If you love a parade, get thee to Alameda

July 3, 11:10 PMSF Parenting ExaminerLaurel Yeates

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Grab your lawn chairs, a hat and some sunscreen and prepare for some good old-fashioned hometown fun at the Mayor's Fourth of July Parade in beautiful downtown Alameda.

You say Alameda is not your hometown? That matters not as people from all over the Bay Area come to the little island town every Independence Day to see the second-longest July 4th parade in the country. With more than 170 entries as varied as middle school marching bands, the Alameda Small Dog Park contingent, and cultural entries such as the Bhutanese Refugees performing their native dances and songs along the route, the event offers something for everyone. Perhaps the most satisfying part of the day is the warm, patriotic, feel-good homeyness of the crowd and the sweetness of the home-grown entries and floats.

Since 1975, the parade has followed the same route with plenty of spectator space. Portable chairs can be set up anywhere on the curb along the route (www.myalamedaparade.com), with eager parade watchers choosing to stay in the downtown area, near some open businesses selling food and beverages, or venturing off into the more residential areas where the crowds are not so big and there's more room to spread out.

The parade begins at the corner of Park Street and Lincoln Avenue at 10 a.m., but people can be seen setting up chairs in the best spots on Park Street as early as 7. Get decked out in your best red, white and blue, then expect to come away with a few little flags that are handed out for waving.

As if the parade will not provide all the fun one needs in a day, extend the celebration by visiting the "Fourth of July Jumpin' and Jivin' Jubilee" from noon to 4 p.m. at Rittler Park, located at Otis Drive and Grand Street. Sponsored by the Alameda Recreation and Park Department (www.ci.alameda.ca.us/arpd), the annual event features jump houses, games and crafts run by ARPD staff, live music and food vendors. Admission wristbands for children 5 and older are $10 to $20.

The 34th annual Alameda Mayor's Fourth of July Parade begins at 10 a.m. at Park Street and Lincoln Avenue and will follow a 3.3 mile route to the reviewing stand at Lincoln Avenue and Webster Street.