Monday July 5th, 2010
On Monday, July 5, at 9:30 a.m., the Dunwoody Homeowners Association and the Dunwoody Crier newspaper will host the annual Fourth of July Parade featuring marching bands, floats, clowns, animal units and local celebrities. This year's parade theme is Dunwoody Salutes America's volunteers. You can register for the parade at the Dunwoody Homeowners Association website at www.dunwoodyga.org.
POST-PARADE FESTIVAL
Join us for the family festival in the parking lot of Dunwoody Village. We invite all parade participants and spectators to join us for live entertainment, kid's activities, BBQ, hotdogs and much more.
The parade route is 2.7 miles. Steps off from the intersection of Mt. Vernon and Jett Ferry at 9:30 a.m., proceed west on Mt. Vernon to Dunwoody Village Parkway. You can view a map of the parade route here and get more information on the Dunwoody Crier website.
Perfect day brings out 25,000 for parade
ReplyDeleteJuly 5 usually isn’t anything special, other than being the day after Independence Day, but this year, it will be remembered in Dunwoody.
Bumped one day because of logistical problems associated with having the July 4 parade on a Sunday, this year’s edition, held on Monday, turned what is usually an ordinary day into an extraordinary one, as Dunwoody cranked out another flawless event under blue skies, low humidity and tolerable temperatures.
“Everything was wonderful,” said parade co-chair Pam Tallmadge as she watched the last of the 148 entries turn the final corner from Dunwoody Village Parkway into the parade closing area. “Even the politicians were well-behaved.”
From the grand prize Kingsley Racquet & Swim Club rock band that was “United with a Porpoise” to the Tartan Trot bagpipers , this year’s rendition of “Dunwoody Salutes America’s Volunteers,” was a great mix of the old and the new.
“I loved it,” said Dunwoody resident Barbara Wolski, who rode in one of The Crier’s cars at the front of the parade. “The weather was wonderful and it was an honor to be part of such a great event.”
As it was an election year, aspiring politicians dominated the lineup, but Tallmadge said, for the most part, most cooperated, stayed in their cars and limited their volunteers to the published limits. During the closing ceremonies, candidates were given a brief forum to introduce themselves, and according to moderator Dick Williams, all adhered to the time limits put in place.
As with previous years, the 116th Army Band, which kicked off the festivities at the front of the parade, entertained the crowd with a medley of patriotic tunes during closing ceremonies.
Several thousand milled around the venue, eating barbecue and socializing with friends and neighbors for hours after the last float was parked.
“This is what Dunwoody is all about - community, food, and celebration,” said longtime resident Flossie Arlington. “I love living here.”