Darien’s July 4th Push-n-Pull Parade — featuring any kid on a bike, scooter, wagon or other non-motorized vehicle — steps off at Goodwives Shopping Center at 10:30 a.m. sharp, runs through downtown and ends up at Tilley Pond Park with food and activities for kids.
Where to Gather Before the Parade
Darien VFW Post 6933, which is organizing the thirteenth annual event, encourages families who are marching to arrive at Goodwives Shopping Center, 25 Old Kings Hwy. North, by about 9:45 a.m. Mary Ann Hall’s Music for Children will entertain the crowd before kick-off.
The Post’s Color Guard will lead the parade. Local and state elected officials will also march. The parade attracted almost 3,000 residents last year.
Parade Contests
There will be contests giving participants a chance to win in multiple categories, including:
- “Best Decorated” category for a vehicle with wheels (that is, a tricycle, bicycle, scooter or wagon),
- “Most Patriotic” dressed family category
- “Best Decorated” category for a float
All vehicles must be non-motorized. Contest winners will be announced at 10:20 a.m., and they get to lead the parade as honorary grand marshals and local dignitaries.
Party at Tilley Pond Park
At Tilley Pond Park there will be food vendors and live entertainment by the Darien Community Band as well as the Ray and Jay Band.
There will be children’s activities at the park, including face painting and removable children’s tattoos. The event is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $20 per family payable at Tilley Pond Park.
The money will be used for the Darien VFW Post’s continuing restoration of the former Chapel of Fitch’s Home for Soldiers and their Orphans (the first veterans’ home in the U.S., established right here in Darien just after the Civil War). The Chapel is the Post’s headquarters at 205 Noroton Avenue, and attendees are encouraged to visit.
Thanks
The parade sponsors include Day Pitney LLP, the Rucci Law Group, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, the Darien Youth Commission, JetBlue, Darien Rowayton Bank, Investmark and William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.
The parade also gets support from the Darien Police Department, the Darien, Noroton and Noroton Heights volunteer fire departments and the town government.
Editor’s note: This article originally was published June 28. The time stamp has been changed to move the link back to the Darienite.com home page.