Annual July 4 Midnight Parade

     The First Independence Day Parade in the Nation marks its 35th year with a happy birthday wish for the U.S.A.
     In the opening moment of July 4 Gatlinburg’s downtown sidewalks will be filled with some 100,000 people on hand to witness the excitement of the July 4 Midnight Parade.
     Participants in the parade are being encouraged to show how many years they have been in business or otherwise organized, with many of the participants celebrating landmark anniversaries this year.
     Featured as one of the Parade’s Grand marshal’s will be Ripley’s Entertainment, which is celebrating 40 years in Gatlinburg, with Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies marking its 10th year with the opening of Penguins Playhouse.
     At least one of the participants will be celebrating the future as well. The Riverside, Iowa Community Club will have a parade-sized Star Trek starship, the U.S.S. Riverside in the parade.
     Riverside is the official future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk. Members of the Riverside Community Club will blog their journey to Gatlinburg on the internet at www.trekfest.com .
     Also featured in the parade will be the 129th U.S. Army Band, members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Coast Guard – plus vintage military vehicles, local area public safety agencies, and lots more.
     The parade route will extend from traffic light #1a on East Parkway, with the parade turning south onto Parkway at traffic light #3, then traveling the length of the downtown street to traffic light #10 at Ski Mountain Road.
     Check out the parade route early to choose your best spot. Some 100,000 people will attend the parade and many of those will start placing their folding chairs along the route as early as 7 am on July 3.
     Police and fire department vehicles, bagpipes, marching bands, decorated and lighted floats, horses, large helium balloons, and more make up the Gatlinburg parade. The parade is very exciting regardless of age.
     Get some rest after the parade, because Gatlinburg offers the River Raft Regatta – an unmanned floatables race, and several free admission concerts along with a spectacular fireworks display on July 4.