Red, white, but blue no more: Region revels in new freedom
‘It’s a big deal to be here,’ says a parade watcher celebrating a mostly mask-free Fourth
Around the Bay Area, this Fourth of July offered a new liberty to celebrate: Freedom from the deadly virus that locked down people’s lives and covered up their smiles with masks.
In backyards and parks, at swimming pools and beaches, this Independence Day provided for many people the first chance in many long, isolating months to gather with each other and enjoy, once again, the company of crowds.
At parades in Half Moon Bay and Orinda, there were far more American flags than
masks. And the smiles — even among the many dogs — were everywhere.
“It’s a big deal to be here,” said Candy Smith, a lifelong resident of Half Moon Bay who has attended the town’s annual Independence Day parade for decades. Smith began setting up portable chairs for her family at 9:30 a.m., an hour and a half before the parade’s scheduled start. Sitting with Smith, 59, along Main Street were her daughter-in-law and two small grandchildren — the youngest in a starsand-stripes onesie — from Sunnyvale.
“We’re so happy that my grandkids get to experience this, because last year they had their living room,” said Smith, a retired teacher. “We’re excited just to be out. Just to see everybody socializing and interacting, businesses getting back some of what they lost — it’s just refreshing to see.”
Orinda’s parade also attracted overjoyed revelers.
“This year, I loved coming out from the big dark cloud that was known as COVID,” said Steve Harwood, who has been one of the parade’s announcers for 30 years.
Some 39 groups marched: local swim and 4-H clubs, the Miramonte High cheerleading squad and Moms Demand Action. Music groups played Scottish bagpipe music, New Orleans jazz and patriotic and John Philip Sousa marches.
Lifelong friends Morgen Thistlewolf and Leah Branson grew up attending Orinda’s parade every year. Now with kids of their own, they gathered a group of friends and family to set up blankets and chairs along the route. “I have a lot of special memories,” recalled Branson, who marched in the parade when she was a Girl Scout and whose mother, a local author, once was honored as grand marshal.
In Half Moon Bay, this year’s grand marshal was a local notable, Bev Ashcraft, the last surviving founder of the town’s famed Pumpkin Festival.
Born on the second floor of her family’s grocery store on Main Street almost exactly 90 years ago, she cruised down that broad boulevard Sunday, sitting atop the back seat of a red convertible, waving to the crowds. She turned 90 on Saturday.
“It’s great that they chose me before I died,” Ashcraft said. “I told them, ‘You never know, one day to another.’”
Scheduled to start at 11 a.m., the 50th Half Moon Bay Ol’ Fashioned 4th of July Parade didn’t get going until a little past noon. “Nobody seems to be in charge,” said Allen Sinor, 77, a former Daly City high school principal who paraded in a vintage open-top military Jeep. “It’s a real hometown parade.”
Half Moon Bay Mayor Robert Brownstone, wearing a red, white and blue cowboy hat, acknowledged that the event was “very loosely organized,” but like the other celebrants, he was not bothered. “The energy is great,” Brownstone said. “This is always a very unifying event for the community.”
For longtime resident Gabriela Covarrubias, the parade is a chance to appreciate the town’s cultural diversity. “We see all of the community come together,” said Covarrubias, 26.
When the parade finally got moving, more than 5,000 people lined Main Street — the biggest-ever crowd for the parade, said organizer Tim Beeman. Firetrucks new and ancient passed by, plus a flatbed truck with a giant inflatable Labrador retriever surrounded by close to 20 real therapy and companion dogs. Kids rode BMX bikes decorated with red, white and blue ribbons and balloons, and four burly men rode Harley-Davidson motorcycles with American flags at the back. Two guitarists serenaded parade-goers from a VW bus converted to an open-air bandstand. A stilt-walking man in rainbow pants led a contingent from Coast Pride waving rainbow flags. Bringing up the rear, appropriately for a town with deep agricultural roots, were a couple dozen equestrians, dancing their steeds, with a brass band among them.
Along the route, Luz Castillo and Amy Venegas of Pacifica, friends for more than 20 years, were wearing T-shirts and ball caps with the stars and stripes, and carrying small American flags.
“We want to enjoy our freedom,” said Venegas, 67. “We haven’t been wearing lipstick for over a year — and we can show off our smiles, too.” Castillo, 68, added, “Being able to enjoy July 4, Independence Day, it means a lot,” and Venegas chimed in, “We’re patriots.”
For the da Silva family, Brazilians living in San Mateo who headed to the coast for the Half Moon Bay parade Sunday, the celebration marked their first Independence Day event since arriving in the U.S. two years ago.
“It’s beautiful,” said Elias da Silva, beside his sons Guilherme, 15, Gabriel 12, and his husband, Andre. “I want to come back every year for the Fourth of July.”