A parade and fireworks extravaganza are slated for this Sunday as part of Oak Park’s annual Independence Day festivities.
July 4 will spark up at 1 p.m. with Oak Park’s annual parade, which commences at Longfellow Park at Ridgeland and Adams. Organizers are pushing back the start time from the usual 10:30 a.m. so as not to interfere with church services Sunday morning. The parade will travel north on Ridgeland to Augusta and end at Whittier Elementary School at Harvey.
Oak Park’s parade is sponsored by West Suburban Medical Center, Stephen Green Photography, Trattoria 225, Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest, the Democratic Party of Oak Park and Wednesday Journal.
Other neighboring communities have cut their parades to save money, so the village is anticipating an extra-large crowd.
“We’re expecting there to be a few extra non-regular people joining us this year,” said Bob Kane, coordinator for the parade.
The evening will round out with Oak Park’s annual GALA (Great American Light Show Association) Fireworks Show, which is free and open to the public. Community Bank will present the fireworks for the 11th consecutive year.
The show will kick off at dusk July 4 at the Oak Park and River Forest High School football stadium at the northeast corner of Lake and Linden. Fireworks will be lit on July 5 if the show is postponed by weather.
An estimated 25,000 people attend the show each year, according to a Community Bank press release. The grand finale of the event is underwritten by Wednesday Journal.
-Marty Stempniak
