I read in a Sun article that 50,000 people were expected at yesterday's 4th of July parade in Summerlin. There were a lot of people, for sure, more than I've ever seen. I live not too far from where the parade begins and every year we walk to the parade with a picnic blanket and a few beach chairs. It's a summer tradition.
We bought a home in Summerlin in '93, and the very first 4th of July parade was the following year. It was a hot day and the parade was short and sweet. Kids pedaled happily in the street on bicycles they had decorated themselves: crepe paper threaded through the spokes, pinwheels taped crookedly to handlebars, an American flag waving from a plastic pole tied to a fender. There were a few politicians waving from a borrowed convertible or bright red SUV and veterans in uniform. A few years later Summerlin Sam joined the parade, a tall bunny wearing a red, white and blue vest pulled in a small cart drawn by a golf cart and maybe throwing candy? That could just be a figment of my imagination, though it would have been a nice gesture and more easily accomplished then, since the parade watchers were enthusiastic but few. My daughter Chelsea rode in the cart one year and had a great time waving at the crowd. Years later, she would march in the parade with the Palo High School marching band, along with my daughter Whitney.
These days the parade is much longer and full of giant balloons held on multiple tether ropes, sparkly confections on trailers, awesome dancers, horses, and one of my favorites, the Star Wars display (this year they had speeder bikes and characters from the newer movies and Chewbacca bringing up the rear), Aviators, Golden Knights and Raiders displays and has announcers, along with appropriate music playing as the pertinent float goes by. Looking forward to the show next year!
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