Lakewood Fourth of July parade

Lakewood Fourth of July Parade celebrates its 50th year

Annette “Mike” Locklear-Dunton was one of the originators of the Lakewood Fourth of July Parade.

Annette “Mike” Locklear-Dunton was one of the originators of the Lakewood Fourth of July Parade.

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Every year Lakewood Boulevard, from Cambria to the tennis courts at Tokalon and Winstead, becomes a river of red, white and blue on July Fourth. Elaborate floats roll through the mass of spectators lining the streets. Alongside them, kids stroll with their bikes, wagons or carts through the throngs. Adults deck out from head to toe in patriotic colors, and Uncle Sam never fails to make a guest appearance. The community-wide Lakewood Fourth of July Parade celebrates its 50th year this summer, and Mayor Mike Rawlings and his wife, Micki, will be the Grand Marshalls for the event this year. While the event draws thousands of participants and spectators today, it hasn’t always been so grand. “The first one was just six or eight little kids, riding their bicycles up and down the street carrying a flag, and that was it,” says Annette “Mike” Locklear-Dunton, one of the originators of the parade. In the early years, Dunton and her neighbors rounded up their handful of children and made a day of it. Every year it got a little bigger. Soon they were giving out prizes for various categories — best decorated car, best decorated cart or horse, best dressed. “I dressed up as a clown one year,” Dunton remembers. “It got to be a kind of big deal.” Kind of big deal is right. These days, hundreds of people participate in the parade, and thousands more line the streets. Each year, the board picks a different theme, says longtime committee member Carol Hensley. This year the theme is “Lakewood Makes History,” which Hensley says parade-goers can interpret however they wish. The intention of the parade has stayed the same through the decades: clean fun for kids of all ages. With that in mind, the board members don’t allow businesses to advertise or politicians to politick. Schools, religious organizations and nonprofits can create floats and whatnot, but parade leadership has a sharp eye out for solicitors. The parade is funded strictly through the generous donations of the residents, businesses and neighborhood associations in the area. The committee is made up of several neighbors: Betsy See, Al See, Vickie Thompson, Clay Drury, Bob Brimer, Vivian Youdin, Mike Youdin, Jane Shouse, Jim Shouse, Troy Harper and Hensley. At this point, planning the parade is almost second nature, Hensley says. “Even if we didn’t do a thing, people would still show up and parade. They don’t really need us to plan it. The hardest thing we do every year is decide the theme.”

There is a Fun Run before the parade that begins at 8 a.m., and the parade starts at 10 a.m. at Lakewood Boulevard and Cambria.

Check out our photo slideshow of the Lakewood parade, displaying vintage photos from the early years.

Map of the parade route, start to finish, from the Lakewood parade website.

Map of the parade route, start to finish, from the Lakewood parade website.