Parades marking the 240th anniversary of the nation’s independence will be held Monday throughout Los Angeles County, including Avalon, where the Budweiser Clydesdales and USC marching band will be among the participants.
The parade’s theme is “From Sea to Shining Sea: Celebrating Catalina Island’s Maritime History.” Doug Bombard, who co-founded the Catalina Express cross-channel express boat service, will be the grand marshal. The parade is set to begin at 1 p.m.
The 68th annual Pacific Palisades Fourth of July Parade will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunset Boulevard, between Via de la Paz and Drummond Street. Its theme is “Independence Day — The Palisades Way!” Eric Weiss, who submitted the winning entry, will ride on a fire truck during the parade with his family. The grand marshal will be actor Kevin Nealon, Pacific Palisades’ honorary mayor.
Santa Monica’s 10th annual Fourth of July parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Main Street and Pico Boulevard, proceed south on Main Street to Marine Street, then west along Barnard Way to Beach Parking Lot 5.
Parade participants include the Santa Monica Conservancy, whose entry has the theme “1930s Hollywood” and features the 1932 Packard owned by actress Jean Harlow. People portraying publisher William Randolph Hearst and actress Marion Davies will walk alongside.
South Pasadena’s 35th annual Festival of Balloons Fourth of July Parade will have the theme “100 Years of the National Park Service, Celebrating our Urban Forest.” It will begin at 11 a.m. at Mission Street and Diamond Avenue, ending in Garfield Park.
Westchester’s 17th annual Fourth of July Parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and will be held along Loyola Boulevard. The parade, which marks the start of a yearlong celebration of Westchester’s 75th anniversary, has drawn more than 50 entries. Its theme is “Our Little Piece of Paradise — Celebrating 75 Years of Westchester.”
The Valley Village Homeowners Association Fourth of July Parade will begin at Colfax Elementary School at 10 a.m. The grand marshal is Bonner, a therapy dog at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for 7 1/2 years. Another 15 therapy dogs will also participate in the parade.
Sierra Madre’s 4th of July Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the corner of Sierra Madre Boulevard and Sunnyside Avenue. Pete Siberell will be the grand marshal. Siberell was a three-term president of the Sierra Madre Little League, a two-term member of the library Board of Trustees and head of the Mt. Wilson Trail Race Committee for nearly 20 years.
Rosemead’s parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Muscatel Avenue and Valley Boulevard and will include floats, bands, dignitaries and classic cars. Its theme is “Rosemead: Today’s Small Town America.”
The Sunland-Tujunga Independence Day parade’s theme is “Celebrating Our Volunteers.” The grand marshal will be Brian Schneider, who has helped organize many Tujunga Wash cleanups. The parade is set to begin at 10 a.m. at Foothill Boulevard and Mt. Gleason Avenue, head west along Foothill Boulevard and end at Sunland Park.
San Gabriel’s 4th of July Parade will have an earlier start, 9 a.m., and a new starting point, Plaza Park. The parade will head north on Mission Drive, then east on Broadway, concluding at Smith Park.
The 12th annual Great American Kids’ Bike Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at 1 Granada Ave. on the beach bike path in Long Beach.
The Holmby Westwood Property Owners Association 4th of July Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Warner Avenue School.
—City News Service