American Canyon celebrates: ‘The best 4th of July party around’
This Independence Day, the people of American Canyon brought out their good stuff.
Hundreds of people lined Elliot Street at 3:09 p.m., waiting for a parade of their peers to pass by. Families poured out onto the curbs and lawn chairs covered sidewalks along the parade path. A symbolic red stripe connected the crowd through flags, solo cups and bright all-American T-shirts. Above, there was a cloudless blue sky. Then, with an announcement from the PA, the parade began.
From Elliot to Amarillo, the crowd watched martial artists, go-karting footballers and a church band hitting their high notes from a flatbed parade down the streets. At the intersection of Benton and Donaldson, the asphalt became a stage where parade participants stopped to perform. The martial artists demonstrated their ferocity with high kicks and grunts, while others danced, and firemen tossed candy. The kids scrounged up what sweets they could and went back to waving to their friends marching in the parade.
After riding through the parade line in a 1960s Chevrolet Camaro Rallysport, Mayor Pierre Washington addressed the crowd over the loud speakers.
“This is the best 4th of July party around,” said Mayor Washington, “Can I get a heck yeah?”
A “heck yeah” was returned.
With the parade completed, Community Park II had its first entertainment from the Fog City Swampers, who stomped out classic rock ‘n’ roll for the crowds. Music was breezing the air, and kids with their faces painted in red and blue chased after each other joyfully. It was a scene of endless celebration.
Tanna Kawzinski and her 12-year-old daughter, Makenna, waited for at one of the several food trucks. They had come to enjoy themselves in the park with their community after watching the parade. Tanna Kawzinski, a doggy daycare attendant in Fairfield, was glad to see the community show up.
“It’s nice to participate in the festivities that the city puts on for free for the most part,” said Kawzinski, “It was nice to see the community out there.”
The afternoon sky melted into a pale orange, and the party raged on. By 8 p.m., the crowd had more than doubled. Thousands had now gathered to join in on the festivities. On stage, Papa Joe & the New Deal were crushing a cover of Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic,” inspiring little kids to break dance on the grass. Blankets and families multiplied until they covered the entire park. The darker it got, the more lively the setting became.
At 9:24 p.m., the first fireworks struck. As the sparks sprayed across the night sky, eyes gazed upwards over the tree line toward the final act of Independence Day. The band was done, the crowds were quiet, the only remnants were loud bangs and flashes of lights.
