Brittany Reier of Aurora has made a habit of coming to Aurora’s annual Fourth of July parade, something she said she has done “every year since I was little.”
“It’s been at least 30 years. I come every year,” Reier said as a light drizzle was falling in downtown Aurora Thursday morning just before the start of this year’s parade at 10 a.m. “As far as coming so many times I think it’s just the fun and excitement of the parade and being here with everybody.”
The city of Aurora celebrated Independence Day with fireworks on Wednesday night and the annual Fourth of July parade Thursday.
More than 75 units were scheduled to participate in the parade, a number that Clayton Muhammad, chief communications and equity officer for the city of Aurora, said made this year’s event even bigger than the parade held weeks ago on Memorial Day in the city.
“Last year we had like 45 units and this year there are more than 75 which makes it bigger than our Memorial Day parade which, typically, is the biggest every year here in Aurora,” he said.
More than 100 members of the Citizen Police Academy of Aurora Alumni group served as grand marshals of the parade.
“We’re looking forward to their coming and their energy and we have some new units coming this year,” Muhammad said before the start of the parade. “There will be some new groups dancing and this will be just a wonderful way to celebrate America’s birthday.”
The growth in this year’s parade, Muhammad said, “can be attributed to good community engagement and people knowing they’re in for a heck of a time at an Aurora parade.”
“There is such diversity in our parade and I really believe once we broke our fireworks and our parade apart (to be held on separate days), now it’s really not a long day for anybody,” he said.
The sidewalks along the parade route were jammed with spectators as the event kicked off promptly at 10 a.m. A police squad car, followed by the first wave of marchers and flag bearers, made its way along Broadway as spectators arriving late tried to get a view of the procession.
Frank Saltijeral of Aurora said he has come to the parade many times as family members have participated in the event for many years.
“This, for me, is about tradition and patriotism and my boys have been in the parade for a good 16 years. They are in the American Legion Band and the color guard and now my grandkids are carrying the banner for the American Legion Band,” he said. “We’ve been coming to watch them over the years.”
Saltijeral’s wife Shelley said she looks forward to the Fourth of July because “of the patriotism. My dad was very involved and was in World War II.”
“My whole life I came to watch him in this parade and while he’s passed on now his grandsons and great-grandchildren are carrying on a tradition,” she said.
Katie Blatti of Aurora came with her husband and sons and said this was the second year the family has come to the Fourth of July parade in Aurora.
“We did the Memorial Day parade earlier and we wanted to bring the boys because we’re proud Americans. Both of our grandfathers fought in different wars and we think it’s important,” Blatti said.
Nicholas Blatti said of the parade that “things like this bring the community together.”
Ameer Harvey of Aurora brought his 3-year-old son for his first Fourth of July parade.
“For some reason he loves parades even though he’s never been to one and he knows his uncle will be in the parade,” Harvey said. “It’s exciting to see all the presentations and celebrating and all the creativity that goes down the street.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
