Every year on the 4th of July, the town of Aptos (located a few miles south of Santa Cruz) hosts the "World's Shortest Parade". I haven't participated in decades, but back when I was a kid... my parents would take me and we'd participate with their friends as The Flea Patrol. According to my brother, it was a group started by my parent's close friend who owned a vet clinic in the town. We'd carry bottles of flea powder (actually talcum powder) and squirt it in search of fleas.
After the parade, we'd all head back to the vet's house and enjoy the festivities. I'm grateful my brother brought it up, because I hadn't thought about that fond memory in years.
Yesterday I didn't attend that parade, but I did end up going to one over at my friend's house. Her neighborhood hosts an annual 4th of July parade where different streets create themed floats. This year's theme was music and it was extra special, because their street decided to participate for the first time in several years.
They went with the Barbie theme and played music from the movie:
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My friend and her dog walked with her street's float at the start of the parade... but it was super hot and eventually they found some shade and hung out. Meanwhile her mom and I had front row seats to the show.
Overall... it might not have the honor of being the World's Shortest Parade... but for being a neighborhood thing... I was pretty impressed by the effort each street put into their floats.
Okay... here are some cards I feel obligated to include:
1988 Panini Album Stickers #212
Why did I include a card of Mark Eichhorn? Well... he's the biggest baseball name out of Aptos. He was born in San Jose, but went to college in Aptos. Currently he is the Aptos High School pitching coach.
Next up is the 2023 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest winner:
2012 UD Goodwin Champions Autographs #A-JC
Joey Chestnut didn't participate in yesterday's competition on Coney Island due to sponsorship issue, so he went down to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas and competed against four soldiers instead. He finished eating 57 hot dogs in five minutes beating out the four soldier team by 8 hot dogs.
Patrick Bertoletti won the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest by consuming 58 hot dogs, however he had five more minutes than Chestnut.
And I'll wrap things up with my favorite United States flag card:
1956 Topps Flags of the World #1
I hope all of you enjoyed your 4th of July celebrations.
Did anyone watch or participate in a parade?
If not, have you ever participated in a parade?
Happy Friday and sayonara!
9 comments:
1) I did enjoy yesterday (spent time with my brother- I cooked).
2) I did not participate or watch a parade yesterday, there isn't any around here except for Christmas parades.
3) I did participate every year as a kid then again in high school for the homecoming parade (class floats).
I was in a parade in the late 1960s when I was a Cub Scout.
Good Job!
I didn't go anywhere yesterday, including any parades.
When I was a kid I would walk in my town's Halloween parade. Also, I was once in the Banner Day parade at Shea--that would be a scheduled doubleheader back in the day, and anyone who brought a banner could be in the parade between games. My friend, who was more artistically inclined than I, made the banner. This was around 1984 or 1985.
When I was a kid (probably ten or eleven) I participated in my grandparents' town 4th of July parade. I remember grandpa and I visiting the Hooks Drugs so we could get streamers and decorate my Huffy. Unfortunately they only had red and white but no blue. So we bought green instead and I represented Italy instead!
i didn't watch a parade yesterday, but i've participated in a number of them in the past. my hometown has had an annual parade associated with their local rodeo, and i walked in that a few times as a kid. i also helped decorate a float for the rose bowl parade one year, but didn't walk (or ride) in it.
Parades have never been of much interest to me, but I do like the idea of a neighborhood thing like this more so than I do the corporate sponsored stuff.
No parade this year but did watch some fireworks with friends. And I don't remember participating in any parades. That was cool seeing your parade experience.
I actually had a very America 4th of July, spending it in Cooperstown! My son had a baseball tournament there.
He actually hit his first out-of-the-park home run...on the 4th of July...in Cooperstown. I told him it doesn't get much more American than that!
johnnys trading spot - glad you enjoyed your 4th of july. sounds like your homecoming parades were really cool. don't think my high school did that. if they did, i didn't participate
john sharp - you'll be happy to know, one of the local troops opened up the neighborhood parade.
brett alan - that banner parade at shea sounds really cool. by the way, i miss the scheduled doubleheaders back in the 80's. good times.
uncle charlie's shoebox - nice. good old red, white, and green!
gcrl - oh man... the rose bowl parade seems like one of the coolest parades. gotta imagine weeks (maybe even months) of time and effort goes into those floats.
jon - parades aren't really my thing either. but hanging with my friend's mom was cool. in the end, i was glad that i went.
steve at 1975baseballcards.com - it's funny... i was so exhausted from the long day, i fell asleep before seeing or hearing any fireworks
the lost collector - that sounds like one of the coolest ways to celebrate the 4th of july. congratulations to your son. that's a memory he'll be able to share the rest of his life.
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