62nd annual Atwater 4th of July Festival and parade

Year aft twelvemonth for 62 years, the Atwater 4th of July Festival has brought families together.

"Happy Fourth of July!"

That includes the Pickton family.

"It's a household contented successful the Pickton family," said Daneill Pickton, Atwater Local.

"We've been coming since we were kids, conscionable bask the festivities and ticker the parade, person a bully time," said Gary Pickton, Atwater Local.

It's a contented for the vendors, too.

Hector Berber and his household service up chill drinks and roasted maize each year.

"It's awesome, it's our community," said Berber. "I'm grateful to person my household present helping."

That household contented is simply a driving unit for the organizers.

"In Atwater, this is benignant of similar coming location for Thanksgiving oregon Christmas, determination are radical that travel location conscionable for this connected the play oregon connected the Fourth of July," said Brad Pickle, Atwater 4th of July. "And I particularly similar it erstwhile I spot families come. New families with small kids."

Locals person their favourite parts of the day-long celebration.

"Really watching the parade, seeing each the chill floats, possibly the horses and everything, get immoderate candy, question immoderate flags, each that bully stuff," said Gary Pickton.

600 radical started the time astatine 7:30 with a Run for Independence.

Then the parade took a slower gait done town, which long-time organizer Brad Pickle says drew a assemblage of astir 10 1000 people.

"Atwater's the spot to beryllium connected the 4th of July," said Pickle.

On ft and horseback, that assemblage moved implicit to the festival astatine Ralston Park to capable up connected nutrient and bask immoderate music.

For the kids, there's look painting.

The enactment volition proceed crossed municipality astatine the Castle Commerce Center wherever crews spent the day mounting up the signifier for the concert.

Then, the fireworks. With the festival ending astatine 4, vendors were acceptable to battalion up and extremity the time of hard enactment with the show.

"Yes, we travel and work, but it's besides an enjoyable clip for the assemblage and my household arsenic well," said Berber.

If you program connected heading over, you'll privation to get present soon to get a bully spot earlier the fireworks commencement astatine 9:15.

That is besides erstwhile the gates volition close.

For quality updates, travel Kate Nemarich connected Facebook, X and Instagram.