Modesto 4th of July parade celebrates unity and youth
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- Modesto’s 152nd July 4th Parade drew 30,000 attendees under cooler skies.
- Parade theme celebrated youth, with entries judged across 19 categories.
- Modesto Fire Department honored as Hometown Hero during 150th anniversary.
Usually held on a scorching day by 9 a.m., the cooler temperatures this year helped bring out an estimated 30,000 people to the 152nd annual 4th of July Parade, organized by Modesto Kiwanis Clubs.
Some family groups marked out their spots with tape and blankets the day before to ensure a good seat along the mile-long route starting at 17th and J Streets and ending at 10th and F Streets.
The theme was Celebrating America’s Youth and was chosen to bring a sense of unity.
“Because there may be division in our country today, we wanted to focus on what really matters, which is our youth,” parade chairman and Modesto City Council Member Jeremiah Williams said. He said there were 110 entries in the parade, including many floats, cars, and groups decorated in red, white, and blue.
The honorees also exemplified the community’s youth with Modesto Children’s Museum and Friends of the Modesto Library serving as the Grand Marshals. Also honored were El Rematito Flea Market in the American Dream category and the Modesto Fire Department in the Hometown Hero category. The fire department is celebrating 150 years of service to Modesto.
There were nine judges selecting winners in 19 categories. The judges for this year were head judge Yamilet Valladolid, David Alonso, Amy Collier Carroll, Khani Gustafson, Erica Inacio Guttierrez, Marian Kaanon, Laurie Maki, Sam Pierstoff, Carlos Virgen and José Moreno.
“The essence of the parade was unity and patriotism,” said Williams. “It was about taking our minds back to reality in America. We have gone through a lot worse, and we may go through more, but we are resilient, we overcome, we exist and we thrive.”
The winners for this year’s parade were:
Best Overall Theme: Valley Music Institute (VMI)
Overall Equestrian Unit: Modesto Police Dept. Mounted Unit
Farm Entry: Exact/Jack Rabbit
Antique Car Pre-1940: E. Clampus Vitus
Classic Car Pre-1973: Iron Cross VW Car Club
Custom Car: American Medical Response (AMR)
Antique Car Club: Modesto Model A’s Car Club
Motorcycle Group: Modesto Police Traffic Unit
Marching Band: Modesto City Schools Combined Band
Musical Group: Hit Replay 80’s Tribute Band
Dance/Drill/Cheer Group: Haylee Canady, Baton Soloist
Military Unit: American GI Forum
Color Guard: Veterans of Foreign War Post #3199
Corporate Entry: Stanislaus Foods: The Future of Stanislaus
Ethnic Group: Filipino-American Assoc. of Stanislaus County and Vicinity: Faces of America’s Youth
Non-Profit Entry: Be Anything Museum & Business Resource Center: Stars of the Future
Comical/Entertaining Entry: Modesto Nuts Baseball Club
Kids Group: Ceres Sizzle Softball and Ceres Dirt Dawgz Baseball
