It is an old fashioned Fourth of July Parade in the Lyon Village neighborhood. The corner of Key Blvd. and Jackson Street is crowded with decorated bikes, dogs with flag kerchiefs and moms pushing strollers and pulling wagons. Although the route has changed over the years, the atmosphere of anticipation remains the same. The parade will travel several blocks down the street and then turn to end up at Lyon Village Park to enjoy the playground equipment, spray park and special treats for the day.

Gabe MacPhail stands with his father, Matt, who is strapped with a loud boom box playing patriotic music

ready to lead the parade down the street. Gabe is home from Purdue University and says, “I have been coming to this parade since I was six years old. Not much has changed. It’s so cool to see all of these kids. It’s a great summer memory for me.”

The neighborhood crew unfurls the flag that stretches across the street and takes at least five to carry it. The ACPD police motorcycles rev up their engines and head to the start of the parade while the antique cars line up on the side block. The ACFD fire engines move to their place in line, and the procession begins. 

A few young bike riders weave precariously down the block with parents holding on tightly while other more seasoned riders take off to be first in line for the popsicles at the park. The sidewalks are lined with residents who have pulled up a lawn chair to watch the parade, waving flags as the parade passes by and catching up with their neighbor’s summer plans. 

Sharon and Don Park sit in front of their house where they have lived for 51 years and watch with their neighbor Janet Hendricksen and Kat Carten who lives around the corner and whose father has been a chief organizer of the parade for many years.

When the parade reaches the gate of the park, some children scamper to the tables with the slices of watermelon and popsicles and others line up outside to take a turn sitting in the front seat of one of the fire engines. Flags are everywhere — decorating faces painted with small glittery replicas, inserted in the park fences, sitting atop hats and printed on T-shirts. It is another day to add to the memory book.