Rich Gifts: Parade

Jul 5, 2009

Arlington 4th of July Parade - Update

Update: And we won first place in the Novice category! Yay! Ok so novice doesn't sound all that great but it was our first time and the only category we fit. :) Check out the winners list in the Star Telegram.

The Arlington Tea Party had a float in the 4th of July Parade. This is the first time I have participated in something like this. Now I want to do it every year. LOL! It was lots of fun and hard work.

The parade theme was monuments and memorials and our theme was Liberty. We constructed a replica of the Liberty Bell and I have to admit we were pretty pleased with the result. It was paper mache but when we were finished, it looked like metal. The pictures don't quite do it justice.

We had kids dressed in colonial outfits riding and waving flags and two people who walked in front of the float carrying American flags. It was a very HOT day but lots of fun.

Sorry for so many pictures. :)

Liberty Bell construction after the first few coats of paint.

Kellie, Janice, and Richard. Richard is such a kook. He posed like that on purpose.

We used foam letters for the writing on the bell, then painted it, black-washed it, bronze-washed it, and sealed it.

Kellie, Lukas, Richard

Kellie, Richard's son, me.

The float.

One of the kids has arrived.

We displayed copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

Our banner. Designed by yours truely. :)

Besty Ross and a colonial soldier. He isn't in full costume yet. Those costumes were pretty hot.

Here's our little colonial crew. Aren't they cute?

We had quite a wait before the floats left the lot so the boys made the best of it.

Betsy Ross.

Getting ready to head out.

This kid next to me really got into character during the parade. He kept yelling out "Freedom for America"! He got one of the other boys doing the same.