Our parade gets better and so does our Community
Orinda’s 4th of July Parade has evolved over the years, not unlike America itself
The parade is naturally a celebration of this great nation of ours, but it has also become one of the best reasons to get outside with your family and friends for some traditional fun.
As we gather along the streets of Orinda to witness “The Best Hometown Parade,” we are part of a nation honoring the spirit of America and the proud legacy of our city.
We are familiar with our nation’s founders and their revolutionary ideals of liberty, freedom and self-governance, independent from the reign of King George III in the late 1700s.
Orinda on the other hand is a relative newcomer, incorporating as a city in 1985 after 100 years of evolving from a remote summer getaway spot to a town in the ‘20s and then ultimately into a thriving city some 40 years ago.
On the theme of change, “In order to form a more perfect union …” is a clause from the Preamble to the United States Constitution that references the struggle that naturally comes with change.
Nations and communities are defined by their people.
History and current events indicate that people have differing opinions about just how we should form “a more perfect union.” Perhaps this human reality prompted the statesman Frederick Douglass to say, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
Thinking globally and acting locally for progress is part of what the Orinda 4th of July Parade is about.
The pace of American life continues to accelerate, but that shouldn’t prevent us from participating in civic life. Orinda needs all your civic energies to achieve progress in our schools, local government and our parade. There is a great deal to be grateful for and celebrate in this community, and of course, so much more to do.
Our celebration and optimism are not blind hope.
Our faith in the future is based on the principles of our nation combined with the actions and sacrifices made by so many Americans, past and present. As we wave our flags and cheer our neighbors on their parade floats, we are in part, expressing our faith in America’s future.
So let the Parade Guy encourage you to be part of the parade as a participant, volunteer or an observer. However you choose to join, we welcome you to Orinda’s celebration of our nation, our city and our collective future.