By Khalida Sarwari
Saratogans are invited to celebrate Independence Day with a parade, popsicles and patriotic songs at Kevin Moran Park.
The city’s 12th annual Fourth of July event will kick off at 9:30 a.m. July 4 at 12415 Scully Ave. with an opening speech by Mayor Emily Lo. Vice Mayor Howard Miller and Councilman Chuck Page will emcee the program, which will conclude with a parade around the park at 11 a.m.
The McCartysville Volunteer Band will play a medley of patriotic songs beginning at 9:30 a.m., honoring members of the military. The band, which was named in honor of Martin McCarty, a 19th-century Irishman and an early settler in Saratoga, is composed of 35 to 60 brass/woodwind and percussionists that perform once a year at the Fourth of July program. The audience will be encouraged to sing along to a series of patriotic songs led by a volunteer children’s choir.
The procession will be led by the U.S. Army color guard and include residents of all ages, as well as their four-legged friends.
“It is not unusual to see all ages participating in the parade–people in wheelchairs, youngsters on decorated bikes and wagons, and even a few dogs dressed in fashionable outfits,” said event coordinator Sarah Okunos.
Attendees are invited to participate in the parade while the McCartysville band performs. At the end of the procession, flags and popsicles will be passed out to children.
Members of the Sons of the American Revolution, dressed in colorful costumes and portraying such famous American figures as Patrick Henry and George Washington, will ring a bell representing the Liberty Bell during a formal presentation.
The program also includes a special presentation by U.S. Army Master Sgt. David M. Kennedy and a table manned by Operation Care and Comfort, a nationally recognized program that supports troops, veterans and their families in a variety of ways.
The centerpiece of the event, according to Saratoga Historical Foundation president Annette Stransky, is a “Voices of Freedom” tableau created by Saratoga Federated Church minister Bill Allison that combines 25 costumed characters with quotes about freedom and music, and tells a brief history of the U.S. through the eyes of patriots from the country’s birth to the present.
Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in red, white and blue in celebration of the day, and veterans are encouraged to wear their uniforms.
The event is free and sponsored by the city of Saratoga, Saratoga Historical Foundation, Saratoga Federated Church, Gene’s Market, Saratoga Rotary Club and the Saratoga Lions Club.
For more information, visit saratogaJuly4.com or contact Okunos at 408.867.4577 orsokuno@gmail.com.
