The annual Barton Hills July 4th Parade will go forward, rain or shine, on Monday, July 4th. Our very special theme this year will be a celebration of the children in our community, and all those young at heart. Our very own singer/songwriter Sara Hickman will lead the parade in a joyous sing-along with a chorus of children. Wells Fargo and Rockin’ Tomato are our generous sponsors.

The parade will assemble as usual at Barton Hills Market on Barton Hills Drive at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, July 4th. At 9 a.m. the procession will be led by off-duty police officers, followed by participants on foot and in every conceivable conveyance, and finally by Fire Engine Number 11. The route ends at Barton Hills Elementary School, where the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, and Pulitzer-prize winning historian, Dr. Bill Brands, will inspire the day with a historical perspective on the Declaration of Independence.

Festivities will follow and include such time-honored favorites as a watermelon seed spitting contest, sack races, egg toss, face painting, pinatas, and the judges’ awards to the best parade entries in various categories. Refreshments will be served at the playground as well. All friends and neighbors are welcome to attend.

If you’ve lived in the neighborhood at least a year, you know that the 4th of July Parade is a big to-do, but it can’t happen without YOU!

Volunteers are needed for these tasks:

• Running the games after the parade (watermelon seed spitting, sack race, etc.)
• Bringing 2 filled piñatas and supervising their destruction (one for little kids, one for big)
• Making about 6 posters to advertise the big event and setting them up at key intersections in the neighborhood about a week before the parade. (This one is great for tween kids with too much summer looming before them.)
• Set up and decorations the morning of the parade (8:00 am)
• Take down and clean up after the festivities
• Bringing cookies or donating a watermelon (or both!)
• Donating about 200 cups and napkins
• Letting us use your large Igloo water cooler

Please contact Cindy Bogard (912-9770) if you can help with any of these!

Lisa Farenkamp has volunteered to coordinate cookies again this year (thanks Lisa). Please contact her at 444-3211 to arrange for a cookie donation in advance or to let her know that you’ll bring them the morning of the parade.

The parade will be on Monday the 4th. We will gather at the Barton Hills Market at 8:30 and will march to the school where there will be judging for the best decorated wagons, stroller, walkers, etc., patriotic music and brief speeches, cookies and watermelon, and games. A lot of fun, but only if everyone joins in.

Sunny skies blessed our neighborhood this year for our annual July 4th Parade, and Barton Hills Drive was alive with red, white, and blue patriotic spirit. Check out the pictures taken by neighbor Bill Newcomb during the parade and afterwards at the gathering at Barton Hills Elementary.