Celebrating the Fourth of July in Pacific Palisades
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
The countdown is over—community members have decorated floats, decked their halls with all things red, white and blue, and are now ready to celebrate Independence Day, the Palisades way.
Fourth of July starts early, with thousands of runners participating in the Palisades Will Rogers 5 & 10K, featuring a special performance of the National Anthem by 2019 Pacific Palisades Teen Talent Contest winner Hunter Barnett.
The Kids’ Fun Run at 9:15 a.m. at Palisades Recreation Center has a performance of the National Anthem, sung this year by St. Matthew’s Parish School student Avery Elizabeth Kline.
Then comes the parade, beginning with Carey Peck’s Skydiving Team and ending with the Alexandria Minnesota Community Band.
This year’s theme, coined by longtime Palisadian Reeve Chudd, is “May the 4th Be With You.”
“We’re incredibly lucky to be here and to have all these people who volunteer to make this parade the incredible event it is,” Chudd shared with 90272 Magazine ahead of the parade. “It’s why I look forward to going every year.”
Honorary Co-Mayors Billy and Janice Crystal will again serve as grand marshals of this year’s parade—following last year’s event, in which they rode in a community float, both dressed as Washington crossing the Delaware.
Scoutmaster Mike Lanning of Troop 223, who has set a national record for seeing the most Boy Scouts become Eagle Scouts, will serve as the 2019 parade marshal.
After Kids on Bikes, Patriotic Pups, State Senator Ben Allen and many, many more complete their march in the parade, the fun continues at Palisades Charter High School, where food trucks and music await.
Palisades Rocks the Fourth has performances by Willa Kaplan, Detoure, Jacob Winthrop Experience, Hutchinson and The Freedom Ledges between 4:25 and 6:50 p.m. on the Festival Stage.
Palisades Charter High School Band, Skull Rock and Arielle Martinez Cohen play the Main Stage, with PaliShades headlining with a performance at 7:40 p.m.
Concertgoers can snack on treats from California Dog, Cousins Maine Lobster, Richeeze Melts and more.
The day wraps with a finale salute to veterans, followed by a fireworks display presented by Pyro Spectaculars.
Check out next week’s edition on July 11 for full coverage of this year’s festivities.
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