This year’s theme for Moorestown’s 4th of July parade is National Parks of America, and the parade’s committee welcomes community groups and veterans to participate.
“It’s the only event in town that is specifically designed to celebrate our national freedom,” said Dave Schill, president of the parade committee.
The annual celebration returned in 2011, after its prior committee was disbanded. Schill described coming back after a years-long hiatus as initially scary, but was pleased with its quick success.
“The whole committee put that effort into it,” he noted.
The parade will kick off at noon, but residents are encouraged to come out at 11:30 a.m. The route will be up Chester Avenue, down Main Street and through downtown, and end at Church Street.
“It’s great, and people are so appreciative to have a parade in their backyard basically,” said Gene Clark, parade committee member. “But we (also) get people from out of town.”
Civic groups that can participate include clubs; theater groups; and neighborhood groups, among others, and residents can also register their classic cars or other vehicles to ride downtown. There will also be a veterans float, something that Schill and Clark – both veterans – and the committee feel is an important piece to the tradition.
“That was another thing that kind of came up, too – when we wanted to start the parade back – was honoring the veterans and celebrating our freedom,” Clark explained. “There’s a lot of towns that do it, and now we’re back to doing it.”
Students from ages 5 to 9 can enter a free poster contest based on the national parks theme and the first-, second- and third-place winners will get to ride in the parade. Karen Reiner, Moorestown’s 2023 citizen of the year, will also be part of the day, and attendees will hear two Philadelphia Mummers groups – the South Philadelphia String Band and the Polish American String Band – and Clark’s band, Lost In Brunswick.
Kids will be encouraged to decorate their bikes, scooters or other vehicles and march as a group, and the parade committee will close out the event on the Deuce and a Half truck.
“Getting the kids involved … They can decorate their bike, the parents walk with them and they’re excited about decorating their bike and getting to be in the parade,” Clark observed.
Although he, Schill and committee members won’t see the celebration from a bystanders’ perspective as they run the show, they’re happy to put on the event for the community.
“By the time we come by, (people) are cheering,” Schill said, “and that makes it all worthwhile.”
Check out the parade committee’s display case at the Moorestown library. For more information on the parade, go to https://www.moorestown4thjuly.org.
