NORTHVILLE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Northville's annual Fourth of July parade was one of the many Independence Day celebrations held across metro Detroit.
From bands to mascots and antique cars, downtown Northville was filled with entertainment.
"It was awesome," Joshua Bohdan said.
Accompanied by his mom Lori Bohdan and uncle Jeff Weatherup, Joshua was making the most of the annual family tradition.
"It’s a lot of fun. The kids absolutely adore it. We got to do it every year for them," Weatherup said.
When asked about his favorite part of the parade," Joshua said, "I think the fire trucks and the ambulances."
From riding horses to vehicles, Northville's first responders and the police department left no stone unturned to represent the city and the pride of being American.
But besides the cheers and the joy, for some folks, the festivities took them down memory lane.
"When we first came down here, the kids were little and we would face paint them and sit in front of the main street," Erika Iafrate said.
Iafrate marked the day with her husband Jim and friend Diana Dirita. They say this has continued to be their annual tradition since 1998. One of their fondest memories is riding the fire truck.
"Pass candy from the firetruck, squirt people with the hose from the fire truck," Iafrate said.
As for how has the parade changed over the years? Diana Dirita said, "The size has changed a bit I think probably due to COVID, but other than that, traditionally, it's pretty much the same. The beauty of it is that you have a church that celebrated 100 years, it was in the parade along with other new organizations."
The parade may have shrunk a bit in size, but it certainly didn't comprise entertainment. From marching bands to vintage cars and a whole lot of people waving the stars and stripes, the parade was a hit.
For instance, Karen and Michael Blake loved that they can enjoy the spirit of the Fourth as a community.
"It's nice that we are not too far out of the pandemic but still able to get back into things like this," Karen Blake said.
"It's great. It's patriotic, celebrating our independence," Michael Blake said.
But among the sea of parade veterans was also Amy Litte. She was attending all the way from England.
"I didn’t know what to expect, so it was really good to see all the fire brigade and the police and all the different works in the area, that was really nice," Little said.
Stars, stripes, cheers and ear-to-ear smiles were just some of the many attractions on display along with a sense of gratitude.
"Have a great day everyone, enjoy the festivities, be safe and have a great day," Bohdan said.
"Be safe, have fun and let's all just take a step back and realize what great nation we live in," Weatherup said.
Meanwhile, law enforcement officials are urging the public not to comprise safety while celebrating the nation’s Independence Day. If you see something that is jeopardizing your safety or others, you're asked to call 911 right away.
