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Biggest 4th of July Parade West of the Mississippi

Published on: July 01, 2013

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Antioch has the longest 4th of July Parade in the U.S. because of its incredibly long parade route. Meanwhile Huntington Beach  4th of July Parade is the biggest such event west of the Mississippi because of its attendance–an estimated several hundred-thousand people come out at 10 a.m. on July 4 to see the pageantry of this 109 year old parade. The tradition began on July 4, 1904, when Huntington Beach commemorated the arrival of the first electric passenger train linking the area with many Southern California beach cities and Los Angeles.

The parade has huge attendance but is completely old-fashioned. It includes floats with festive colors, popular themes and often performers or rock bands playing tunes. It also includes miniature ponies and the regal stallions, clowns, celebrities, classic cars, civic clubs, marching bands and all sorts of vehicles. The parade has lasted over three hours but spectators grew tired and complained, so they’ve made a point to keep it shorter– around 2 to 2.5 hours in length. It travels along Main Street from Huntington Beach Pier passing by a mortuary, dozens of restaurants, City Hall, the Historic Huntington Beach High School campus and a shopping center. Most the distance it passes by houses that include lawns filled with revelers. If you own a home on the parade route, you’re suddenly everyone’s best friend on July 4! And if you’re man’s best friend (dog) you are not allowed to march in the parade. It is considered animal cruelty in Huntington Beach to allow dogs to be in the parade. Like many cities, the parade is just the start of something bigger–an entire day of beach parties, cookouts and entertainment culminating in fireworks over the pier at 9 p.m. The fireworks show only lasts 25 minutes but it takes 2 hours for the crowds to clear out afterwards.

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