I know of no better way to get a great big dose of Americana than with a good old-fashioned Fourth of July parade. And here in the South Valley, we're blessed with one of the nation's best.
Starting at 10 a.m. in downtown Morgan Hill, you can behold a montage of America as around 2,500 people participate in the community's annual red-white-and-blue procession of patriotism. The heart-hammering melody of "Stars and Stripes Forever" played by marching bands, the ear-blasting blaring of bagpipe brigades, young gymnasts somersaulting along asphalt, proud farmers riding high on antique John Deere tractors, equestrian riders trotting on their fine steeds, fire engines and cop cars emitting the sudden squeal of sirens, politicians waving from classic convertibles and elaborate floats decked out with fluttering flags and bobbing balloons - all that and more will give you the heart-pounding pride of living in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Morgan Hill's hometown parade has been held continuously every year since at least 1894, according to Bob and Maureen Hunt, the parade "chair" (the local couple use the single version to denote how closely they're tied in organizing the popular event). That year is the farthest back they can document the parade based on a newspaper article. But Bob suspects the event started even before then.
"There is no doubt in my mind it was not the first one," he said. "It was well-organized. It had really fancy first-class floats."
When the United States entered World War II in 1941, the parade was almost called off because so many local people were busy helping with the national campaign to defeat fascism, Bob said. But the town's children organized a scaled-down parade to celebrate America's birthday and honor the values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. There are people living in Morgan Hill today who, as kids, helped in organizing those patriotic pageants during the war years.
After the Hunts moved to Morgan Hill in 1970, they were impressed by the community's Fourth of July tradition and the spirit of devotion to our country it aroused in the town.
"It was certainly something that helped us stay here because it's such a wonderful community and the people are so wonderful," Bob said. Over time, the couple found themselves taking on the overwhelming task of organizing the annual spectacle.
Morgan Hill now has one of Northern California's largest Independence Day celebrations, attracting people from all over the Bay Area and even from around the world. Besides the parade, the town hosts various popular events to celebrate America including the Fire Cracker Golf Classic tournament, a Patriotic Sing at the Britton Middle School gym, a festive downtown street dance with live music on July 3, a 5-K run on the morning of July 4, a classic car cruise and, of course, the Fireworks Extravaganza at Community Park to end our nation's birthday bash with - literally - a bang.
But, of course, the old-fashioned community parade is the star attraction. And it takes plenty of volunteers to organize the event that is now considered Santa Clara County's official Fourth of July parade - people like Maureen and Bob who dedicate much of their time throughout the year putting it together. I've helped out in past years and it's a lot of fun to get involved as a safety marshal or other parade volunteer role.
It also takes money to put on the Fourth of July pageant. And the South Valley community is big hearted. Nearly 100 percent of the $34,000 required to produce the parade is provided for by generous donations from local businesses and individuals. (The entry fee pays for just a small percentage of the parade's cost.)
Independence Day parades are a special tradition for many Americans. Perhaps the reason why is because these elaborate displays of Americana are symbolic of our nation's vibrant character. We have a culture that loves to be loud and brash and bold. We're people who want to show off who we are in all our colorful diversity - something suggested in this year's parade theme which is "Celebrating the Many Faces of America."
Most of all, Fourth of July parades symbolize that we're a nation that is continuously moving forward. Just like the annual Morgan Hill parade occasionally does, sometimes we as a nation don't proceed as planned to our goals. But eventually, we figure things out, fix our mistakes and get there. In celebrating the founding of the U.S.A. 232 years ago today, that's something to bear in mind.
Happy Independence Day, America!
Marty Cheek Marty Cheek is the author of 'The Silicon Valley Handbook.' His column appears every Friday of the month. You can reach him by email.
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