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Annual Fourth of July Children’s
parade small in number by huge in patriotic spirit
[July 07, 2025]
On Saturday morning the sun was
shining brightly and by 11 a.m. the temperatures were coming close
to 90 degrees in the heart of Lincoln. At Scully Park, kids were
gathering for the annual Lincoln Park District Fourth of July
Children’s Parade.
This year, it appeared that numbers were down for the annual event,
maybe because of the heat. Regardless, those who made their way to
the park were excited to be participating and had taken the time to
deck themselves and their conveyances out in patriotic colors.
There were some wonderfully bright
red, white and blue hats, outfits, and even sunglasses. The bikes
were decked out and one in particular caught the eye of the audience
as it was a clear depiction of George Washington.
There were also some fabulously
decorated wagons in the group this year, along with scooters and
roller blades.
The parade was led by the Lincoln Fire Department with the Lincoln
Rural Fire Protection District bringing up the rear.
The parade kicked off shortly after
11 a.m. and proceeded down McLean Street to Wyatt Avenue then right
on out to the Lincoln park District.
Because the front parking lot at the recreation center is under
construction, the parade ended under the shade trees in the front of
the building.
After permitting time for everyone to grab a cold drink and a snack,
Lincoln Park District Director Becky Strait announced the winners of
this years’ parade.
While kids were collecting and examining their prizes, the Lincoln
Fire Department was getting ready for some fun with water in the
front lawn.
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There was a new attraction this
year, a water bucket challenge. Like a dunking booth, someone had to
throw a ball at a target and when hit with enough force, a bucket of
water hanging overhead of a chair would dump the water onto the head
of the person seated. Strait explained how it worked then said that
the first thing to do was fill the bucket with water. The kids had
access to large tubs and smaller buckets with which to catch the
water from the firetruck. Then they had to pour the water from their
bucket into the bucket over the chair. When it was filled then
someone sat down in the chair and waited for the time when a pitch
would hit the target and dump the bucket.
All in all, it was good fun that the kids enjoyed very much along
with simply running through deluge of water being sprayed by the
fire truck until they were dripping wet.
On a very warm day, the wet cold water was a welcome change for all
the kids who participated.
Nila Smith
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