Tradition Continues with Orinda’s Historic 40th 4th of July Parade

    Some of Lisa Burlini’s fondest memories are of attending Orinda 4th of July parades with her son Chase – enjoying the floats, performers and perhaps the viewers most of all.
    “I like what the parade brings out in people. I like the exuberance on their faces. I love the people who come to watch it, it’s such a microcosm of the community,” she said.
    This passion for bringing the community together in celebration is exactly why Burlini stepped up to Chair the 4th of July Celebration – now in its historic 40th year. And not only does it represent the wider community, Orinda’s 4th of July parade is also an unmissable social event: “The whole city comes out and dresses up for it, with their children and their pets,” Burlini said.
    The history of the parade is inextricably linked to the history of Orinda.
    The parade was conceived as a way to bring people together and get them excited about incorporating Orinda as a city. It was envisioned as a humble hometown parade by members of The Orinda Association, which has sponsored the parade every year since the very first in 1984. Their efforts were a huge success, and Orinda was incorporated as a city the next year.
    Talk to people who have lived in Orinda for a few decades and they are likely to share their sweet nostalgia for the parade.
    Mayor Darlene Gee said, “It is such a special time in the summer, and I have such great memories of my sons when they were little. In one of my favorite pictures of them, they are sitting on the curb of Orinda Way waving flags with their 4th of July t-shirts and baseball caps on, looking very All-American.”
    Jackie Buettner, who has lived in Orinda for 32 years, recalls going to the parade with her husband and two boys, AJ and Dan, when they were very young.
    “We always went to the parade,” she said. “I had so much fun as a young mom. It was a small hometown parade and just good, clean fun!”
    This year, Buettner is in charge of recruiting the bands – her fourth time in this volunteer role, one she seems to enjoy more every year. She promises old favorites, like Diablo Blue Devils C, a marching drum and bugle band, and the dynamic duo of the MJ’S Brass Boppers and Stilt Walkers – perennial crowd-pleasers for spectating Orindans.
    “We’ll also have St. Gabriel’s Celestial Brass Band playing New Orleans Jazz. Some of the musicians are in their 70s and 80s and are alumni of Tower of Power, Cold Blood, Huey Lewis and the News and Van Morrison,” Buettner added.
    Other popular parade performers include the East Bay Banjo Club, Lamorinda Idol singers and the Lamorinda Pick-Up Marching Band.
    After the parade, TinMan Music will perform a concert in the Community Center Park featuring classic rock songs of the late 60s through the 90s. There will also be various food trucks, as well as two beer booths: one supporting the Orinda Rotary programs, the other featuring Czech beer from the Orinda Tabor Sister City Foundation.
    Although longtime Orinda residents line the streets every year, some families are also building new traditions – like Orkideh Hariri, who moved to Orinda six years ago with her husband Reza Hariri and their daughter Iman, now age eight.
    “My family and I began attending the Orinda 4th of July parade with friends and neighbors, and it has since evolved into a cherished annual tradition,” said Hariri. “Witnessing the delight in my daughter’s eyes as she shares this experience with her closest friends and family within our community is truly a gift. We take great pleasure in seeing local businesses, clubs and performers come together for this heartwarming event and enthusiastically support them all.”
    Gee is especially honored to serve as mayor during this historic time.
    “It is wonderful to see how many good things have come to fruition during our first 40 years as a city, and I am proud of what a welcoming community Orinda continues to be,” said Gee. “I’m grateful for all that we enjoy in our beautiful small town, and for the extraordinary volunteerism that makes Orinda such an exceptional place.”