It’s HUMID today but we went out to Stonington Borough to see their unique parade. Anyone who wanted to march simply showed up and joined in, but they also had the requisite fife and drum corps, and fire engines, old and new. And what we appreciated very much was that after the parade all participants and viewers gathered in Wadawanuck Park and respectfully listened to a public reading of the Declaration of Independence, nicely highlighting the reason for the festivities. Then the band played again and we all sang the first verse of the Star-Spangled Banner together. It was very moving.
The first picture we took in Old Mystic – the flags are versions of the Revolutionary era flag. The rest of these pictures were taken at the parade in Stonington Borough…
I am having a sciatica flare-up so I was all right while standing, but was having a hard time of it sitting in the car and sitting here now posting this blog, even with my special cushion. Will have to come back for comments only as pain permits for a few days… Today I am very thankful we have air-conditioning!
Happy Independence Day!
For those not familiar with Stonington Borough, CT, the streets are similar to Provincetown, Massachusetts, in that the two main streets are one way, one going and the other coming back; this is due to how narrow they are.
It was a wonderful old town feeling, not a corporate thing in sight. The lack of commercialism in the air was noticeable from so many other holidays in other cities and town. I would estimate that there were about 300-500 in total including those in the parade themselves. The four people who took part in the reading of the Declaration of Independence did an excellent job of stressing the words, and adding feeling to the reading. The crowd reacted appropriately with much emotion.
On a practical note, there was enough shade and the events happened at a fast enough pace that no one felt they were left hanging in the open sun to bake. There was a very heavy haze in the air, but it did not feel that bad as there was a breeze along the ground where we were to make it very tolerable. It was nice to see so many real people, from the families that had joined the parade, the mother breast feeding her child on the park lawn, the lack of overly done coordination by the organizers, and the people passing out small American flags and copies of the Declaration of Independence so everyone could all read along.
All in all we had an extremely good time.
🙂 Thanks for filling in the gaps!
It looks so traditional. The 4th of July seems to bring that out in almost every town in the U.S. Great photos. The Citroen is way cool.
I’m sorry about the sciatica flare-up. I know from experience it’s a terrible thing (especially when you’re trying to sleep and the only comfortable position is standing!). I hope it is short-lived and you feel better soon.
So you like the Citroen, too! It sure had a lot of admirers when it finally parked.
Thanks for your sympathy, Robin! I think I’m finally on the mend. Lots of changes around here, what a wake-up call… I hope yours doesn’t flare up too often!
It’s like going back in time. What a great way to celebrate Independence day. Those photos captured the jubilant spirit of the occasion. Happy Independence Day to you and your family.
Thank you, island traveler! I hope you had a fantastic Independence Day with your family, too!
Hi Barbara,
Fantastic photo’s, and it certainly looks like everyone was having a great time. The Parade looks great, I love the car. 🙂 Happy Independents Day.
Thanks, magsx2! It looks like that car was a hit with just about everyone! We hadn’t been to a parade in many years so it was pretty stirring…
Love your look at small town America!
Thank you, Karen!