Memphians Celebrate The Fourth In Grand Style

(Memphis) The heat didn’t stop neighbors from gathering for their annual fourth of July parades with costumes, singing and good food.

Hundreds of folks showed up for the annual Aurora Circle/Mimosa Street fourth of July parade Wednesday.

Van Funderburk is one of the organizers of the annual event and says by 9 am the neighborhood was one big “red, white and blue block party.”

“Crowds just seem to fall out of the sky. And everybody has a great time on the fourth,” he said.

The holiday event is 63-years-old and gets adults, kids, and even their pets into a patriotic “state of mind.”

Nan Dickerson lives in High Point Terrace and is thrilled by the turnout, “It is just awesome. It is just too much fun, seeing all the floats and everything. It’s great, it’s great.”

Ruby Palacios says the parade brings people together like nothing else, “We like where we live. And we’re proud to be Americans.”

The Memphis Fire Department led the parade through the neighborhood.

And then created a massive waterfall with one of their ladder trucks–a really cool way to celebrate the fourth.

In midtown Memphis another Independence Day celebration drew hundreds to Carr Avenue in Central Gardens.

For more than 30 years people here have come together to share the spirit of what this day means in history.

Rylie Duke dressed like Lady Liberty for Wednesday’s celebration,   “You know July 4th is about celebrating July 4th 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed. And we just celebrate that today by having a parade.”

Of course hot dogs are a must on the 4th of July, and Will Keeler has a grill full, “Cookin’ two hundred and forty hotdogs!”

He planned on feeding as many as he could, for free.

And as temperatures again headed toward the century mark,  folks made good use of the shade and drank lots of water.

No one wants to be as “hot as a firecracker,” even on this special day.

Olivia Hankins, dressed in a Captain America costume, says she knows exactly what the Super Hero would say, “Happy fourth of July!”