Portable chairs of all colors and sizes lined Piedmont’s Highland Avenue, decorative bouquets of red, white and blue balloons stood tall and hundreds gathered for one of the city’s most cherished traditions: its 4th of July Parade & Picnic.
This past Saturday, families, neighbors and visitors celebrated America’s Independence Day its 250th anniversary of adopting the Declaration of Independence at Piedmont’s 59th annual community parade, which kicked off at 11 a.m.
Penelope “Penny” Khounta, who lives in Walnut Creek, had secured a prime viewing spot along the parade route. A former Piedmont resident, she returns every year, often sitting in the same location outside the home of someone she once knew.
“It’s a tradition,” she said. “And another reason I keep coming here is because my family can come here — we don’t see each other except once a year.”
As she waited for the parade to begin, Khounta texted relatives traveling from San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara to coordinate their arrivals.
“They’re on their way,” she shared.
Parade announcer Patti Edmonds called this year’s event “one of the largest and most exciting parades” Piedmont has had in recent years. She introduced each contingent from a stage outside the Piedmont Police Department as they approached.
Riding in the Piedmont Fire Department’s Engine 1 was this year’s grand marshal, Cora Wood, a Piedmont Recreation Department employee for more than three decades and one of this year’s float judges. Wood was followed by the Zenith New Orleans Parade Band, led by Alan Carr, and a collection of classic cars, including a 1929 Ford Model A pickup.
Piedmont Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen waved to spectators from the passenger seat of a 1954 Corvette, followed by Vice Mayor Conna McCarthy in a 1967 Mustang and other city leaders in vehicles. For Piedmont resident Molly Coffey-Smith, who stood in a shady spot along Highland Avenue with family members and friends, it was a quintessential neighborhood event.
“I live up the street, and I also grew up here, so this is a long-standing tradition for me to come and enjoy the Fourth of July,” she said.
Coffey-Smith said she has attended the parade since childhood, when she marched in it herself. Over the years, she has returned with her own children and was there Saturday with her daughter and some of her daughter’s friends.
“Seeing all of our community come together is fun,” she said.
Friend Angela Livermore, who lives in Oakland, said the parade’s small-town feel is what keeps drawing her back.
“It’s got a real old-time vibe in the middle of a big city — you just don’t get this everywhere,” she said.
Like Coffey-Smith, Livermore had been going to the parade for years with her children and was there Saturday with her 18-year-old daughter.
“I love this place and this parade,” she said. “I find this to be just a charming event — I really enjoy it.”
The parade showcased the breadth of Piedmont’s civic life. Participants included the Piedmont Center for the Arts, Piedmont Soccer, the Piedmont Baseball & Softball Foundation, the Piedmont Turkey Trot, the Piedmont Mountain Bike Team, the League of Women Voters of Piedmont and a Piedmont dog group featuring plenty of pugs.
The Piedmont Recreation Department embraced an “It’s not our first rodeo” theme, with participants wearing cowboy hats and bandanas behind a banner reading, “Bringing the Fun-Tier — Where Every Trail Leads to Play.”
The procession also included organizations from neighboring communities, including the Oakland Strokes rowing club and the Oakland Yellowjackets bicycle club. Near the back of the parade was the Pleasanton-based Balloon Platoon, a Piedmont parade staple known for its comedic routine and oversized sailor suits inflated with inner tubes.
Saturday was Dolu Lanlehin’s first time attending Piedmont’s parade. The Oakland resident came with his wife and two children after hearing about the event from a friend.
“It sounded like a fun, festive atmosphere,” he said. “I just wanted to have a nice, family-friendly time and celebrate the 250th birthday of America.”
He was impressed with what he had seen marching by him — namely the parade’s community focus.
“I think it’s great,” he added. “They’re highlighting a lot of local groups.”
The parade wound down Highland Avenue to its endpoint near Piedmont Community Hall. Along the route, spectators dressed in patriotic colors cheered, waved American flags and snapped photos. Karen Harrington was all smiles as she stood on the curb in front of the Piedmont Service Station, taking in all the parade had to offer.
“I’m here to celebrate some good family fun and meet people and enjoy the day,” she said.
Harrington made the drive from Santa Cruz with family early that morning and met up with a friend from Glenview.
“We left the fog and the cold to come to this parade,” she said with a laugh.
Before the parade got underway, she spent the downtime helping out where needed, buying a hot dog from a local Boy Scout troop and watching the Yacht Rockers, a Northern California-based band, rehearse ahead of their post-parade performance. For Harrington, it was the full slate of Piedmont’s Independence Day festivities that drew her over other July Fourth celebrations.
“The level of the floats and groups that are joining, that there’s music and a party afterwards make it much more appealing,” she said, adding that she also appreciated how easy it was to find parking — and to get back on the road to Santa Cruz when the day was over.
The parade concluded shortly after noon, and many spectators made their way to Piedmont Park for another local July 4 ritual: a community picnic. People spread blankets across the lawn as the celebration continued with live music, food offerings and the announcement of the parade’s best-float winners.
Next year’s parade will mark the event’s 60th anniversary, extending a tradition that has brought generations of Piedmont residents and returning families together each Independence Day.
JL Odom is a freelance journalist based in San Francisco who can be reached at jlodomphd@gmail.com. When they’re not covering the Bay Area, they’re usually training for their next marathon.