“Lakewood Dreams Big in Red, White & Blue” was the theme of the 2016 Lakewood Fourth of July Parade, and for the 52nd time, neighbors showed their colors with floats to mark the occasion. Here are a few of our favorites:
A giant Pinewood Derby replica
From one of Lakewood’s Boy Scout troops (No. 54, perhaps?) came a derby car big enough for all troop members to ride inside. Nice construction, boys (and parents, no doubt).
‘Magnificent Beasts and Sensational Feats’
This big top circus-themed float was another with impressive and colorful construction. (Sorry for the poor photo quality; we didn’t get a great shot of this during the parade so used a screenshot from our live Facebook video.)
Indiahoma, Okla., vintage fire truck
Fire trucks of course accompanied some of our neighborhood’s elected officials, such as Councilman Mark Clayton and State Rep. Kenneth Sheets, but this truck was the only one carrying a rockabilly band wearing headdresses. We’re guessing it has a Curiosities association, as it was still parked outside the shop this morning.
Uncle Sam and Captain America
What’s a Fourth of July parade without these two classic characters?
When I grow up, I want to be a princess
The dreams theme inspired floats with future Olympians, astronauts and even presidents. These young ladies, however, bucked that trend with an ode to the Disney princesses.
Lakewood, we have a problem
Kudos to these industrious students whom we saw earlier in the parade struggling to hold their rocket upright as it threatened to tumble from the trailer. It appears they weren’t successful, but this Facebook photo shows they wouldn’t give up. NASA will be lucky to have you.
Lights, Camera, Lakewood
The Lakewood Home Festival theme reveal is a parade tradition, and this year the Lakewood Early Childhood PTA’s float invited neighbors to “be the stars” at the Hollywood-comes-to-Lakewood-themed Friday, Nov. 11 auction party, which kicks off the 40th annual home festival weekend, Nov. 11-13.
A Facebook farce
We saved the best for last: This float perfectly portrayed the idiosyncrasies of the Lakewood, Dallas Facebook group with its sign “posts.” The crowd laughed and nodded in self-awareness at “Tommy Ache” complaining of “another doc-in-the-box on the corner” and “Barb D’wyer” asking, “Did someone lose a hen? There’s one in my yard on Cambria.” If this one doesn’t take the grand prize, well … we’ll probably see some bellyaching on the Lakewood, Dallas Facebook group.
