Summerlin hosts valley’s largest Independence Day parade — PHOTOS
Families crowded along mostly treelined streets Thursday morning to celebrate America’s 248th birthday by watching the annual Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade.
The parade’s 70 diverse entries included everything from a brigade of veterans on trikes to a Ferris Bueller impersonator to the Vegas Golden Gals, a senior ladies pom-pom team.
The Summerlin Council estimated some 2,500 people would be in the parade and that 50,000 spectators would watch it. Notable parade participants included Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud and Gov. Joe Lombardo.
Staking out a spot
Summerlin resident Helen Hubbard, her teenage daughter Mackie and her daughter’s friend were lounging on a blanket on the lawn next to Hills Center Drive near Village Center Circle around 8 a.m. The main body of the parade would step off an hour later not far north of where they were sitting.
Hubbard said she moved to Summerlin less than a year ago and thought the parade would be a great opportunity for interacting with the local community.
“This is our first Fourth of July here, so I looked up events,” Hubbard said. “When we saw how involved it got, we definitely wanted to make a point to get out here this morning.”
Her daughter, Mackie, said the Summerlin parade was the first “big” parade she would get to watch in her life.
“I’m just excited about what they’re going to bring out,” she said.
The trio came to the parade prepared, equipped with a tent, fans and water to stay cool. By the time the celebration wrapped up around 11 a.m., the temperature was 106 at Harry Reid International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.
Walking tall
One parade participant couldn’t help but stand out in the crowd.
Bill Witter marched in the parade on stilts wearing a blue jacket and pants with red and white stripes.
Witter said he has dressed as Uncle Sam in the Summerlin parade for 25 years.
“My job is to get out here and spread the patriotic word,” he said.
The Fourth of July is a special because it’s the one day each year when everyone unites around the fact that they are fortunate to live in the United States, Witter added.
About 10 members of the Las Vegas Senior Softball Association, including Michael Kaczer, participated in the parade. The association did not glide down the parade route in a glitzy float, but they did walk carrying a banner.
“We just like to be part of the community and let people know that we’re part of the community,” Kaczer said. He added that the association was also trying to recruit members.
‘It’s a cool country’
Layla and Elijah Williams, siblings in their teens, attended the parade by themselves.
They said they had never gone to the Summerlin parade before this year. The two agreed that a float with a Native American theme was their favorite.
Layla Williams said she thought celebrating the founding of America in the presence of others would be the best way to enjoy the day.
“It’s a cool country, and every country is worth celebrating on its birthday,” Elijah Williams added.
Band on the march
Morgan Bryant watched the parade with her 3-year-old daughter, who was very excited to see the Bonanza High School marching band.
“She’s really psyched to see a trombone,” Bryant said. “We read a lot of books about instruments.”
The first Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade took place in 1995 and consisted of kids pedaling their decorated bicycles from the Summerlin Library to a nearby community center, according to parade spokesman Tommy Porrello.
In observance of the parade’s 30th anniversary, parade organizers recreated three floats that were popular in past years and tell the history of the parade.
One of those “out of the vault” floats was the Ferris Bueller float, which first appeared in 2016. The other two were called Stars and Stripes Forever and Visions of Candy Land, which debuted in 2006 and 2010, respectively.
Porrello said the 2006 float was the first “grand” float in the parade’s history and set a new standard with regard to decorations. The Candy Land float was a memorable float that brought in a pop culture theme, and the Ferris Bueller float was one of the first with a “performance element,” Porrello added.
Contact Peter Breen at pbreen@reviewjournal.com. Follow @breenreports on X.