4th of July inches closer and to those who live in California it’s time for a parade. Fireworks shows, festivals and parades during Independence Day offer visitors and locals the opportunity to participate. Most parades are run by volunteer committees, and often orchestrated by a festival and parade company such as Pageantry Productions.
While some cities skip the parade and simply opt for a fireworks show at night, a few cities actually include both in their annual line-up. Parades are one of the best daytime activities for this 4th of July season which falls on a weekend, much to the delight of those who work.
Cities that normally feature 4th of July parades are plentiful. Arnold, Anaheim Hills, Chester, Huntington Beach, Kenwood, Avalon, Calistoga, Capitola, Coronado, Julian, Lake Forest, Vallejo and Ventura, are some cities that feature parades big and small.
When paying homage to the nation’s great leaders, bring your American flag on a stick and wave it proudly to the tune of a patriotic song performed by a high school or college bands. There’s no happier feeling than participating or being part of a crowd watching the floats, bands and marching units pass by.
The most popular colors to wear on Independence Day are white, blue and red. The most popular type of meal to consume is prepared on an outdoor barbecue.
The most popular entries into a parade include marching bands, drum units, floats and celebrities in cars.
The types of parades hosted in California range from the smallest parade with hand made float entries to lavish productions costing thousands of dollars. While the 4th of July Parade in Huntington Beach and the extra fireworks entertainment can cost $150,000 to produce, that expense is small compared to the most expensive parade in California, the Rose Parade, held each January 1.
Top-selling beverages this year for the 4th of July will be soft drinks (sodas), and beer.
Note: Our beach reporter who wrote this story was the fund-raising chair for the 4th of July Parade in Huntington Beach. She was tasked with raising close to $100,000 for the parade through sponsorship from corporations. You never realize how challenging it can be to produce a parade till you are assigned the task of raising money for it.