Jul 5, 2008

Hit parade

Redwood City's Fourth of July celebration draws estimated 30,000 people

By Mark Abramson / Daily News Staff Writer

Thousands of people packed the sidewalks and streets Friday in downtown Redwood City to celebrate the Independence Day in grand fashion.

Wearing red, white and blue, children and adults alike clapped and cheered as honor guards, floats, baton twirlers, clowns, horses, dancers and more marched by them in the 70th annual Redwood City Family Fourth Parade.

As American flags hung from streetpoles, parade started with a bang - from a cannon being fired. A U.S. Army color honor guard lead the way, followed by city council members perched atop classic 1950s Ford Thunderbird convertibles.

State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, wished everyone a happy Fourth of July as he rode in a Mustang convertible. Little girls from a local gymnastics club cartwheeled down the parade route. There was a procession of old and modern fire trucks, police vehicles; scores of local veterans groups and service clubs riding in everything from go-carts to large trucks. The Stanford Marching Band donned its usual wild attire of spandex, sweat pants and inline skates.

"I really like it," Heather Hoover, 9, said. "My favorite part is when all the horses were walking. I like the bands."

Heather watched the parade with her parents and siblings

"I like the bands," her mother, Claire Hoover, of Belmont said. "I was surprised we got a seat."

Hoover said this was the first time she and her family watched the parade in Redwood City since they usually travel for the holiday.

Organizers said the celebration, which was followed by a festival and fireworks at night, draws between 20,000 and 35,000 people.

Parade co-chair Bill Anderson said he expected that many people who would usually be traveling would show up Friday because of high gas prices.

"On our lean years, we have 20,000 (people)," he said.

Anderson estimated that 30,000 people lined the route for this year's parade, which was dedicated to Rick Coats, the longtime office manager for the Peninsula Celebration Association, which organizes the event. Coats passed away in December.

The parade included a gold-and-white colored float marking the event's 70th anniversary with a Miss Stars and Miss Stripes waving. Ballplayers from a local Little League club waved from their float, which featured a baseball field complete with figurines at each position; a pony-drawn carriage was clicking along the route as well.

"We had more floats this year," Anderson said.

The festival started immediately after the parade with an arcade of carnival games, a few Ferris wheels and other rides.

Anderson said he was pleased by how well things went and couldn't wait to watch the video to critique the parade on Tuesday. The Peninsula Celebration Association will start planning next year's event in a few months.



E-mail Mark Abramson at mabramson@dailynewsgroup.com.