Performers sponsored by JustServe entertain the crowd July 4 during the Arlington Independence Day Parade in downtown Arlington. The group danced through the parade route as thousands gathered to celebrate Independence Day.
Lifelong Arlington resident Susie Wine McAlister, 79, and her family sat under a tree on Center Street, watching the Arlington Independence Day parade.
“We know that we sit in this spot because of that tree,” Wine McAlister said. ”The shade comes, and usually it’s over by the time the shade gets to the curb.”
It’s the same place she and her family have gathered since Arlington’s first Fourth of July parade in 1965, when her parents started the tradition that has continued through multiple generations.
Children wave American flags and play with bubbles July 4 during the Arlington Independence Day Parade in downtown Arlington. Families gathered along the parade route as the annual celebration featured floats, performers and community organizations.
“We’re toward the end. It’s not the most popular place, but it’s where it started, and that’s where we’re going to be,” Wine McAlister said.
Wine McAlister’s family was one of many who lined the parade route Friday to celebrate Arlington’s 150 anniversary and the United States 250 anniversary.
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross said the celebration is an immense source of pride for the city.
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross waves to the crowd July 4 during the Arlington Independence Day Parade in downtown Arlington. Ross rode through the parade route as the annual celebration honored community members and marked the Fourth of July holiday.
He said Arlington has grown from a small bedroom community into one of the nation’s top 50 most populous cities in the country and is now recognized worldwide.
“I would argue not only are we the biggest, but we’re the best,” Ross said about the parade. “It’s important because of how we’ve grown and who we’re representing, and we’re just proud of what we’ve done.”
The celebration began with the Firecracker 5K run at 7 a.m. through parts of downtown before the parade started around 9 a.m. and continued until about 11:30 a.m.
A Balloons With a Twist member waves to the crowd during the Arlington Independence Day Parade July 4 in downtown Arlington. This year’s parade theme was Arlington 150, America 250 – Proud Past, Bright Future.
School bands, local businesses, civic organizations and community groups made their way through the route as spectators packed the sidewalks.
Among them was the Arlington High School band, whose members marched through downtown representing both their school and the city.
Assistant band director Nathan Hervey said events like Arlington’s Fourth of July parade bring entire communities together in a way few events can.
Spectators line the streets of downtown Arlington July 4 during the Arlington Independence Day Parade. The parade is the oldest and longest-running event in Arlington.
“Parades are a really great thing to see the entire community come out, not just ‘my school versus that school’. It’s going to be everyone on the same team,” Hervey said.
The bands kept the energy high, but so did the floats – another pillar of the parade – who rolled through downtown with creativity on full display.
Owner of Balloons With a Twist, Angel Fuentes, 49, said he’s participated in the parade the past four years, winning a grand prize twice.
After two months of planning, his team transformed a trailer into a towering red, white and blue balloon float featuring oversized metallic “250” and “150” balloons and the words “Proud Past, Bright Future.”
An Arlington High School Colts band member plays a trumpet during the Arlington Independence Day Parade July 4 in downtown Arlington. The Fourth of July parade started at 9 a.m.
Team members also wore balloon backpacks, while others dressed as Uncle Sam and a bald eagle using balloon creations.
Along the route, spectators dressed in red, white and blue as floats and marching bands passed by repeatedly chanting “USA,” throughout the celebration.
As the parade came to a close, Crandall, Texas, resident Kate Cole, 54, said the biggest takeaway wasn’t a particular float or performance, but seeing Arlington’s diverse community gathered in one place.
“It fosters unity,” Cole said. “It just brings out the greatness in our community, the diversity, the love, everything is just on display.”