That’s the entirety of this year’s West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade, toward the start of its traditional route through North Admiral. Our subjective way of measuring participation each year is the length of our start-to-finish video, and this year was among the longest, at 17+ minutes (2018 was almost 19). It’s an informal, community-supported event, underwritten by local sponsors (this year including WSB), and organized one last time by Megan Erb, who’s turning it over to the Admiral Neighborhood Association for next year. Here’s what Megan told the crowd at 44th/Sunset pre-parade, followed by the national anthem courtesy of education director Jessie Kuehm from Mode Music Studios‘ (parade co-sponsor and a WSB sponsor too) nonprofit sibling Mode Music and Performing Arts:

A few scenes from the parade:

At Hamilton Viewpoint Park, the post-parade festival grows every year – sponsor activity booths included Neighborhood Naturopathic (also a WSB sponsor), teaching about tea:

The Mode booth offered hands-on musical experimentation:

The main event post-parade every year is sack racing, in age groups all the way to adult. Some kids flew down the course:

The grownup round featured two City Council candidates:

Seattle Fire Engine 29 – based blocks from the parade route – wasn’t able to lead off the parade this year as usual, but did make it to the park:

A Seattle Police car was also there for kids to check out:

Food trucks included Lil J’s Super Dawgs:

(One more sponsor shoutout – Potter Construction, another WSB sponsor too, funded the park porta-potties!)

6:56 PM: More photos added above.