Independence Day is a big deal in Ashland, Oregon. The entire town comes out for a 2-hour parade and then afterwards everyone goes to Lithia Park for music and food. Many people try to reserve spots a full day in advance. Last night, Main Street was lined with blankets that had been duct-taped to the ground! I've always avoided parades, mostly because there are always way too many people and watching floats go by isn't really my idea of a good time. This parade had basically no floats which was perfect for me and relative to a NYC parade, way fewer people (although I was surprised at how large the turnout was...30,000 attended). I loved it.
The people who got the most applause from bystanders were those who were parading for a cause--whether it was domestic violence or conservation or animal rights. All sorts of characters came out for the festivities--from guys in medieval outfits to Klingons for Jesus--and the variety of vintage cars in the parade was outstanding. It was fun and we actually ran into people we know--neighbors, my landlord, the kids we know from the local laundromat. It was a real Our Town kind of day.
The fireworks start tonight at 10pm and I'm hoping to catch them from my top deck! Happy 4th. Check out more pictures of the parade here.
