ROLL ‘FOURTH’ INTO A BRIEF LOOK AT LAST YEAR’S INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION PARADE IN ALAMEDA

The Longest –Or At Least One Of The Longest—In The Nation Sayeth The City

Story and Photos by Larry Freeman

Every year Alameda gets regional, sometimes national, media attention for its grass roots, hometown, occasionally eye opening sometimes hokey that captures folks sentiments of seeing the roots of small town America amidst the bustling urban swirl of The Bay Area.

An estimated 60,000 people pack the sidewalks along the 3.3 mile route to become a part of an egalitarian, symbiotic arrangement where participation is a mutual endeavor, shared between those who roll, stroll, run, or wheel by and those who come to see if those in the parade are looking back to see them looking back at them.

A natural back of forth of the shared community involvement.

Most folks, many from out of town, but generally locals wave mini U.S. flags, drink their swill of coffee, soda, and other beverages, munch on this or that, find succor in candy, but mostly just cheer on the parade amidst their banter with friends and fam.

Now and again a float or entry deemed ‘politically incorrect’, overtly commercial and ill fitting to the broad by vaguely defined standards of parade worthy representation will get a sneer, a cringe, a thumbs down or an overt boo or heckle as was the case last year when an anti-vaxxer politician’s entry rolled by, or another year when the National Rifle Association tested the generally deep blue waters of the town.

Somehow, those touched a nerve that went against the grain of overall community sensibility and boundaries that are generally tolerant and civil.

The first few photos in our series from last year have context focused captions, and the rest are but a free flowing cavalcade of the images themselves, like the parade, seeking to capture bits of the small town America that lives in our city of great diversity, a unique mix of America’s todays and heydays.

In one key way on this special day in The United States Of America, this parade and its great traditions honor our beloved freedom of speech, expression and assembly, cherished rights that no would be autocrat or oppressive official can ever take from us.

In the mix are a variety of City and local government officials and agencies, local community public service groups, sports organizations both private and public, local businesses and business groups, getting their names out while spreading the cheer, a political gadfly or two campaigning for this, that or the other, church and faith based groups, purveyors of social justice or more traditional brands of their view of American values, a variety of musicians and groups, a random or oddball entry, and of course those in the crowd, representing just themselves, families and friends.

Sometimes an unofficial participant, often a teen or two, will just join the procession and walk or ride along to be a part of the spectacle, and no one will play rules enforcer.

So now, whether you are at home for a warm up, at the parade waiting for the show to begin or just generally want a quick photo look back at some of last year’s more photogenic moments please enjoy on behalf of ALAMEDA NEIGHBORHOODS NEWS (aka ANN or alamedanews.org).

Alameda needs you and your friends to support fact based, grounded, balanced hometown news journalism by WRITING FOR US, SHOOTING PHOTOS FOR US, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OUR FREE JOURNALISM EDUCATION PROGRAM AND BY SUBSCRIBING TO US. (See the homepage for details on how to do all of the above, or to get your local organization onto our Community Showcase platform)

It’s easy to become a part of ANN and we encourage you to do so now!

So please enjoy this public service of Alameda Neighborhoods News in the photo gallery below.

With your participation, we can continue to do be a vital and needed part of our community. Without it, we cannot, as, in so many joint endeavors, it takes a village.