|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The streets of downtown Redwood City were filled with red, white and blue as community members and visitors braved the heat to celebrate Independence Day.
Colorful floats, dancers and decorated vintage cars paraded through the streets. Children holding tiny American flags watched as participating community members and local leaders waved to the crowd.
Natalie Miragliotta, who represented Miss California Teen Volunteer alongside Cassie Roby, said she was delighted the community received their performance so warmly.
"This is such a friendly atmosphere. I love the sense of community in Redwood City. Natalie is from Jacksonville and I'm from Los Angeles, so it's great to be able to come up here and just be welcomed with open arms," said Miragliotta.
Redwood City's historic Fourth of July Parade, a community tradition that dates back to about 1939, kicked off with a bang Tuesday at 10 a.m. Hundreds of acts began winding through Redwood City after the sound of a canon rang through the streets. The young, and the young at heart, lined the sidewalk waving miniature American flags along the parade route— which snaked over a mile through downtown Redwood City.
The annual celebration has earned recognition as Northern California's largest Independence Day parade. It’s organized by the Peninsula Celebration Association— a coalition of dedicated local volunteers for the past 80 years. The organization has kept the parade's magic alive, even after taking a two-year COVID-19 hiatus, and last year marked the beloved community event's return.
Though this year's event was somewhat smaller than previous years, the diversity of Redwood City was on full display during the two-hour parade.
Redwood City council members and Sen. Josh Becker and local law enforcement got in on the action, riding on cars in the parade alongside community participants. Organizations like Redwood City Community Theater, BraveMaker Film Festival, Sequoia High School Cheerleaders and Miss California Teen Volunteer walked in between the parade floats.
For many attendees, the folklórico dancers were a highlight of the parade, enchanting the crowd with their traditional Mexican dances and colorful dresses.
"The group of women doing traditional Mexican dances was my favorite part of the parade— they had such colorful dresses and beautiful hairpieces," said Jesse Levin, a visitor from New York City who attended the parade with family.
Following the parade, the festivities continued at the lively festival on Courthouse Square. Attendees enjoyed live music and indulged in various delicious food from local vendors and rows of vendors selling local fine art. Actress Linda Cardellini, the grand marshal of this year's parade, also appeared, signing autographs and interacting with fans outside the Fox Theater.
"The best part of today is being with neighbors and people in the community as you watch the parade," said Yolanda Barajas, a longtime parade attendee. "We've been going to this parade for a long time. It was nice to see the crowds back— it seems like there are more people here than last year."
