Summerlin Council to hold 16th annual Fourth of July parade

The Summerlin Council, the nonprofit arm of the Summerlin Community Association, is preparing parade entries in preparation for the Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade to be held July 3 in The Trails village of Summerlin. The escort division starts at 8:30 a.m. followed by the parade at 9 a.m.

Two new entries this year include Visions of Candy Land presented by Children's Medical Center at Summerlin Hospital and Liberty Belle: A Showboat Celebration presented by Cox Communications.

Visions of Candy Land features lollipop dancers surrounding a giant candy castle, home to Princess Lolly, Queen Frostine and King Kandy. Queen Frostine will spread magical frosting across the parade route via a special snow machine.

Liberty Belle: A Showboat Celebration embodies the spirit of New Orleans, traditional Mississippi Riverboats and the animated charm of The Princess and the Frog. Entry elements include giant Mardi Gras masks, festive dancers, a 30-foot riverboat replica and a musical tribute to Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen from The Princess and the Frog.

Visions of Candy Land and Liberty Belle: A Showboat Celebration are two of 60 parade entries. According to Lezlie Barnson-DeNardin, director of community relations for The Summerlin Council, the 2010 parade features a combination of new and traditional entries creating a diverse parade lineup.

"It's always fun to debut new entries, but we love our traditional, patriotic-themed entries as well," she said. Traditional parade entries include All Star Salute to the Military, Spirit of 76, Let Freedom Sing and a 33-foot American eagle giant helium balloon.

The parade begins at the corner of Hillpointe Road and Hills Center Drive in The Trails village of Summerlin. Participants travel south on Hills Center Drive toward the Village Center Circle roundabout before heading west on Trailwood Drive. The parade ends at the corner of Trailwood Drive and Spring Gate Lane.

Paradegoers are encouraged to arrive early, carpool, wear sunscreen and stay well hydrated.

Summerlin and The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin, are the title sponsors of the 2010 Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade. Securitas is the elite sponsor.

Other major sponsors include Cox Communications, Las Vegas Review-Journal/View Community Newspapers, Children's Medical Center at Summerlin Hospital, Clear Channel, Las Vegas Color Graphics and Friendly Ford.

For more information on The Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade, call 341-5500.

For more information on Summerlin, visit summerlin.com, call 791-4500 or become a fan of Summerlin on Facebook.