Spirit Grows Yearly at Valley Village July 4th Parade

The annual keeps growing bigger and better. This was its 18th year, and from its inception in 1993 with 50 marchers and no spectators, it has grown to over 1,200 participants, 800 spectators and a huge community gathering at Valley Village Park.

The parade is organized by the Valley Village Homeowners Association, with about 15 hardworking volunteers guiding marchers and setting up home court at the park. This year’s parade featured Councilman Paul Krekorian riding in a convertible, Assemblyman Mike Feuer marching and handing out red, blue and silver necklaces, a dozen Neighborhood Council Valley Village board members riding or walking in the parade, and over 1,000 Valley Village neighbors and their dogs.

There was an array of decorated golf carts and a variety of flatbed trucks with multiple themes. Tenth-graders Emmy Jacobs-Schwartz and twins Rachel and Kate Blackman, along with their preschooler buddy McKenna Fulton, donned seashells as breastplates for their float “Mermaid in America,” while dads Dirk Blackman and Ken Jacobs dressed up as Poseidon and King Triton—something they desperately attempted to do while also wearing a straight face.

The O’Connor family's truck featured an astronaut and a moon with the famous Neil Armstrong quote “One small step for man—one giant leap for mankind.” Pat Hines, who always decorates a memorable float with her twins Will and Nora, publicized “Return to Freedom,” an effort to preserve America’s wild horses.

Colfax Summer Camp had its campers decorate their bikes and scooters during the week and create a float with a large octopus, advising people not to pollute the oceans. Jeremy Ratchford's float introduced his 1941 Hydromatic automobile, and Joe Utsler and his wife, Stacey Rosenbaum, chugged along with their daughter Zoe in their Harley Davidson with a sidecar. Kids from Cub Scout Pack 311 wore their uniforms as they carried their banner.

Parade participants decorated their bikes, scooters and wagons in red white and blue as they marched and waved to onlookers. Although parade participants have always outnumbered spectators, this was the biggest year ever for people who hosted parties along the parade route.

The largest party is always at Peri and Greg O’Connor’s house on Otsego Street, just east of Morella. Many years, they rent bleachers for their front yard, but this year their yard was filled with pop-up tents and folding chairs. Dozens of their friends participated in voting for the top floats, bikes and scooters, and prizes were given out to the winners.

Neighborhood Council Valley Village provided the marching band from Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys. Finding a band turned out to be a more difficult task than expected since all the local middle and high schools, including North Hollywood High and Walter Reed Middle School were not initially available due to drastic budget cuts in their music programs and the that were sent to their band instructors.

Every year the Homeowners Association chooses a grand marshal who has contributed to the community, not necessarily an elected official. This year’s grand marshal was LAFD Capt. Stacy Gerlich, who trains people in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. Previous grand marshals have included LAUSD Board Member Tamar Galatzan, former Colfax Charter Principal Joanie Freckmann and former Homeowners Association President Lori Dinkin.

At 9:30 a.m. every Fourth of July, participants meet at Colfax Charter Elementary School in Valley Village, and the parade starts promptly at 10:00 a.m. It meanders through the neighborhood, finally reaching Valley Village Park about a half-hour later. The LAPD's North Hollywood Division casually directs traffic at the intersections. The parade travels west on Addison to Ben, north to Otsego, across Colfax to Irvine, south on Irvine to Hesby, then east to Valley Village Park.

For the past two years, Faith Presbyterian Church, which is catty-corner from Colfax, has held a free community pancake breakfast at 8:30 a.m. This year, Turning Pages Foundation and its fifth- to eighth-grade volunteers organized arts and crafts activities and gave out gently used books.

At the park, the Homeowners Association handed out free water and cupcakes. They partnered with Wienerschnitzel to pass out complimentary corn dogs, and Jon’s Marketplace provided free watermelon slices. Chill Frozen Yogurt offered free yogurt.

Tables were set up by the Homeowners Association to sign up new members. Association President Peter Sanchez mans the table every year, and his dedication forces him to miss the parade. Neighborhood Council Valley Village also had membership signups, as well as signups for CERT and Neighborhood Watch. There was also a table for the program to identify significant historic resources throughout Los Angeles.

Studio City community leader Jack McGrath spent the morning with a professional cameraman, interviewing marchers and those in floats for a video he plans to create for a local cable station.

Valley Village Park was absolutely packed until around noon, at which time the parade participants scattered until it was time for the big firework shows.

For those who are out and about on a holiday morning, the Valley Village 4th of July Parade is a little bit of Americana, and a community tradition that looks to last for years to come.