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REDLANDS -- Everyone loves a parade, especially in this city on the Fourth of July.
Well over 1,000 people -- Redlanders and people from neighboring cities alike -- lined the streets around Sylvan Park to watch as the city staged its 45th annual patriotic parade on Wednesday morning.
The line of parade participants, 50 in all, showcased a wide array of
flag-waving patriots. Service clubs, businesses and private families rode atop floats, buses and other decorated forms of transportation.They were joined on the parade route by church groups, cheerleaders, drill teams, bands and classic automobiles.
"This is just a good day for the family," said Christine Martinez, who attended the parade for the 10th time. "It's good for the kids and it's good for the community. It's just a good time."
Martinez brought her son Israel, 1, and daughter Isabel, 3, and her in-laws.
"We come out and really enjoy it as a family," Martinez said. "We watch the parade, go to the park and then watch the fireworks. It's a good day."
The parade featured announcer Paul Kelly, doing the honors for the 12th straight year.
"Redlands is getting bigger but a day like this tells me that Redlands is still a small town, and that is good," Kelly said. "There is a good small-town feel to all this."
Three youth groups drew plenty of attention -- a group of about 100 youth cheerleaders, a group of twirlers and a group of stylish percussionists accompanied by a team of dancers.
"We had some great people in the parade this year," said Meike Murone, this year's parade chairwoman. "I love the Fourth of July. It's a great day. There is no other day like it."
The parade is a giant task. But Murone acknowledged that she and maybe a half-dozen others are the ones that make it happen.
"There are only about six or seven of us," Murone said. "But we are a good team."
The most popular spots on the parade route were the start and finish lines, where hundreds of people settled in with lawn chairs and their cell phone cameras.
"We're very happy with it," Murone said. "I think the people are happy. I really was excited to see some of the parade entrants. A lot of people were."
The parade route led straight into Sylvan Park for festivities that eventually led to the evening's fireworks display.
Janet Curtis, a graduate of Redlands High School and now a counselor at Yucaipa High School, has been attending the Redlands Fourth of July parade and fireworks show for three decades.
She brought her two children, 5-year-old Jordan and 10-year-old Rachel.
"Things like this is what makes this a great town," Curtis said. "It's a big part of Redlands. This is why people like Redlands."
Reach Ed via email, call him at 909-793-3221, or find him on Twitter @TheFactsEd.
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