Published: July 04, 2009 08:53 pm      

Fourth of July Children's Parade

PALESTINE — Dozens of local residents wearing red, white and blue marched down Crawford Street in downtown Palestine Saturday morning, some waving flags and others carrying signs as police blocked traffic.

The marchers weren’t protesting anything, except maybe when a parent tried to take their picture.

These were nearly 80 children ranging from babies in strollers to tween-age, walking, riding bikes, being pulled in wagons or pushed in strollers all decorated with patriotic streamers, paper and balloons for the Good Old Fashioned, Flag Waving Children’s Fourth of July Parade.

Many had their parents right beside them, also in patriotic T-shirts and hats.

They even passed an equally patriotic crowd at the intersection of Crawford and N. Sycamore Street where several dozen adults who had gathered earlier for a downtown Tea Party, watched and clapped.

Once the parade reached Old Town, participants could proceed to Saw Mill Hollow for children’s activities including a puppet show with Chester Mouse, Tropo the Clown, Cowboy Dan, balloon animals, a decorated flip-flop contest and chalk art.

While some chose to find seats for the puppet show, Daniel James and his 21-month-old son Perry ate hot dogs in the shade.

Dressed in matching Uncle Sam outfits, the father and son marched in the parade with a specially decorated wagon.

“I don’t know who enjoyed it more, him or me,” James said. “He helped me paint it and drill the holes.”

The family also planned to enjoy some barbecue and stay up past Perry’s bedtime to watch the fireworks show, he said.

John Burney, a former Palestine resident, said he’d come up from Conroe to spend the holiday with family. He, his daughter, parents, sister, nephew and his girlfriend and her children all had come to the parade and Saw Mill Hollow, and later planned to catch the fireworks show.

“We came for the parade, to let them (the children) have a good time,” Burney said. “We’ll watch some fireworks later, do a little barbecue and try to stay cool.”

Two of the organizers, Judith Summerville and Will Hatch, said they were happy to see so many children and their parents decked out in their patriotic colors, participating in the parade and events at Saw Mill Hollow.

“This was all just the community coming together and having a good time,” Summerville said. “These are just fun people from the community. It was just a giant community event. It was fabulous to see this many people show up.”

Downtown resident Sue Price agreed.

“It was fun, it was marvelous,” Price said.

While Hatch said Summerville needed a large portion of the credit for pulling everything together, she deflected the praise toward all of the people who were involved in some way.

“We couldn’t have done it without help,” Summerville said, listing local business people who donated time, money or items to be used or given out to children.

“All the kids walked away with gifts so they didn’t walk away empty-handed,” she said. “It was all donations, all the community coming together. Everything was donated — the condiments, the Kool-Aid, water.”

Those involved are already looking forward to next summer.

“We’ll do it again next year,” Summerville said. “Bigger and better.”