MORGANTOWN – Between us, Morgantown Mayor Danielle Trumble isn’t overly fond of parades.
She said so herself.
But she also wasn’t overly fond of the fact that Morgantown hadn’t recognized Independence Day with a proper procession down High Street since 2019.
It just didn’t seem right.
“Last summer, I just kind of got it in my head, like, okay, let’s start bringing back some of these small town things that make people excited. So, we worked really hard to get the Christmas lights back on High Street. That’s something that people get excited about and something they’ve been asking about for a long time. The 4th of July parade was also one of those things for me,” Trumble said.
With the onset of COVID in late 2019, the parade was a nonstarter in 2020, and the event just kind of faded away from there. So did the organizing committee that had been pulling the pieces together for years.
“So I’ve been working with Councilor [Mark] Downs and getting some expertise and experience from friends and people who were originally on that committee and we’re gonna make it happen,” Trumble said.
The parade will step off at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4.
A procession of cyclists will serve as the vanguard. Anyone, young or old, interested in peddling ahead of the parade can meet at WVU’s Mountainlair green at 3 p.m. for a bike decorating opportunity sponsored by BOPARC.
If you’re interested in having a float or entry in the parade, there’s no fee. Contact Trumble at dtrumble@morgantownwv.gov for an entry form.
“We’ve got a wide variety of groups. The color guard from the local Civil Air Patrol wants to take part. We’ve got the American Legion. We’ve got a group of Civil War reenactors who are registered,” Trumble said, noting the parade also has staples like beauty queens, community groups and politicians signed up.
Following the parade, the Ruby Amphitheater opens at 5 p.m. for Morgantown’s 4th of July Celebration. The event will include food and drink vendors, free face painting and an inflatable fun zone for the kids.
Music from The Jukebox Band begins at 7 p.m. and the evening will be capped off by fireworks sponsored by Moses Toyota of Morgantown.
