From horses to superheroes
Griffith’s Fourth of July event entertains crowd of parade fans
Griffith’s July 4th parade Saturday afternoon was long and — for better or worse, depending on to whom you talked — loud.
From the Police and Fire Department cavalcade kicking off the annual affair that draws hundreds to Broad Street to the giant tow trucks bringing up the rear and all manner of muscle cars revving their giant engines in between, those who love the mechanical roar of a Region parade weren’t disappointed. Joe Teague, of Griffith, who rolled up on parade on his bike with Grateful Dead tunes coming out of a Bluetooth speaker he mounted to it, was glad the First Responders were the first in line.
“At least if any emergency happens, they can get to it right away,” Teague said as he enjoyed his tunes and sipped a red sparkling beverage in a drink koozie one industrious parade participant tossed him and the revelers near the end of the parade route, which started at Ash and Broad Streets and ended up at Main Street.
Griffith High School’s Marching Band was the only one to march Saturday, but all manner of Griffith Public School groups represented, including the Drama Club, which proudly sported its “Radium Girls” T-shirts from its successful Spring production, and the cheer squads from elementary school-aged girls on up.
Lilli Gonzalez, 11, completed her seventh parade and was tired and hot, yet thrilled of the experience.
“We do a walk-then-dance routine the whole way,” Lilli explained as she demonstrated the pom-pom motions the team does. “I just like the fact that I can be myself in front of a bunch of people because I don’t usually like to dance in front of others. This helps me do it.”
And no town event at this point would be complete without an appearance from the Griffith Super Squad Event League, who started their own parades last year to bring joy to kids and, really, the community when everyone couldn’t be near each other.
Melissa Shea and the Black Widow —
aka her daughter, Alix — brought super horses Apollo and Lena out for the festivities as Batman led the team on his three-wheeler. Supergirl and Deadpool rounded out the troop.
Captain America, meanwhile, fell a bit behind the League but still managed to make friends, fist-bumping and stopping for photo ops along the way.
“Last year was f un because we’d go visit kids during birthday parades and social distancing, and they were young enough that their imaginations are more creative,” said Captain America, whose real-life alter ego is Mike Zurawski, of Griffith.
“But I like the big parade, too, because now, we can interact more.”
Teague, for as much fun as he was having hanging out, might skip out the next one, he said.
“This whole thing kind of feels like a waste of gas to me,” he said.