Thousands kick off Fourth of July weekend at Summerlin’s annual Patriotic Parade

The streets of Summerlin were crowded Friday morning as families stood and sat under clear skies to witness the 31st Annual Summerlin Patriotic Parade.

National pride was on full display as onlookers donned red, white and blue clothing while floats featuring bald eagles and American flags passed by.

Tens of thousands of people were in attendance for the Fourth of July event, according to a parade spokesperson. While no official attendance number was immediately available, an earlier estimate indicated as many as 35,000 people were expected.

The parade featured more than 2,500 people on floats, holding helium balloons and marching through the street. Some entries showcased local sports teams, including a fortress-themed Golden Knights float with right winger Reilly Smith riding on it, while others were dedicated to military organizations and pop culture icons.

Early birds

Getting a prime viewing angle along the street’s curb proved to be a competitive endeavor. Paradegoers were allowed to start saving a spot at 7 a.m. Thursday to watch the parade the next day. Lizzy Campbell, a 29-year-old, stay-at-home mom, said she arrived around noon Thursday prepared with a “game plan.”

“We had a whole plan of where we are gonna park, our route in, and then make sure we had everything prepped yesterday so we could make sure that we had a good time today,” she said.

Others such as Monica Martin, a 45-year-old educator, said she arrived as early as possible Friday to set up foldable canopies to block the summer sun. Although she arrived over 24 hours before the parade started, she said it was still difficult to stake a claim.

“We thought we were going to be super early, but there were already so many tents set up,” Martin said. “We were lucky to find this little spot.”

‘It’s America’s birthday’

The parade’s roots date back to 1995 when a group of kids on decorated bicycles and wagons led by a stilted Uncle Sam traveled down a Summerlin street to celebrate Independence Day. The event has grown significantly over three decades to include motorized floats, dancing and singing.

Ashok Yadav, a 66-year-old IT worker, and his family sat in a reserved area with drinks and snacks along Village Center Circle near the location where the first Patriotic Parade began. Yadav said he was at the first ever Summerlin Patriotic Parade in the ’90s and has been to seen it enough over the years to know that “there is no bad place to watch the parade.”

He said seeing the event grow over the decades has been “phenomenal.”

“You see that community pride, that national pride,” Yadav said. “I meet people that I have not seen in a while sometimes. It’s a great way to just come out here, spend a couple of hours.”

Yadav said that as an immigrant from India, the Fourth of July holds a special place in his heart. “To see the spirit of independence and the patriotic spirit, it’s great to be part of it,” he said.

Marching in the parade were members of Scouts BSA Pack and Troop 312, who escorted American Legion Post 76. One scout, Jayden Losk, 9, said he’s marched in the parade in the past and enjoyed seeing the Las Vegas Aviators’ float.

“I loved it,” he said. “You could see lots of your friends. You could wave to them. It’s very fun.”

‘Our favorite holiday’

Kendall Wickliffe, a 34-year-old Summerlin resident and stay-at-home mom, lives close enough to the parade’s route that she, her husband and her two kids walked from their home to find a spot to observe. Wickliffe said her family loves Independence Day because it coincides with many of her family members’ birthdays.

“It’s their birthday month, all three of them,” Wickliffe said. “So now it’s America’s birthday today, so we just love to celebrate our favorite holiday.”

Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253.