07.06Join the July 4th Parade Celebration!
July 4th is here. Friends and family gather from all over the country – New York, Los Angeles, Nevada, Florida and the Pacific Northwest. The day starts early, with kids getting excited about the parade. Everyone rushes to be on time for the tugboat ride to a little city in Blaine, Washington. It’s an old fashioned celebration, as small town as it gets.
We’ve signed the kids up for the parade. It’s open to everyone. You just need to register first thing in the morning, pick up your parade number, and then be ready for the big event that starts at noon.
Everyone is dressed in patriotic colors. Each year, the kids make their own “costumes”. One of the moms oversee a tie dye project, so red, white and blue tee shirts are proudly worn by all. Of course, every child has a bucket filled with candy to throw at bystanders lining the sidewalks of the 5 block parade.
Even the older generation is decked to the nines while riding on floats and waving flags.
Everyone comes from miles around, including the local high school marching band, cheerleaders, fire truck (that’s the city’s only fire truck), ambulance, the local hardware store’s float, complete with relatives and dogs sitting on haystacks, and everyone waving to the crowd. The list goes on and on, as over two hundred entrants march down the parade route.
The candy never lasts as long as it should. So many children are waving at our kids to get candy, that no matter the best of intentions, the buckets are empty too soon.
Uh oh. No more candy. So, with empty buckets on heads and lots of smiles, enthusiastic waves substitute for candy.
After the parade, there is every kind of ice cream, hot dog, slushies, hamburgers, gyros, flavored ices and cotton candy. Of course, what is a local celebration without deep friend twinkies, Mars bars and kettle corn. Must admit, I need to skip the deep fried candy bars.
Then its off to the pony rides, face painting, antique car displays and games galore.
When everyone is thoroughly exhausted, it’s a short ride back for a brief respite, before heading to the beach and a big bonfire with smores.
We watch the sun go down across the water. Then it’s off for the barbecue and fireworks. It’s been the perfect ending to a great holiday. Happy 4th everyone!
July 6th, 2011 at 10:24 am
Sounds like a great holiday.