What a parade! It took almost 15 minutes – as you can see in our clips above and below – for all the participants in this morning’s 23rd annual West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade just to walk, roll, and ride from the starting line in North Admiral:

This was the second year that Emily Williams of FIT4MOM West Seattle coordinated the parade. With family and friends at her side, she provided an exuberant welcome:

She then introduced City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, whose two-minute Independence Day speech included a tribute to those celebrating new U.S. citizenship today:

And then – just before the parade began – Kaylen Stancik sang a stirring version of the National Anthem:

Then, after the countdown, West Seattle’s only 4th of July parade hit the road. We featured a few photos earlier, and have more after the jump:

The classic blue pickup that leads the parade every year was back:

You might recognize this local celebrity who was riding along – former West Seattle High School basketball star Lydia Giomi:

When the parade arrived at Hamilton Viewpoint Park, there was lots to do – Sponsors with activities included Dream Dinners West Seattle (a longtime WSB sponsor too):

The sack races took over the big grassy field:

Once again this year, the Admiral Neighborhood Association sold concessions at the park:

Above left, ANA’s Dave Weitzel; below right, ANA’s David Whiting.

And one last thing – the bigger the parade gets, the bigger its expenses get (permits, etc.) – the crowdfunding campaign to cover this year’s costs is still a few hundred dollars short of its goal; if you can help, go here.