West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade: Hundreds walk, roll, and jump in the North Admiral sunshine

The 20th annual West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade has just finished crossing California SW at Atlantic, on the way to the afterparty – family-style games at Hamilton Viewpoint Park (concessions too!) – even if your family missed the parade, c’mon down! Above, a quick Instagram clip from the first leg of the parade route; we’ll have lots more video and photos here later. And here’s what else is up today/tonight.

ADDED 3:28 PM: Above, our traditional annual video of everyone in the parade, from Admiral-based Seattle Fire Department Engine 29 at the start to the Seattle Police officer whose vehicle trailed the final parader (a wee bicyclist). Next: Video of the pre-parade ceremony:

In that clip are co-coordinators Jackie Clough and Allyson Schreck, former Mayor Greg Nickels (who lives near the parade route) …

West Seattle Hi-Yu Junior Court Princesses Callie and Sadie (who also helped with the donation boxes pre-parade) …

… and national anthem singer Leilani Nitkey, who did a great job despite a faltering loudspeaker system (we were close enough with the video camera, we could hear her without amplification):

As Mayor Nickels said, “The real meaning of today is Independence Day, where we celebrate the fact that some very brave people … our forefathers, if you will … were willing to take a stand and declare that this nation would be independent, with certain inalienable rights, (such as) the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that was revolutionary.”

ADDED: A few parade photos (and don’t miss the pre-parade “bonus” pics at the end of the story). Here’s the contingent riding in the blue pickup that followed Engine 29:

Non-motorized transportation, otherwise, was the order of the day – including scooters:

Next – from the post-parade games on the green at Hamilton Viewpoint:

Kids toured the fire and police vehicles that had bookended the parade:

WSB sponsor A Kids Place Dentistry For Children handed out pinwheels:

The Admiral Neighborhood Association handled concessions as usual – this year, ANA president David Whiting (1st photo below) went mobile into the crowd, in addition to ANA’s fixed-location van (second photo below, with Kayle Shulenberger in the foreground):

Co-coordinator Jackie told us afterward that the parade diaper drive brought in 600 diapers and 100 wipes!

They’re going to WestSide Baby – in advance of its annual mega-drive Stuff the Bus on July 20th.

BONUS: Some views from the pre-parade sidelines, ahead:

It was all about rocking the red, white, and blue:

Captain America was a popular theme – check the shield as this parader waited:

And spotted on the pre-parade sidelines – it is not a parade in West Seattle without Jim Edwards (co-coordinator of the West Seattle Grand Parade, who assists with so many others):

A Seafair visitor was sighted, too – West Seattle’s own Seafair Clown, Officer Lumpy, with his kids:

Still adding!

7 Replies to "West Seattle 4th of July Kids' Parade: Hundreds walk, roll, and jump in the North Admiral sunshine"

  • JasonG July 4, 2014 (11:14 pm)

    Great fun, as always. Many thanks to the coordinators and volunteers!

  • Debbie July 5, 2014 (8:39 am)

    We had a BLAST! And all thanks to the WSB as we would have never known about it otherwise! Thank you!!!

  • Are you kidding? July 5, 2014 (9:10 am)

    Thank you for the parade video. What a fun, colorful and wonderful slice of Americana! Laughed as I watched the whole thing!

  • Elle Nell July 5, 2014 (10:27 am)

    Oh how fun!!! What great photos!!!

  • SeaChanty51 July 5, 2014 (12:42 pm)

    The end of the parade video is wonderful! If you did not watch until the end, go finish!

  • Creighton July 5, 2014 (3:24 pm)

    Thanks to Tracy for recording and posting this. I saw her at work during the parade, typing on her phone with one hand and taking video of the parade with other. Our community is a community because of events like this, and her efforts that draw us all closer.

    • WSB July 5, 2014 (4:12 pm)

      Thanks for the kind words, Creighton. I did overhear more than a few people marveling that it is indeed one of those events that can evoke the “small-town Americana” type of feeling even though in reality we’re in the heart of a big city. And I hope people will remember the holiday for this as much (or more) as for the fractiousness over the all-night kabooms.
      .
      Meantime, I forget sometimes to put up photo credits but co-publisher Patrick (Sand, my husband) was hard at work too, taking a few hundred still photos from which we pulled the ones you see here … this year I almost brought the tripod so the video could roll hands-off so I could do Instagram, Twitter, etc. with my right hand instead of left and not look so goofy but .. well, next year. – TR

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