrate. How much do you know about the history of July 4th, also known as Independence Day? Take our quiz, before reading the blog, to find out how much you know about America's Independence Day.

If a street banner is designed effectively, it can brighten up any downtown area, school campus, parking lot, or street, and more importantly, strengthen the sense of community pride. A street banner can revitalize your streets and buildings while welcoming visitors and even provide directions, celebrate holidays, and promote special events.

Due to COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is approaching public Memorial Day ceremonies in a different way this year. Public events, such as organizations’ placement of flags at gravesites, will not be allowed at VA cemeteries although they will be open for public visitation. Some cemeteries may use staff members to place flags at the graves to ensure public safety and proper social distancing. While the VA is providing direction to their cemeteries, smaller and privately-owned cemeteries can abide by their own rules unless they are subject to local restrictions. Some cemeteries may cancel their ceremonies this year. See our earlier Memorial Day blog for other ways you can safely honor veterans this Memorial Day. Below is the VA’s complete News Release from May 13, 2020:

As July 4th approaches, you may realize you need to replace your worn and weathered flags and flagpoles. Everyone wants to make a great impression with their patriotic display for Independence Day. For many, it is important to buy their American flags, flagpoles and patriotic decorations from a company that is knowledgeable about the flag industry and provides unsurpassed quality products. Here are 5 reasons Carrot-Top Industries is the expert flag company for you:

Over the years, Cinco de Mayo has become a popular day to celebrate across America. While many people enjoy the celebration, they don’t all understand what the day’s name means or what the holiday celebrates. Take some time to learn about Cinco de Mayo’s history before celebrating the holiday this year. It will make for a better experience and you can share what you have learned with your friends and families. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), you may need to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home this year based on what your city’s “Stay at Home” requirements are on May 5.

We all remember when we graduated. Whether it is high school or college graduation memories, we recall a sense of accomplishment, surrounded by friends and family, celebrating a major life milestone reached. The sights and sounds of the day are never forgotten, and we take them into the future with us and fondly reminisce about our graduation experience. As high schools and colleges across the country prepare for upcoming graduation ceremonies, it is time to start planning what tasks need to be completed and what graduation décor needs to be refreshed or ordered. Use our graduation ceremony checklist below and make a once-in-a-lifetime impression that will stay with the graduates and their loved ones for years to come!

There are certain maintenance and repair tips that will help extend the life of your flagpole. Your flagpole is an investment, and it can stay looking great for decades with proper care. Forty years of flagpole expertise enables our Customer Care Professionals to offer you advice and insight on how to avoid some of the most common aggravations our customers run into when working with their flagpoles. Here are the top five flagpole frustrations we have heard about over the years and the solutions we have found make flagpole care easy.

The Flag Manufacturers Association of America encourages all Americans to display their American Flags for this National Day of Service

Carrot-Top Founder, Dwight Morris stepped into the flag industry in 1980 with a passion to build a company dedicated to serving its customers’ needs while providing the highest quality products. He established Carrot-Top as a mail-order company based out of his family’s home in Oak Park, Illinois. For the first seven years, Dwight grew the company’s reputation and filled every position needed to see it flourish.

Carrot-Top Industries enjoys providing guidance to others as they learn how to properly display their American flag. We have worked with government, military, educational, and business institutions for over three decades to ensure their flag displays are following proper flag etiquette, and the U.S. flag is getting the respect it deserves. As a reminder to everyone on how and when to fly your flag correctly, we have included a Flag Flying Guide below which you can download to use as a reference year-round. Save it, print it out, or share it on social media so we can all be certain our flag is presented in the best way possible.

The Fall 2019 Beacon® Scholarship for Rural America had the largest number of scholarship applicants since Carrot-Top Industries introduced the scholarship in 2018. We also received applications from a wider variety of states this time around including Alabama, California, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Carrot-Top Industries, Inc., a family-owned B2B direct marketer of patriotic, special event and custom-made products, announced Liz Morris will be appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President on August 1, 2019. Dwight Morris, Liz’s father and Founder of the company, will continue working at the company as an Advisor to the CEO. Moving forward, Dwight’s primary goal is to help ensure a seamless transition in leadership as Carrot-Top’s 32 employees provide high-quality products and service to commercial businesses and institutions as one of the largest independent flag dealers in America.