Happy 4th of July Annapolis Style Part 2 : The Parade

A Fourth of July parade is very common across the United States, but each city has its own spin on the traditional format. I was quite surprised at Annapolis' parade because the beginning seemed very much like a political campaign with lots of candidates for a variety of positions such as mayor, senator, board member, etc. But after that strange beginning, the real part of the parade got started!

Some nice white crisp uniforms is a very good way to start off a parade. Annapolis is the home of the US Naval Academy, so the support of the US Navy runs through their veins. I saw a few men in uniform on the streets of Annapolis, but surprisingly not very many.

 Firetrucks and tractors! 

This is how Americans do a Fourth of July parade. It's a bit of a stereotype, but I'm not complaining, I enjoy it! It's reassuring to see this common theme in Independence Day parades across the country, because America was built on hard work and that's how we are still the nation we are today.


This Fourth of July parade also had some dancing! Of course there were cheerleaders and beauty queens, but there was also some dancing that was different than any other Independence Day parade I've ever seen.

Traditional dancers from Peru and Belize! 

The ones from Peru were first. 
Such colourful clothes!
So vibrant!
 And having so much fun.
Look at this guy almost posing for me! I love it when people are actually excited to be a part of parades, it makes it so much better for the spectators to watch too.

Soon after, came the dancers from Belize.

Again such bright clothes!
And this multi-coloured flag seemed to accent them nicely, though I'm not sure it had any special symbolism to their dance or culture. That would be interesting to find out about.If it is just to look even more colourful or if there is an meaning behind it.

Another untraditional dance, but very entertaining dance group came near the end.
A Jazzercise group!
Who knew they would make an appearance!

Neon colours!
I love it! 
Seems like a group that I would fit right into, though I've never tried Jazzercise!

This quaint trolly bus was one of the last pieces of the parade. It was filled with people waving and cheering. One of my fellow interns (I forget who) made the comment that she hoped the people on the bus were not trying to go anywhere, because it was not going anywhere fast. Just sauntering along, down the hill towards the water as a part of the parade.

After the parade, there was a flow of people heading down to the water to pick out their prime spots to watch the fireworks. Most of us are not not from this area, so it took us a while to figure out plans. The sun started to set as we decided.

Stay tuned for part 3 of my Independence Day adventures, to find out where we went to watch the fireworks over the Severn River!