Downtown Turns Red, White and Blue Monday for Arlington’s Iconic 4th of July Parade
On Monday morning, thousands of spectators dressed in red, white and blue will line the streets of downtown for the iconic Fourth of July Parade, the oldest, longest running event in Arlington.
The theme for this year"s parade is "America the Beautiful." The parade, which begins at 9 a.m. and ends at approximately 11 a.m., is dedicated to "those who keep Arlington beautiful," said Donna Darovich, senior parade announcer and public relations coordinator.
This year"s event will include about 130 entries, including antique vehicles, several groups on horseback, marching bands, cheerleaders, professionally built parade floats, motorcycles and more. The Knights of Columbus hold the record for having participated in every parade, Darovich said.
"It"s an event that literally generations have celebrated in Arlington. Many in the same spot. I"m amazed how many people bring tents and sleeping bags the night before to camp out. Some people plan family reunions around it," Darovich said. "It"s the one thing in Arlington you"ve been able to do for 50 years. It shows the community"s patriotism and how we feel about where we live."
The parade grand marshal is Molly Hollar, a long-time Arlington advocate for education about native plants and their benefits in term of saving water and promoting wildlife. The Molly Hollar Wildscape Area is dedicated at Veterans Park in Arlington.
An estimated 70,000 attended last year"s 50th anniversary parade, Darovich said.
Click here for a list of 10 tips to have a great time at the 4th of July Parade
Parade information
Expect the parade route to close down at 7:30 a.m. Free parking is available around downtown, including at the University of Texas at Arlington"s College Park parking garage at UTA Boulevard and Center Street. Spectators are encouraged to arrive at least an hour before the parade.
The Color Guards deploy along the route between 8:15 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
The National Anthem, led by the Arlington Community Band, begins at 9 a.m., followed shortly by the start of the parade.
The route begins at the intersection of Mitchell and West streets, proceeds north on Center Street, west on Abram Street past City Hall, south on West Street, east on UTA Boulevard, south of Spaniolo Drive, West on Mitchell Street, south on Pecan Street and ends at the designated parade assembly lot. No parking is allowed on any street along the parade route.
As the last entry passes, the Arlington Police Department will begin re-opening the roads impacted by the parade.
An awards ceremony beings at 1 p.m. at Knapp Heritage Park, 201 W. Front Street. The awards ceremony is open to the public.
Click here to learn about the awards.
The official 2016 Arlington 4th of July Parade T-shirt design.
4th of July Parade
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